ESP Retirement Bill Calls For Equity

A proposal to improve retirement benefits for education support professionals (ESP) has been introduced by State Senator Fred Risser (D-Madison). The bill calls for equal treatment of education support professionals under the Wisconsin Retirement System.

ESP are treated differently by the WRS in terms of qualifying for coverage under WRS and for early retirement calculations.

The proposal was included by Governor Doyle in his 2007-09 state budget, but was removed in late April by the co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee as “non-fiscal policy.” That move prompted Risser to introduce the measure as separate legislation.

Teachers, librarians and administrators currently need fewer hours of employment per year to qualify for creditable service toward retirement in the WRS. The difference in calculating creditable service effectively requires ESP to work longer than other education staff to become eligible to make contributions to the WRS.

Peg Bestul, president of the Wausau Educational Support Professionals serving 323 members, said the work of ESP has changed dramatically with the increased responsibilities placed upon schools as a result of the “No Child Left Behind” law and other mandates. Bestul, who works three hours a day in the Title 1 program and three hours a day with cognitively disabled students, said, “We’re not the bulletin board brigade. We do so much more.”

Based on her hours of work, Bestul -- who has been a paraprofessional for 13 years -- is not eligible for any retirement benefits under her negotiated contract or the WRS. She said it’s a common problem among the members of her local association.

“I see a lot of young people who are choosing to be paraprofessionals, and then they see there is no retirement package like the teachers,” she said, adding that often the public does not understand the important role of ESP in schools.

“People think we are volunteers, checking in books in the library and helping to put up bulletin boards,” she said. “We don’t have time for that. We are supervising and helping in small group learning. We’re not volunteers. We’re people who have decided this is what we want to do with our lives.”

The bill, SB-222, is part of the 2007-08 WEAC Legislative Agenda. It requires that ESP and teachers, librarians and administrators be treated the same in terms of qualifying for WRS coverage and for early retirement calculations, with full-time employment for ESP set at 1,320 hours per year.

Under the current state law, ESP must work 1,904 hours a year to be considered full-time employees and 600 hours a year to be eligible for WRS benefits.

In contrast, for public school teachers, librarians and administrators, the Department of Employee Trust Funds defines full-time employment as 1,320 hours per year and eligibility at 440 hours per year.

“That’s a big disparity between the two,” said Kay Hansen, president of the Denmark Education Support Professionals.

Hansen, a classroom paraprofessional who works with special needs children, has been part of the retirement plan under WRS for nearly 16 years, but only 12 years of her service are considered for the program. “We work side by side with the teachers every day,” she said. “We do our jobs, and if we are full time that’s eight hours a week." She said the way retirement benefits are calculated for ESP should be the same.

“I’ve been there but I’m not credited for it,” she continued. “We are asking to be treated the same and receive the same respect.”

Hansen said she is happy that the inequity is finally being brought to light at the state level. “It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “It’s good to see people talking about it and taking notice.”

WEAC’s membership includes more than 17,000 ESP who perform a wide variety of jobs in public schools everyday. “ESP time spent in public schools should be given the same level of respect as all other professionals in public schools,” said WEAC President Stan Johnson. “This will provide an incentive for ESP to stay in public service for their entire careers, making sure every school has great teachers and staff.”

For more information about the 2007-08 WEAC Legislative Agenda, visit the At the Capitol section of OnWEAC.

2007-09 state budget resource page

Posted July 12, 2007