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By Molly Thompson Like many teachers and education support professionals, Kathy Romsos and Kay Hansen would exchange hurried hellos as they passed in the Denmark Elementary School halls, but that was about it. It's not that they didn't like each other. They just didn't think they had much in common since Romsos is a classroom teacher and member of the Education Association, and Hansen is a paraeducator in the media center who belongs to the Education Support Professionals. "As we like to say, 'And then there was WEAC's Summer Academy,'" Romsos said Saturday (February 4, 2006) during her seminar with Hansen, "Building Unity Between Your EA and ESP Locals" at WEAC's Winter Conference in Madison. "We were separate, but not equal," Romsos said of the DEA and the DESP. "ESP were interested in their issues, and teachers were interested in their issues - but everything was teacher-focused." When the two attended Summer Academy two years ago, they had to pick a joint project and chose "unity." "It made sense to us that we could work together to be stronger, but we really weren't sure how to start," Hansen said. "Unfortunately the administration and even members look at us as a bargaining unit, but we are so much more than that. We care about children, and we want to produce quality schools. When we realized that we both felt the same - everything started coming together." Their first step was to create an authentic mission statement. With the WEAC mission statement as a model, they wrote: "The Denmark Education Association and Denmark Education Support Professionals will advocate for all Denmark students. The DESP and DEA strive to provide quality for all students by promoting the advancement of professional and personal growth along with the economic welfare and rights of our members." "WEAC was a huge resource for us - you don't have to re-create the wheel," Hansen said. "In the end, we came up with a mission statement that didn't put the teachers ahead of the ESP. It showed that we are all in this together."
That's why they chose the logo of a square knot. "No matter how many people are trying to pull us apart, we just keep getting tighter," said Hansen. "That's what we are all about." Even though the unity theme clicked for Hansen and Romsos, they needed to plan goals that would galvanize their respective locals. "It takes time to build appreciation," Romsos said. "Even when we do appreciate each other, we don't always let each other know it." The first goal for the new partnership was to build mutual respect. "Before we could respect each other, we had to learn about each other – the teachers needed to know what bugged the ESP, and ESP needed to know what bugged the teachers," Romsos said. "One of the first things we did was change the name of 'aides' to 'support staff.'" That was one of their first lessons in building success - that a seemingly small thing can make a big difference. Case in point was "Teacher Appreciation Week." ESP set out bowls of Hershey's hugs and kisses with appreciative cards in the staff lounge."It was such a small thing, but it got a lot of attention," Hansen said. "We had notes flying back and forth from teachers and ESPs about how great everyone thought everyone was and how much every one appreciated each other. Even our principal got involved. A simple thing can make everyone feel good, and you can't measure how much that can help grow a positive relationship." They rounded out their list of goals with:
Member involvement Most people want to get involved, Romsos said. They just don't want it to take a lot of time, and they want other people to be involved too. The EA and ESP engaged members by choosing an issue in which members of both groups had a vested interest - bargaining personal days into the contract. "We all wanted personal days, but it was something that was easier for the ESP to bargain for," Romsos said. "After the EPS got them, then it was easier for teachers to get them too." Keeping each other informed in bargaining is important because it keeps the administration honest. "Oftentimes, the administration tells teachers things like, we are hurting the ESP by keeping our insurance, when that's not the case," Romsos said. "They try to pit us against each other." A future goal of the DEA and DESP is to sit in on each other's bargains. "We haven't done this yet, but it makes sense to have someone at the table from the other group," Hansen said. "It also sends a message to the administration that we are united." Work together for common good Denmark union members used to donate $4 of dues to a student scholarship fund, but now members organize events, such as chili suppers and staff vs. student basketball games. The events not only raise more money and act as team-builders between locals, but also capture the community's attention in a positive way. "The community needs to know that you work together," Hansen said. "Even if the scholarships are small, for parents to talk about how the teachers and support staff gave their child a scholarship - that says a lot, especially to those with negative opinions of school employees." Create more positive PR Creating a positive relationship and reputation comes down to individual effort, exemplified by Hansen and Romsos. From barely saying hello in the hall, the two now are irrefutable friends inside the school and out.
DEA and DESP host several social events each year, including a staff walk for cancer, and an autumn social. Seminar participants added suggestions from their locals, including:
It's also important to watch what you say about your union or other locals because there are some who want to see dissention. "Treating people badly has huge ramifications," Romsos said. "When we're not united, it's an open invitation to pull us apart." Hansen and Romsos are determined to not let that happen in Denmark. "We're inseparable," Hansen said. "People know who Kay and Kathy are, but they don't always know which is which." Full coverage of WEAC Winter Conference Posted February 9, 2006 |
