Serious about their jobs--and kids

NEA Today, Feb 2002 by Simon, Matt

News

Education support professionals have become the fastest-growing membership group in NEA and a force for improving public education.

Every school day, NEA member Jim Fox sees to it that dozens of kids in Santa Fe, New Mexico ride safely to and from school. But for Fox, a bus driver for Santa Fe Public Schools, that's just where his job-and his service to students and their schools-begins.

Two years ago, Fox noticed that the school district was unconcerned when he and other drivers complained about low pay and wage freezes. Fox decided to start working for change through his local affiliate, and became an NEASanta Fe Association representative.

Since then, he's spent countless hours of his own time visiting work sites, talking to members about the benefits of NEA representation, and working through the Association to improve bus drivers' jobs.

Not only has Fox singlehandedly signed up 20 drivers, but he and fellow activists have brought Association membership in their unit up to 60 percent. One payoff: The unit mobilized last year to win 7 percent pay raises when 4 percent was initially offered.

"It was a lesson to me in getting involved," says Fox. "I found out we had a voice as bus drivers."

Record ESP Growth

The success of Fox and his coworkers in Santa Fe is anything but iso. fated. Nationwide, education support professionals-including secretaries, paraeducators, custodians, maintenance employees, bus drivers, food service workers, nurses, and security employees-are joining NEA in record numbers and taking collective action to improve their jobs and their schools.

ESPs are now the fastest-growing membership sector of NEA. During the 2000-01 school year, 21 percent of new NEA members were ESPs. More than 22,000 ESPs joined NEA that year, producing a 6.8 percent increase in ESP membership over 1999-2000.

Forty-one percent of NEA state affilfates had an increase in ESP membership last year, and in five states, ESP membership grew by 14 percent or more.

"ESPs are very serious about their jobs and the children they serve," says Sandra Rice, a UniServ director and ESP liaison in North Carolina, where state ESP membership grew by more than 20 percent last year. "And they are willing to step up to the plate."

According to Rice, support professionals are more eager to get involved in NEA because their diverse jobs are often low-paying, and tough economic times are making it harder than ever for ESPs to support their families.

"I started as an ESP," says Rice, "and I've found that the first problem is trying to define us. Each ESP unit is unique. We're bus drivers, food service workers, and media employees. It's not easy to figure out that this diverse group of workers can have a common voice.

"But when North Carolina's most recent budget cuts hit," Rice notes, "employees saw that the North Carolina Association of Educators/NEA was fighting for them, and they responded by joining the Association and getting involved."

And NCAE ESP leaders and members demonstrated their resolve in 2001 by winning a new state law, signed by the governor, that grants hearing and appeal rights to ESPs.

"When it comes to winning community support for schools and school employees, nobody does it better than an ESP," Rice concludes. "ESPs live in the community, they know the community, they are the community. And the community listens to them."

Issues That Unite ESPs

The common resolve of ESPs nationwide should be no mystery.

One need only look at just a few of the serious issues confronting these employees to understand why they are working with such urgency to gain a collective voice. ESP issues include:

1. Concern for students. "Every survey and study shows beyond a doubt that the number one concern of ESPs is students," says Al Perez, director of NEA's national ESP program.

ESPs in every job category have a relationship with and responsibility to kids that is every bit as important as the teacher-student relationship. Yet ESPs responsible for student safety, security, and development are often given little or no training.

2. Low pay. ESPs hold jobs that are traditionally nonunion and low paying. Many work at or below the poverty level. Like other American workers, ESPs strongly favor federal and state legislation to raise the minimum wage.

3. Disparity in benefits. Full-time support professionals are generally pleased with their benefits. But the many ESP who work part time-or are employed by private contractors-are often denied basic benefits such as health insurance and pensions.

4. Lack of professional development opportunities. ESPs are often thwarted from turning their jobs into careers, or gaining promotion opportunities, because of a lack of professional development and advanced training. Most say they want professional development programs but can't pay for them.

NEA is responding nationwide by providing direct training programs or subsidizing ESP professional development.

5. Licensure. ESPs often have little documented proof of their qualifications. Even if they have earned local licenses or certificates, these may not be recognized in the next county.