Esp Certificate Program Opens Doors For Support Staff
“I get goosebumps every time I think about it.”
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:
- Discipline, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, and Special
Needs Students in the Classroom.
- Support Staff Enhancement.
- Motivating Students.
- Behavior and Management Strategies.
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:
- Communication.
- Legal/Ethical.
- Behavior Management.
- Growth and Development.
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.”
Core Curriculum Categories
- Communication: Learning experiences designed to improve a person’s
ability to understand and be understood in the work environment.
- Legal/Ethical: Federal and state laws which afford protection,
extend privileges, and describe rights and responsibilities of educational
institutions and the people in them.
- Behavior Management: Prevention/intervention strategies for
effectively managing student behavior and difficult situations.
- Growth and Development: Understanding basic human growth and
development — both normal and abnormal — to help school personnel
understand and interact with a variety of people in school settings.
- Elective Categories: Activities applicable to job responsibilities.
Posted January 7, 1996