ESP helping kids learn

NEA Today, Jan 1999

Dedicated Workforce

What you've long suspected is true: If you want to find people who are committed to their jobs, look at education support personnel.

That's one of the findings of NEA's recently completed survey of K- 12 ESP members. Eighty percent of support employees plan to stay with their ESP jobs.

An additional 12 percent plan to leave their jobs but stay in education-most of these are preparing to become teachers. Only 5 percent of ESP say they plan to leave education.

For more information about the NEA ESP membership survey, contact Carolyn Summers, NEA Research, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036, 202/822-7904. Send E-mail to Csummers@ nea.org.

Technology Academy

In Wisconsin's Verona Area School District, support employees and teachers are learning how to use technology together. Last summer, for the first time, ESP from many different job classifications were able to enroll in the district's Technology Academy.

Participants learned skills they need on their jobs, including using software for word processing and teaching math and writing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, the Internet, and more.

Participants in the training were able to get credit toward the Wisconsin Education Association Council Professional Development Academy ESP Level I Certificate.

For details, contact Linda Christensen, Director of Instruction, Verona Area School District, 700 N. Main St., Verona, WI 53593, 608/845-6451. E-mail: christenl@verona.kl2.wi.us.

Public Education Promo Looking for tools to help you communicate with parents and community members? Try using NEA's Public Education Leaflets, available in Spanish and English from the NEA Professional Library.

NEA has published 35 different leaflets, covering topics like "Helping Children Deal With Stress," "Working Together For Education," and "Discipline That Works."

Reproducible leaflet masters cost $3 each (make as many copies as you need), or $105 for the complete set of 35 in one language. For more information, call the NEA Professional Library at 800/229-4200.

Help from Head Start

Parent's Guide After Head Start: Success in Public School is an easy, practical guide you can use to help parents and children make the transition to public schools.

Using common sense lessons from years of Head Start experience, the guide includes a sample introductory letter to the child's new principal and teacher, explains how parents can become familiar with their child's new school, and offers tips on assessing school curriculum, teacher training, and student progress.

This best-selling publication from the National Head Start Association is available for $4-in English or Spanish-from NHSA,1651 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3483, 800/6875044. E-mail: genpub@nhsa.org. On the Web: www.nhsa.org/.

School Inclusion

What development in education has had the biggest impact on the jobs and responsibilities of support educators? Some would say inclusion, also known as the mainstreaming of students with special needs.

If you mix regular and special education students in the same classrooms, you might want to read NEA's Appropriate Inclusion and Paraprofessionals: Changing Roles and Expectations.

This booklet will help you learn how to adapt to changing roles and be an effective educator. Single copies are available free from the NEA ESP Program, 1201 16th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036, 202/822-7131.