Health and Student Services ESP —  Building a Quality Workforce

Building a quality workforce requires attention and focus by employers and employees alike. The Health & Student Services Quality Workforce that exists in our public schools has not happened by accident. It comes together when Health & Student Services Education Support Professionals are recognized and included as part of the school district's basic mission — enhancing student achievement.

This effort must include results-oriented job descriptions and evaluations, new employee orientation programs, ongoing in-service training programs, relevant and current skill set training, and career-enhancing professional development programs.

On this site we highlight some of the challenges Health & Student Services ESP encounter as they endeavor to build a Health & Student Services Quality Workforce.

Our Job Descriptions — Who We Really Are and What We Really Do

"Kids who couldn't leave the hospital when I got out of nursing school in the '70s are now living at home and getting on a school bus every day!" said Martha Bergen, Nursing Instructor at the University of Minnesota. "Back then, all you needed was first aid and some office nursing skills to be a school nurse. Today we have nurses and health care professionals in the public schools who have come right out of years in Intensive Care Units, and within a month doing public school health care, they are burned-out and exhausted! It's a really tough job!"
   The Trenton Times, April 30, 2001

There are a wide variety of titles in the Health & Student Services ESP job group, including registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurses' aide, health or therapist aide/technician, medical technician, family and parent services aide, community welfare services worker, and non-managerial supervisor.

Health & Student Services ESP are vital to nearly every aspect of student health and welfare within a public school. Members of this job group enable many students with special health needs to succeed in the academic arena. The occupational, speech and language, and physical therapy assistants work with individuals to help them surmount physical obstacles to their learning. Nurses, nurses' aides, and licensed practical nurses help keep students healthy, and by providing students with health education, teach them to maintain their health independently. The tasks performed and the skills required to address the complex challenges of student health and welfare are varied, difficult, and often dangerous.

Those who are responsible for identifying and describing who Health & Student Services ESP are and what they really do are often woefully misinformed or even totally uninformed. Some Health & Student Services ESP have no job description at all! Others have a job description that bears no genuine resemblance to the diverse and essential work they do.

Here are examples of situations a Health & Student Services ESP might encounter during a typical day:

• In an Alabama school district, the school nurse drives a "Health Bus" from school to school to administer health care to students. She prepares the "Health Bus" for her daily rounds the night before. The nurse had to learn to drive the bus herself and obtain a CDL license at her own expense, since a school bus driver was not provided.
  
  Her day begins by dealing with students who are on sick call in the morning. Those who have a temperature of 102º or greater might go home, but most remain in the "Health Bus" with the nurse for the day because there's no one to take care of them at home. The nurse calls 911 for any emergency or serious problems, and notifies home, doctors, guardians, etc.

• Health & Student Services ESP's days often begin with calls from bus drivers reporting sick or injured students from their morning routes. They frequently must address a child abuse issue or problem reported by the driver.

• Staff refer all health and welfare issues to the Health & Student Services ESP. Teachers call the nurse for medical referrals, cafeteria employees call for eating disorder issues, secretaries refer injury and violence problems, and custodians deliver students who have been fighting. Coaches refer sports injuries to the health professional at all hours of the day — coinciding not only with phys-ed classes, but also with sports practices and events.

• A school district in Kentucky has a Family Resource Center where the Health & Student Services ESP is responsible for the care and welfare of families as well as students. In this capacity, the school nurse must make home visits regarding child abuse, neglect, and/or violence at home. The home visits take place in the afternoon after school, and often last until 6 or 7 p.m. Home visits often involve bringing the sheriff, and never occur without the presence of at least an aide.

• An assistant nurse in Las Vegas must file "Random Moment Forms." These forms describe a service provided at any given moment during the day in order to prove that the service was performed and to get funding reimbursement.

• Teachers planning field trips notify the ESP health provider of the trip schedule approximately one week in advance. The ESP must prepare many forms and equipment to enable the teacher to administer necessary medications or treatments to the students. When medications are administered, the teacher records the amount and time, and signs the record. The ESP health provider is then responsible for the accuracy of those records.

• Health & Student Services ESP are responsible for a staggering amount of paperwork. Health insurance is a huge problem for many families in many school districts. Completing the "random moment forms" and the "bubble sheets" are essential to getting funding from Medicaid and CHIPS, or other programs and agencies that may provide monies.

• Many Health & Student Services ESP begin their day with snail mail, e-mail and voice mail. They move on to cope with "lice patrol" screenings, medical referrals, daily records and health logs for each student, injuries, bleeding, infections, dehydrated athletes, medical procedures such as catheters and tube feedings, ordering supplies, distributing daily medications, bandaids and cotton balls, nutrition issues, 911 calls and follow-up, drug and substance abuse issues, dental emergencies, pregnancy problems and birth control issues, bacterial or viral outbreaks, public health notifications and information, court and law enforcement consultation , and "piercing" issues, just to name a few.

