NEA Resources for ESP

Retirement

NEA has developed pension and retirement security resources to help you understand, defend, and strengthen the quality and level of retirement benefits for yourself and other public education employees.

Grants

The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education's (NFIE) Innovation Grants provide an opportunity for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty to develop and implement innovations that significantly improve student learning. Eligible applicants may submit a proposal at any time.

Web Resources

The ESP List is an E-mail discussion list (a "listserv") open to all NEA members and staff. List members use the list to talk about issues that concern education support professionals within the NEA, such as contracting out, bargaining problems, training needs, and questions about how improve and strengthen the Association.

NEA's Legislative Action Center (LAC) provides you with the latest information on pending legislation and NEA priorities, and the tools to connect with your elected representatives. Use the LAC to send E-mail messages to your Congressional delegation and your State legislators. Here's your chance to speak out for children and public education.

NEA ESP Publications

Available Online:

ESP: Building A Quality Workforce Series. This new publication series highlights the challenges members of each ESP job group face as they work to build a quality workforce – including job descriptions, downsizing, health and safety issues, and professional development.

• Bus Drivers - Building a Quality Workforce  
• Clerical Services ESP - Building a Quality Workforce  
• Custodians - Building a Quality Workforce  
• Food Services ESP - Building a Quality Workforce
• Health and Student Services ESP - Building a Quality Workforce
• Higher Education ESP - Building a Quality Workforce
• Security Services ESP - Building a Quality Workforce
• Skilled Trades ESP - Building a Quality Workforce
• Technical Services ESP - Building a Quality Workforce

The ESProfessionals: An Action Guide to Help You in Your Professional Development  (PDF, 2.1 Mb, 95 pgs) provides professional development ideas, best practices and resources to help ESP do what you already do well, even better.

Educational Support Personnel: Exclusive NEA Member Benefits Programs details benefits available to NEA members and provides an option to request more information about the listed benefits.

Exposure to Blood on the Job: What School Employees Need to Know. This handbook from the NEA Health Information Network will give you information and resources you need to protect yourself and your students from diseases transmitted by blood. It can be downloaded in English  (PDF, 32 pgs) and Spanish   (PDF, 32 pgs) versions.

A Guide to Celebrate National Education Support Professionals Day   (PDF, 314KB, 20 pgs) contains ideas for celebrating, tips on media outreach, sample proclamations, letters to the editor, news releases, PSA's and more.

Job Descriptions Do's and Don'ts outlines the importance of having a job description.

Job Evaluations Do's and Don'ts can prepare ESPs for the work assessment process.

Legal Actions Against Educational Support Personnel (ESP) . . .Who Pays? This brochure provides information on the Educators Employment Liability (EEL) Program which covers Association members in the event of liability arising from educational employment activities or duties.

The Paraeducator Handbook provides an overview of information about key issues related to supporting paraeducators, including: building an awareness and appreciation of paraeducator roles and responsibilities; representing paraeducators in the work place; being aware of laws and regulations affecting Paraeducators; ensuring appropriate training and supervision; and .providing ongoing professional development.

Paraeducators and IDEA 2004 - Knowledge, Skills and Advocacy provides paraeducators and Association leaders and staff with information about IDEA 2004 that can be used to build knowledge and skills for advocacy.

Providing Safe Health Care: the Role of Educational Support Professionals outlines the rights and responsibilities of ESPs when working with special needs students.

Repetitive Stress Injuries Handbook: This 38-page publication reviews the causes of repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) for bus drivers, clerical workers, custodians, food services workers, and other ESPs. It also explains what can be done to prevent these common and serious on-the-job injuries. Available in both HTML and PDF formats.

Results-Oriented Job Descriptions  describes a new approach to ESP job descriptions.

Results-Oriented Job Descriptions: How Paraeducators Help Students Achieve outlines the process by which new ROJDs can be written to help paras achieve recognition of the vital roles they pay, respect for their professionalism, job security, and equitable pay.

Supporting Our Own: A Manual for ESP Mentoring Programs   (PDF, 1.9 Mb, 48 pgs). This manual is designed to assist local Associations and school districts to plan and implement mentoring programs specifically for and by ESP.

Understanding How ESEA Affects Paraprofessionals. This series of brochures provides information about the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as The No Child Left Behind Act, as well as tips to educational staff and supporters on proactive ways of responding.  Brochures are available specifically for paraprofessionals, administrators, teachers, and local leaders, in HTML, Word (.doc) and PDF format.

We're NEA ESPs and Proud of It! This set of eleven colorful brochures provides a comprehensive picture of NEA ESP members and of all ESP in the public education workforce. There is a summary brochure, a brochure for higher education ESP, and one brochure for each of the nine ESP job categories. The brochures are available from this site in HTML, Word (.doc) and PDF format.