| As a result of her working to attain an ESP Certificate, Debbie
Holschbach is more confident than ever in her job.
“I am learning things that I can take back to my job every
day and use immediately,” said the English-as-a-Second-Language
assistant at Manitowoc’s Jackson Elementary School.
“This is definitely helping me perform my job better.”
Holschbach has just one more core section to complete before
earning her Education Support Staff certificate through WEAC’s
Professional Development Academy. She is one of more than 7,000
people who have taken at least one PDA course leading to a certificate.
About 300 people already have earned a certificate.
 | | Debbie Holschbach (left) and Carol Levendusky find great
value in the ESP courses offered by the WEAC Professional
Development Academy and Kettle Moraine UniServ Council. |  | | KMUC UniServ Directors Jim Carlson (left) and Clyde Clauson
are working with the PDA to organize and offer classes at
the KMUC office. The classes lead to a ESP certificate. | Holschbach is lucky because her UniServ – Kettle Moraine
UniServ Council – has teamed up with the PDA to offer ESP
certificate classes at its Sheboygan office. KMUC is one of several
UniServs that are working with the PDA to make it easy for support
staff to take classes toward a certificate.
UniServ Directors Jim Carlson and Clyde Clauson said KMUC has
been offering classes for several years in response to requests
from ESP members. It’s not only convenient, Carlson said,
“We can do it much more cost effectively than many places
can.”
That’s because KMUC – like any UniServ – can tap
the vast resources of its membership and use its own facilities.
For example, the most recent class at KMUC was taught by Jim
Flora, a New Holstein High School teacher, and Deb Douglas, a
Manitowoc gifted and talented teacher. The 22 participants were
each charged just $25 for the five-hour course on learning styles
and multiple intelligences. Each presenter was paid $200.
“The evaluations were outstanding,” Carlson said.
Carol Levendusky, a paraprofessional at Stengel Elementary School
in Manitowoc, said she learned so much from the class that she
was excited to “go back to my school and share it with other
support staff and teachers.”
For example, she said, the session reinforced in her the benefits
of being positive with children and taking a more personal interest
in them.
“One session reminded me that, for some children, coming
to school is the best part of their day,” she said.
Levendusky has now completed the 40-hour requirement for the
PDA certificate and just needs to turn in her paperwork and wait
for approval.
She has taken classes at WEAC conferences – including the
Summer Academy – at Lakeshore Technical College, and at KMUC.
WEAC members statewide have many opportunities to take classes
toward a certificate. Class offerings are posted on OnWEAC.
Other UniServs that are making special efforts to bring PDA courses
to their ESP members are the South Central Education Association
in Baraboo, the Kenosha Education Association, and Central Wisconsin
UniServ Council in Mosinee, said PDA Director Deb Berndt.
SCEA and PDA work with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville
to administer courses and provide instruction. UW-Platteville
professors travel to Baraboo to offer classes.
The Kenosha Unified School District offers many classes as inservice
training, and KEA pays the fee to have the sessions count toward
the certificate. KEA also bargained a $400 stipend for any education
assistant who completes the PDA certificate program.
CWUC offers programs toward the certificate at its annual ESP
Conference, as well as after-school trainings throughout the year.
Carlson said local associations in KMUC have negotiated for premiums
for PDA certificates but have not yet been successful in getting
them into any contracts.
As more support staff earn certificates and districts become
more aware of their value, Carlson said he is confident that premiums
will be bargained.
He and Clauson said KMUC will continue to offer courses because
members want them. So far, they said, about 20% of the UniServ’s
ESP membership has taken a course through KMUC. “We see new
faces every time we offer a training session,” Clauson said.
That’s no surprise, given the value of the training, Holschbach
and Levendusky said.
“It’s not something you put on a shelf,” Holschbach
said. “It makes you feel more like an informed member of
the educational team.” Professional
Development Academy Web page Posted May 3, 2004 |