Educational Support Professionals (ESP) make up an average of 1/3 of school staff and are a vital part of education. The Oklahoma Education Association works hard to make sure that support staff is given as many opportunities as certified staff in the association. On October 29, 2022, ESPs were invited to come together for collaboration and learning opportunities at conferences in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Both conferences had a variety of activities scheduled for the day. The attendees participated in BINGO while learning about the ESP Growth Continuum. This broke down the various types of ESP services and the various standards for their jobs regarding communication, ethics, etc.
Next OEA staff helped log members into NEA and the Access app to show them the various benefits they have as members. As OKC Metro Organizer Amber Spradlin explained “This is so important because support staff are not paid adequate wages, so we can show them ways to save money and get their dues back.”
After, participants took the True Colors personality quiz to help them understand themselves and others better. This will benefit the workplace and relationships built there.
Finally, the Roundtable discussions allowed for members from across the state to visit about successes and failures within their locals. It gave members ideas to try when communicating and recruiting. The legislative aspect encouraged members to get involved at the capitol, and subsequently OEA is now working on setting up a day at the capitol event for ESPs. Everyone also wrote postcards to remind people to vote on Nov. 8th.
One of the attendees was Kathy Hale. Kathy has been a member of the support staff at Putnam City Schools for over 25 years, first as a Financial Secretary and now as an Activity Funds Clerk. She frequently attends OEA conferences and is very active in her local association.
When asked why, she said “These conferences are important for support professionals to attend, as we feed off each other and can better our local. I have been fortunate enough to attend 2 ESP conferences at OEA and the NEA ESP conference in New Orleans. The information we receive is invaluable and the sessions at the NEA conference were extremely informative. I am hoping to attend the National Conference next year and come back with more information for my association.”
OEA staff members find these conferences to be equally enlightening as Organizing Specialist Brendan Jarvis explained “It is important for ESPs to come to these conferences because they can learn about what OEA is doing in relation to their specific jobs and give us feedback on what else we can do for them.”
When it comes to discussion on education, many people are quick to focus on teachers only, but support staff is equally important. The issues they face are not always the same as the issues certified staff face and as an association, OEA wants to make sure they are also heard. “ESPs are not always given the respect they deserve and OEA is committed to advocating the best we can for ESPs in Oklahoma and high participation in the conference can help us improve conditions for them more effectively,” Brendan explained.
Kathy Hale shared her support for OEA’s mission by stating “OEA is a very important organization to me, as I come from a family of educators. We need someone to fight for what is right for our teachers, support and students.”
In the end, the organizers reported that conferences were successful. Amber explained “Everyone left with a full stomach, cup of candy, OEA swag (pen, pencil, notepad, and flashlight) and $20 to help offset the expense of driving to the conference. It built a strong foundation of ESPs as we more forward.”
