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ONALASKA, Wis. -- If school teachers need four-year college degrees or more to work with children, shouldn't teacher assistants, secretaries, bus drivers, aides, cooks and custodians be offered some training as well?
Irving Pertzsch Elementary teacher aide Linda Steele thinks so. She was the first person in the state to earn an Education Support Personnel (ESP) certificate from the Professional Development Academy (PDA) of the Wisconsin Education Association Council.
The training program for education paraprofessionals was brought to life by Joyce Jones, school secretary at Pertzsch. In 1991, Jones was asked by the Wisconsin Education Association to be on a task force to determine the feasibility of starting a Professional Development Academy to serve Wisconsin school employees. She then ran for membership on the academy's board of directors, and became its only ESP member.
The academy joined forces with deans from University of Wisconsin campuses at La Crosse, River Falls, Stevens Point and Superior and the UW Systems continuing education director to form a group called "Bold Venture."
Assigned to a team with Jones was UW-L Continuing Education Dean Don Campbell and staff member Barb Manthei. Jones showed them forms and a survey she had developed for the Onalaska Professional Development Inservice Committee.
Soon the plan was adopted as the first project for "Bold Venture." A group of university, school and academy personnel, including Jones, designed the curriculum for the certification program.
A Logan graduate, Steele had served for 22 years as a medical assistant before becoming an aide at Pertzsch in 1989. She was eager to take the training when it became available in 1994. In June she achieved the 40-hour requirement of classroom training. Her certificate will be awarded by Jones in Madison on Oct. 24 at the Wisconsin Education Association Council awards and recognition banquet.
"I'm proud to represent the Onalaska School District," Steele said.
More than 20 support staff in Onalaska are in the program.
Statewide there are 303 enrollees in the program, out of some 10,000 educational support personnel. The idea has been featured in both state and national articles in the education publications.
The Onalaska district has been supportive of the movement. Former Superintendent Robert Weber encouraged Jones' idea for starting the program locally. "Dr. Weber was a big pusher on this," she said.
The district pays the fees for the courses and gives employees compensatory time for attending. Certification does not mean a bigger paycheck, but Jones thinks it might become a factor in job promotion.
Other districts in the state have called for information, as have schools from Michigan and South Carolina. Debra Berndt, director of the Professional Development Academy, said she is not aware of any other similar programs in any other state.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS: In order to receive an Education Support Personnel certificate, paraeducators or support persons must receive a minimum of five hours of training in the areas of communication, legal/ethical issues, behavior management and growth and development. They also must receive 10 hours in elective areas related to their job responsibilities and 10 additional elective hours. Courses are offered by universities, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies, and other selected providers. During a year, three or four sessions are scheduled, involving classes of two hours each on three weekends. Personnel meet in Onalaska for the training from area districts ranging from Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau to Necedah.
Posted October 8, 1996