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

Local Association Success Stories:
"Certifying" Professional Development Efforts

Pinellas Educational Support Professional Association, Pinellas County, Florida

"Our Certificate of Distinction program has helped us hone our skills as well as boost our morale. One of the biggest benefits from this program has been the recognition by our school district that as support staff, we are valuable." -Gloria Smith, Secretary, Professional Development Department, Pinellas County School District, Florida

That was Then

Pinellas Educational Support Professional Association (PESPA) ast President Gloria Smith noticed several years ago that support staff had "bits and pieces" of professional development -- mainly shadowing teachers during their professional development days. What would it take, she wondered, to create a complete professional development program for ESP? At an NEA Conference, she learned about the Wisconsin Education Association's certification program for its ESP. She quickly rallied PESPA members and district leaders to launch a local, and smaller, version of the program.

This is Now

Today PESPA is proud to report that Pinellas County Schools awards support staff from all job classifications certification for professional development efforts, as well as a small stipend. This "Certificate of Distinction" program not only builds staff morale but improves job performance.

"A number of our support staff have even used materials created through the program, such as their portfolios, during their formal evaluations," Gloria explains. "People have also been promoted as a direct result of the certification process."

Another benefit is the effect the program is having on students. "When support staff feel valued, that attitude trickles down to the students," she adds. "The students see us as role models. We talk about the importance of being continuous learners, and here we are setting a good example for them."

Participants in the Pinellas County Certificate of Distinction program must complete coursework in four areas:

1. Orientation -- This three-hour orientation covers goal setting and portfolio development.
2. District Strategic Directions -- Also three hours, this course covers district background and goals.
3. Quality Concepts -- This 12-hour course includes information about the Malcolm Baldridge Criteria.
4. Diversity Training -- This six-hour training includes classes in everything from conflict resolution to Holocaust training.

Once the required 25 hours are achieved, participants must then spend another 40 hours taking classes designed around personal and professional development goals. When the total 65 hours have been completed, participants receive a $200 check, usually just before winter holidays -- an amount they will continue to receive on an annual basis. Gloria calls it her "just in time" money, as it makes the holidays a little easier each year.

Gloria says support for the program is strong, and calls the growth "phenomenal" with more than 1,500 support professionals having earned certification. In fact, the program is so successful that new orientations now take place once a month. Planning has also begun on creating a "Certificate of Distinction Level II."

This is How

The concept began in 1998 with a five-member steering committee, which included Gloria. After extensive research to find out how the program should be designed, the committee offered it to a pilot group of secretaries. Gloria explains, "We chose secretaries because they were all over the district. We knew if the secretaries liked the program then it would be easier to sell it to the other groups. We were committed to the idea that this professional development had to be for everyone, not just for certain groups." All 120 secretaries who worked in the district voluntarily signed up for the pilot.

Today, most training takes place in the evenings or on Saturdays, and comes from a variety of sources, including NEA UniServ Directors. The local association has also bargained for a non-student contact day each year, in conjunction with the teachers. This catalog of choice day is a paid day designed by support staff.

As an extra, PESPA teamed up with the Pinellas Education Foundation and other groups to provide an annual breakfast for certificate holders. "We now have so many attendees, who also bring their supervisors, that the breakfast has to be held over two days," Gloria says.

Words of Wisdom

"If a school district does not allow support staff to have training, the first thing ESP must do is remedy that. Then if they receive training but no recognition, support professionals need to organize their members, look to what other states have accomplished, and create a system on their own." Gloria adds, "The secret to our success is being visionary and believing that support professionals deserve to receive professional development just as much as teachers and administrators do."

Contact

Gloria Smith-Certificate of Distinction Program Coordinator and Past PESPA President
smithglo@pinellas.k12.fl.us

Carolyn Smith PESPA President
carolyn.smith@floridaea.org

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