What we want: Better schools

NEA Today, Sep 1994

Leading the Way

Who says school support staff can't get involved in restructuring efforts? Even more important, who says support staff can't lead school improvement projects?

No one who's met a certain bus driver in Maine, custodian in Ohio, and paraprofessional in Oregon. These three NEA members are all leaders in the education reform movement.

Bus driver Marilyn Gryskwicz is something of a local hero in Gorham, Maine. Thanks to her imagination and drive, the White Rock School boasts a new wildlife habitat, complete with nature trail, animal feeding stations, and interdisciplinary curriculum.

Gryskwicz, president of the Gorham Educational Support Association, came up with the idea herself. then made it happen.

"I believe that children can learn so much more by taking a look at their own environment," she explains. "That's why this project was so important to me."

Now, the outdoor enthusiast says, "children can observe wildlife, plant trees, and go on nature walks--learning all the way. Creating a curriculum to support it made it even more exciting."

Gryskwicz coordinated a collaborative effort involving GESA, the Gorham Teachers Association, and several administrators and community members. The project was recently awarded a $4,000 grant by NEA's National Foundation for the Improvement of Education.

"I hope this tells others that you can make things happen if you want to," says Gryskwicz. "I wouldn't take no for answer, and this project shows it."

* In Lancaster, Ohio, custodian Carl Wilmot heads the site-based decision making council at Cedar Heights Elementary School. Elected by the school's teachers and support staff, Wilmot oversees efforts that range from purchasing playground equipment to determining curriculum materials.

"It's been a terrific learning process for everyone." Wilmot says. "We now understand each other's jobs and coordinate our decisions."

This year, the council took on its biggest task: selecting a new principal. "That showed the district administration trusted us to make the right choice," Wilmot says.

"Very little goes on here without us, and that means all of us."

* In Hillsboro, Oregon, NEA member Frances Pingel has launched a project called Language: A Two-Way Street to tight the area's growing dropout rate among Hispanic students.

The program offers the Hispanic students at Groner Elementary School, most of them from migrant families, bilingual tutoring in individual or small group lessons through the Migrant Education Program.

But the bilingual education goes both ways. English-speaking students are also learning Spanish through games, songs, and assignments led by the Hispanic students and parents.

Largely because of Pingel's efforts, Language: A Two-Way Street won a $7,500 "Just Do It" Teachers' grant from NIKE, Inc. and NEA's National Foundation for the Improvement of Education.

Tips on Taking Part

How can you get involved in school reform effort? A few tips from Michigan UniServ Director Robin Langley:

* Get your local Association involved in any reform discussion. Education reform can't succeed without the participation of all staff.

* Help your colleagues overcome any fears they may have. Encourage coworkers to be a part of every committee. every fact-finding group, every council.

* Ask your administrator's for appropriate classes and training opportunities.

* Let everyone know that when school support staff are involved, good things happen.

Reform Includes You

Robin Langley, UniServ director in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, is known for her efforts to ensure ESP involvement in education reform.

Why is it so important for ESP members to get involved in ed reform?

Because support staff are as critical to school improvement as teachers and administrators. Even more important, unlike many teachers, school support staff live in the community surrounding the school. They have knowledge that others don't have--knowledge about the children, the community, the parents. That's why they have to be able to contribute as equal stakeholders in the schools.

How should ESP get involved?

ESP members need to insert themselves into the process from the very beginning of school reform efforts. They can't let themselves get shut out. Sometimes that will mean meeting with the teachers to talk about integrating support employees into the process. But make it happen. Don't be intimidated.

What do you say to those who resist support staff involvement, saying that curriculum issues don't apply to them?

I tell them some support employees might not have the ability or knowledge on curriculum issues in the beginning, but they can extend their learning and understanding of the issues and the work.

They'll also be able to give invaluable input based on their knowledge of the community, and practical suggestions based on their knowledge of the school as a whole.

Our members are now involved in every aspect of school life, and that's the way it should be.

Then there's something else, even more important, that I tell ESP members.

What's that?