The Indispensable Role of Education Support Professionals in Shaping School Communities
Education Support Professionals (ESPs) are valued and critical members of every public school community. They are indispensable in ensuring the success of each school's health component, meeting the needs of the whole student, promoting quality education, and fostering positive learning environments. ESPs ensure students achieve at their highest levels, keep them emotionally and physically healthy and safe, engage them and keep them connected to the larger school community, and provide instruction and academic supports, challenging and motivating students by maintaining high expectations.
Defining Education Support Professionals
The category of education staff professional includes many different career families, such as:
- Clerical Services
- Custodial and Maintenance Services
- Food Services
- Health and Student Services
- Paraeducators
- Security Services
- Skilled Trade Services
- Technical Services
- Transportation Services
ESPs are frequently the most immediate and direct conduit into the school community, with the majority not only working but also living in the local community where the school is located.
The Multifaceted Roles and Responsibilities of ESPs
ESPs who cater to the health and wellbeing of students (Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services; Health Services; Physical Environment) also cater to the wellness of staff. All staff, including ESPs, play a key role in establishing, developing, and maintaining connections with the students themselves.
Health and Student Services
Health and student service ESPs are key players in the components of Counseling, Psychological, and Social Services and Health Services.
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Fostering a Positive Learning Environment
Education staff professionals meet the needs of the whole student, promoting quality education and fostering positive learning environments.
Ensuring Student Success
Education staff professionals ensure students achieve at their highest levels. They provide instruction and academic supports, challenging and motivating students by maintaining high expectations.
Promoting Student Well-being
They keep students emotionally and physically healthy and safe.
Enhancing Community Engagement
They engage students and keep them connected to the larger school community.
ESPs as Advocates and Union Members
Like their critical role in each school community, education staff professionals play a vital role in every part of the Florida Education Association. In addition to leadership at every level of our union, education staff professional members have their own statewide council, the Education Staff Professional Program and Policy Council (ESP PPC), dedicated to the issues uniquely affecting ESP members. In October 2018, Secretary-Treasurer Carole Gauronskas became the first education staff professional member elected to an FEA statewide office. The Florida Education Association, along with its national affiliates - AFT and NEA - are committed to elevating the status of all education staff professionals and ensuring they receive the support and training needed to excel in their careers.
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Addressing Challenges and Advocating for Fair Compensation
We know that far too many education staff professionals earn below-poverty-level wages and have to work two, or even three jobs, just to make ends meet. This is why it is so important for all education staff professionals to band together and make their voices heard both in the legislature and at in the collective bargaining process. Additionally, the same corporate interests that undermine school funding and attack our union rights are also trying to privatize many education staff professional jobs.
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