Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/477223
16 Spring 2015 | AEA Advocate About Us and Our Work: • 43% of us work with preschool, kindergarten, or elementary level students. • 88% of us work at school buildings. • 73% of us work with special education students. • 85% of us work full time. • 96% of us are female, and 82% are married. • Our average age is 50. We are committed: 10 years is the average we have been working in our field. 84% of us plan to stay in the Education Support Professional (ESP) field, and 73% plan to keep our current positions until retirement. We are important service providers: approximately 31,000 health and student services ESPs work in the nation's K-12 public schools. We make up 1.4% of the U.S. K-12 ESP work force. We are well-educated: 87% of us have attended at least some college, 31% have earned at least a two-year college degree, 23% a four-year college degree, and 15% a masters degree or higher. We have specific job requirements: 72% of our members have to meet specific job requirements for employment. 54% need special coursework, 53% special certificates, 55% college credits, and 56% licenses. 43% of us take examinations or courses on a regular basis to keep our positions. We are active in the community: • 54% of us have volunteered time to support a parent education association. • 47% of us have volunteered to read books to students, and 30% have volunteered to teach or support art or musical activities. • 73% of us have spent our own money to purchase lunch or school supplies for students. • Our Workplace Conditions and Issues National School Nurse Day! Celebrating Health and Student Services for the Whole Student ESP Action Be sure to check out these other stories for more opportunities to get involved and take action. 6 Governor's Proposed Budget 8 Legislator Directory 23 Governance ESProfessional Health & Student Services ESPs Who We Are: • Licensed Practical Nurses • Nurse and Health Aides • Health Technicians • Family and Parent Services Aides • Community Welfare Services Workers • Nonmanagerial Supervisors Our Workplace Conditions and Issues: We need good job descriptions to help ensure we are working within our job classification and legal authority. 59% of us have no input into updating or changing our job descriptions. 48% are often or sometimes asked to perform duties outside our job descriptions. We provide services to students with a wide range of medical problems, from mild aches to chronic disabilities. We are vulnerable to muscle strain and other problems caused by lifting and caring for physically handicapped students. We face high workloads and often need more support for our work. We like the personal fulfillment we get from our work and the freedom we have to decide how to do our jobs. We'd like better wages and more professional development to help maintain our skills. How We Help Make Public Schools Great for Every Student We provide a variety of services that improve and protect student health and welfare. In addition to our traditional tasks, we provide education that encourages students to maintain good health independently. We help students surmount physical obstacles to their learning by assisting students with chronic conditions and disabilities. We help the school community by assisting families and students in taking advantage of services available to support their children's education. n