Nominations soon for 2009 ESP of the Year

2005 ESP of the Year Laura Vernon

The NEA Education Support Professional of the Year Award recognizes the contributions of Education Support Professionals to their schools, communities, and their profession. The award is presented to a member of the NEA who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments and reflects the contributions of ESP to public education.

The award is presented jointly by the National Education Association and the Gardner Rich Foundation of Chicago, Illinois. The 2009 award will be presented at the 2009 NEA ESP National Conference in Orlando, FL, on Friday, March 13, 2009.

Each year, one nominee receives the NEA ESP of the Year Award, which includes $10,000 cash and expenses-paid travel to the NEA Education Support Professional National Conference. The Gardner Rich Foundation of Chicago, Illinois presents this monetary award. One-half of the monetary award is to be used for a community project(s) of the recipient’s choice. Nominees must indicate their selection for the community project(s) on the nomination form.

All current Education Support Professional members of an NEA local affiliate or bargaining unit who have been an NEA member for three years as of January 15 of the award year are eligible. Individuals must be nominated by their state association through an ESP award system or by their local association if a state award system does not exist.

Nomination Procedure

State Affiliates: Each state affiliate may submit only one nominee through its state ESP award system. A state ESP award system is defined as one developed by a state association that gathers nominations through local affiliates and selects one statewide award recipient. Criteria for the state award may be designed by the individual state and must not conflict with the national award’s criteria and purpose.

Local Affiliates: If a state affiliate does not have an ESP award system in place, then local affiliates may submit only one nomination directly to NEA. Local affiliates are urged to send a copy of their nominations to the state affiliate.

For More Information

Nomination materials will be available in the Fall of 2008. For more information, contact your state affiliate or e-mail the NEA ESP Quality at esp.program@nea.org.