Clerical Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

Downsizing Works Against the Quality Workforce

Privatization Is Not an Answer!

Privatization creates a disconnected, non-resident group of workers who are usually poorly paid and not committed to the school district or the community. It also works against school districts' attempts to build a Quality Workforce. When work in a school district is awarded to the lowest bidder, everyone loses! We all know that "you get what you pay for."

Boards of Education threaten privatization to achieve certain bar-gaining and public relations goals, to claim falsely that they have cut costs, or simply to union-bust. Often the BOE and the community know very little about the essential work we do. The condescending notion that "secretaries just type" allows for Clerical Services ESP to be particularly threatened by privatization.

The majority (76%) of Clerical Services ESP live in their school district, work in their school district, and vote in their school district! In fact, on average, a Clerical Services ESP has lived in the school district where she/he works for 28 years. More than 1/3 have children in the school system. They are the resident roots of the neighborhood school. In order to successfully fight privatization, Clerical Services ESP must actively educate their administrations and their communities. Their job descriptions must be meaningful, comprehensive and an accurate reflection of all that they do!

Short Staffing Cuts Services

Clerical Services ESP are vital to the ability of the school district to understand the "whole picture" regarding students and staff. When the Board of Education decides to cut the office budget or reduce Clerical Services staff, they jeopardize the quality of information gathering and recordkeeping. Privacy and confidentiality also can be jeopardized. When positions are left empty and temps are used to fill the gaps, school data is at risk. Full staffing and properly scheduled Clerical Services ESP are the best defense against information loss and poor protection of records for students, staff, and the school community as a whole.

Tenure Issues and Salary Guides for "Clerical Parapros"

Some states have tenure statutes for secretaries as well as for teachers. These statutes generally establish that at the completion of a third full contract year and the offering of a fourth-year contract by the Board of Education, secretaries have the same tenure protections as certified employees. Tenure usually protects against dismissal without just cause.

Some BOEs attempt to deny secretaries this protection by creating positions and naming them something other than "clerical services." These employees do clerical work for teachers and other certified employees, but Boards often insist these positions are "paraeducators" and therefore not covered by the tenure statutes. By calling these positions something other than clerical services, Boards can deny these positions a place on the secretary salary scale. This not only denies tenure protection, but generally assures less pay, and often makes these positions part-time. Part-time employees usually don't get health care and pension benefits.

This scheme is used by BOEs in other departments as well. Often they designate as "drivers" those individuals who maintain transportation records, supplies, and ordering accounts. As members of the transportation department, not secretaries, these individuals also may not be covered by tenure provisions, are often classified as part-time, and in some cases are offered only a ten-month contract.

These kinds of schemes by Boards of Education are an insidious way to deny employees benefits due them by state laws, and proper salary and protection guaranteed by their contract. The ability of Clerical Services ESP to build a quality workforce is eroded.

Section 4: 21st Century Challenges for Clerical Services ESP