The ESProfessionals:
An Action Guide to Help in Your Professional Development

Local Association Success Stories:
Asking for Support

Dale County Education Support Professionals Organization
Ozark, Alabama

"Being the secretary means you're usually the first person to be seen by the public who come to the schools, and your professional behavior in the office and over the telephone puts the school's best foot forward every day." -Nancy Herring, Secretary/Bookkeeper, George W. Long High School, Ozark, Alabama

That Was Then

At first, Secretary/Bookkeeper Nancy Herring was pleased when in 2000 the Alabama legislature granted two additional days to all education employee contracts to be used specifically for professional development. Then she realized there were no provisions for actually offering the training -- the school district assumed that the support employees would come in on those two days and just do their jobs. That didn't sit well with Nancy, so she started her own quest for professional development opportunities for the members of her small local, the Dale County Education Support Professionals Organization (DCESPO).

This is Now

According to Nancy, the superintendent and principals have come to realize that training for ESP pays off for everyone. Nancy explains, "It has come to the notice of the superintendent and principals that training to help us do our jobs better makes things better for the whole school system. By receiving drug awareness training, for example, we became much more knowledgeable about a problem with the student population. Now it's not just the teachers who know what to watch out for, and consequently, we now know better how to help."

Of late, training for each job category has gotten much more specific. Just after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, all of the support staff assembled to hear about school safety from an FBI agent and a postal worker, among other speakers. A vendor from New York recently demonstrated a new floor wax system to the custodians -- a system that the custodian supervisor thought would be less expensive to use in the long run. A technology grant from NEA has also allowed DCESPO to purchase a computer and supplies as well as receive computer training.

This is How

The first hurdle to arranging professional development was funding. Nancy was able to find creative ways to overcome this problem. Living in a small rural town has its advantages -- Nancy "just went around and asked for favors." She was friendly with bank managers and grocery store managers -- who gladly offered assistance -- such as providing lunch for workshop attendees.

Even on a larger scale, Nancy found it effective just to come out and ask. Troy State University had been offering a program called "Technology in Motion" to teachers, which provided training in computers. The trainers would go right to the schools, and due to an agreement between the school district and the university, the training was provided at no cost to the teachers. Here was a system that was already in place, and all it took was a phone call to ask, "Can support employees get some training, too?" The answer was yes.

DCESPO has been documenting its training sessions for the superintendent, and, says Nancy, "he has approved our efforts by providing his support." Validation for the local's efforts has also come from colleagues in other school systems, adds Nancy. "They see that something different is happening and want to know how they can get professional development for their support employees." Nancy's advice to them is "Just ask. If no one is providing training for you, then you organize it yourself. If the school administrators don't have to organize the workshops, they won't say no when you do the work!"

Words of Wisdom:

"By working so hard to arrange professional development for myself and my colleagues, I ran the risk of overstepping my boundaries with the administration. However, I knew if we were going to get anything it would have to be on our own, and you don't get anywhere without taking a few risks."

Contact

Nancy Herring, President-Dale County Education Support Professionals Organization
nancyeherring@aol.com

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