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Educational Support Personnel are spending more time in the classroom than ever before — not just as educators but as learners too.
About 1,700 support staff throughout the state are working toward earning a certificate through a unique program created and coordinated by the WEA Professional Development Academy. The program awards certificates to staff who complete 40 hours of specified course work.
Since the program was launched in 1993, seven people have earned certificates, and the program is growing in leaps and bounds. Courses are taught through districts, CESAs, universities and technical colleges. Participants say the certificate program fills a big need.
“It’s not just a piece of paper,” said Julie McFaul of Greendale. “It’s about benefitting our kids.”
One day last year, Julie McFaul and Gina Hand (photo) were “surfing the Net” when they came across an area of OnWEAC devoted to the Certificate Program for Educational Support Personnel.
“I strongly believe support staff need to advance their education goals as much as professional staff.” |
Having never before heard of such a program, “We were really excited when we found it,” said McFaul, a special education aide in Greendale.
Today and more than 40 credit hours later, McFaul and Hand, a library aide in Greendale, are among about seven support staff who can proudly hang that certificate on their wall.
“It’s not just a piece of paper,” McFaul said. “It’s about benefitting our kids. Ultimately, my goal is to improve myself for the students.”
“I strongly believe support staff need to advance their education goals as much as professional staff,” added Hand. “We need to keep up with changing curriculum and technology.”
The WEA Professional Development Academy launched the ESP Certificate Program in 1994. Participants who complete a required course load are awarded a certificate. Although the certificate does not guarantee higher pay, recipients agree it generally gains them increased respect, helps them improve their job performance and may help open up opportunities for career advancement.
Programs are offered through the University of Wisconsin Outreach/Continuing Education Divisions, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies, technical colleges, school districts, UniServs, professional associations, and private vendors.
In some cases, participants must travel to a university or other site to take a course and pay for it out of their own pockets. In other cases, a school district may offer a partial or full course load for free.
West Bend
One of the first districts to offer a series of certificate courses locally was West Bend, where more than 40 of the 190 support personnel are working toward a certificate. This year, West Bend is offering 17 courses.
Support staff can earn all the credits necessary for a certificate by taking courses within the district at no charge. The district has contracted with several consultants and has also used the resources of its own staff.
T.C. Motzkus, staff developer for West Bend schools, said the district became involved in the program at the request of Vi Oilar, an aide at Jackson Elementary School who was taking classes outside the district on an individual basis. The district organized an informal group of ESP members into a planning team which has overseen the rapid growth of the program.
Motzkus said the Certificate Program fills a big need.
“This is a recognition that their knowledge counts and they play an important role,” she said. “Teachers are not the only teachers. In the community, we’re all teaching at all times. We all have something to offer.”
Greendale
Greendale’s McFaul and Hand took classes at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland (a 1½ hour drive), at the WEAC Summer Conference, and in the district.
Although they already have their certificates, they are continuing their training, and recently took a course on legal-ethical issues in education, taught in the high school library by Greendale Superintendent Bill Hughes. The course attracted about 35 educational assistants and secretaries (photo).
Hughes said he became involved in the PDA’s Certificate Program because he strongly supports the idea of specialized training for support staff and was impressed by the program’s range of courses.
“I’m interested in working toward a district in which everyone is a learner,” he said.
Waterloo
In Waterloo, Superintendent Charles Whitsell (photo) and Director of Instruction Donna Thomas also recognize the value in bringing training to their support staff. The district has hired experts to teach a series of courses that offer credit toward the ESP Certificate (photo).
“I think this helps people feel they are important and an integral part of the educational process,” Whitsell said.
Jamie Strong (photo), a Waterloo teacher’s aide who has earned 20 hours toward her certificate, said the certificate will help her gain respectability.
“It’s a great program,” she said. “You are always gaining something you can bring back to the kids.”
Posted February 5, 1998
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