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Someday soon — perhaps about this time next year — a hard-working, dedicated individual will become the first Education Support Staff member in Wisconsin to earn an official ESP Certificate issued through the WEA Professional Development Academy.
It will be a landmark day for all of Wisconsin’s school support staff, but one especially celebrated by Onalaska school secretary Joyce Jones.
“I get goosebumps every time I think about it,” said Jones, who has been working for several years to give support staff in Wisconsin the opportunity to earn a certificate.
“I feel very strongly that the support personnel in our schools need training in their fields, whether they drive a bus, work with children as teacher assistants, cook and serve meals, keep the buildings safe and clean, or work directly with the public in the offices,” said Jones, a secretary at Irving Pertzsch Elementary School in Onalaska. “We are called on to handle all kinds of situations — tend to sick and injured children, calm irate parents, administer medications, defuse tense situations, make judgement calls in emergency situations, and be a ‘jack of all trades’ and master of all.”
Two years ago, Jones spearheaded a program in her home school district to address what she saw as the important and growing training needs of support staff. With the enthusiastic support of Superintendent Dr. Robert Weber, the Onalaska School District began a program through the WEA Professional Development Academy and University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. Initial programs included:
Other courses since have included The Aides’ Role in Developing Successful Readers, and Administration of Medications and Legal Issues. In order to receive an ESP Certificate, participants must earn 5 credits in each of four core areas, 10 credits in elective areas, and 10 additional credits in either core or elective areas. The core areas are:
The Onalaska program was the first in the state but is growing.
This year, more than 70 support staff personnel are involved in 17 training programs operated through UW-LaCrosse, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Green Bay and CESA 4, which is based in Onalaska. Jones expects the program to grow every year and to become a model for other states.
“This is just the beginning,” she said. “We’re looking for it to spread across the country.”
The program was developed through a partnership involving the WEA Professional Development Academy and several UW campuses. As a member of the PDA Board, Jones took the initiative and has shepherded the program along. It began with the formation of Project Bold Venture, which includes representatives from UW-River Falls, UW-La Crosse, UW-Madison, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Superior, the UW System, and UW Extension.
When it was decided to make the ESP Certificate program the first project of the Bold Venture group, an ESP Design Committee was appointed. The committee was charged with exploring the issue and developing criteria for the certificate. The curriculum and requirements for earning the certificate were developed by this committee which included Jones and members from the PDA, UW-La Crosse and UW System.
UW-LaCrosse took the lead in working with the Onalaska and Holmen districts, but programs are open to support staff from any school district. Right now, the only limitation is transportation to the few sites where courses are offered, but that will change as the program grows, Jones said. In Onalaska, the district covers the cost of the courses and provides staff with comp time for their attendance.
“That’s what they do for teachers, so that’s what they said they’d do for us,” Jones said.
Jones said development of the program has involved a lot of hard work but it’s already proven to be worth it.
“There are some people out there who are very serious about earning a certificate,” she said.
Jones said there is a hope that districts will recognize the value of an ESP certificate through improved compensation or other recognition. The certificate also will likely improve a person’s chances of being promoted or getting a better-paying job. But the Number 1 reason for support staff to participate in the program is to improve themselves.
“They take pride in their jobs,” Jones said. “They want to do them better.”
Posted January 7, 1996