• Grief counseling was once an aspect of life that was never addressed in school, but educators and parents now recognize that children need help and professional guidance in order to cope with serious stress from the grieving process. The nurse or health professional is always part of the counseling "team." However, meaningful training and planning are often overlooked and the health services ESP often is left to improvise in very difficult situations.

This list could go on forever. Health & Student Services ESP meet these challenges with competence, personal attention and often a great deal of courage. They interact closely with parents, students, other staff, the community, and quite often law enforcement and the courts, on a daily basis. Their jobs are usually performed in situations of stress, conflict, crisis or emergency.

It is vitally important to identify and accurately define — and then describe comprehensively — what Health & Student Services ESP really do on a daily basis. In a recent survey, 64% of Health & Student Services respondents believe their job descriptions do not accurately describe the amount or type of work they really do. More disturbing was the discovery that 39% have no input at all in updating or changing their job descriptions. Most members understand that this is unacceptable.

Your job description matters a great deal! It should be an accurate, results-oriented, current description of who you really are and what you really do in a public school district and as part of the Health & Student Services Quality Workforce.

To Section 2: Federal and State Statutes

Food Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

Building a quality workforce requires attention and focus by employers and employees alike. The Food Services Quality Workforce that exists in our public schools has not happened by accident. A quality workforce emerges from an ongoing effort by all employees in the district to contribute to the school community "state of readiness."

This workforce comes together when Food Services ESP are recognized to be a part of, and deliberately included in, the school district mission to enhance student achievement. This effort must include result-oriented job descriptions and evaluations, new employee orientation programs, ongoing in-service training programs, relevant and current skill set training, and career-enhancing professional development programs.

These Web pages — originally published as a booklet — highlight some of the challenges Food Services ESP face daily as they endeavor to build a Food Services Quality Workforce.

Our Job Descriptions — Who We Really Are and What We Really Do

Food Services ESP are essential school employees who interact with students, teachers, parents, and the community every day. We are responsible for providing the most basic component of student achievement: nutrition. Even with the understanding that students must eat to learn, Food Services ESP continue to be the most abused, misunderstood, and disrespected sector of educational support.

Only in recent years has it generally been acknowledged that without proper nutrition no student can learn and thrive in school. However, the invaluable contribution Food Services ESP make to student achievement and our daily endeavors on behalf of public school children are still not valued properly by school boards and administrators.

Food Services ESP affect public school children in basic ways: what kids eat influences their behavior, energy levels, alertness, thinking capacity, attitudes, psychological health, basic physical health, and overall well-being. Unlike any other skill students learn, how and what they choose to eat at school affects their basic health for their entire lives.

The immediate by-product of the daily work of Food Services ESP is enhanced student performance. Recognizing a well-nourished child and her/his overall well-being is not rocket science. Unfortunately, a malnourished child also can be easily recognized. A child who is acting out in school, falling asleep in class, having attention and concentration problems, not comprehending, or just appears bored, very often has a basic nutritional problem. Experts usually look for more obscure or complicated reasons for these difficulties, when nutrition is what should be examined first. These kinds of determinations are made and measured on a daily basis by caring and involved Food Services professionals in public schools.

The scope of tasks performed by Food Services ESP and our interaction with students is often underestimated by supervisors who are responsible for developing our job descriptions. Recognizing the full extent of Food Services ESPs' vital work for the students and the school community must be the basis for meaningful and appropriate job descriptions, job evaluations, promotional opportunities, and professional development.

To the Administration, Our Job Descripiton Is Our Work Identity

With competence and personal attention, Food Services ESP meet the nutritional challenges of students and staff on a daily basis. Our job description should define who we really are and what we really do in our public school district and as part of the Food Services Quality Workforce.

To Section 2: Federal and State Statutes

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

Meaningful Training = A Quality Workforce

Skills training and professional development are vital components of building a quality workforce. Professional development for Skilled Trades ESP is clearly necessary, often required by law in order for jobs to get done, and an integral part of the overall school district mission of enhancing student achievement. Aside from necessity, indeed, all employees should have meaningful opportunities to be lifelong learners. Professional development opportunities for Skilled Trades ESP will then create the Quality Workforce that builds, repairs, and maintains the quality school building and campus environment that enhances student achievement.

Meaningful professional development for Skilled Trades ESP can be defined as:

• Orientation programs for new employees
• In-service training programs
• Relevant and current skills set training
• Career-enhancing professional development programs

Mentoring Programs

Peer mentoring is an effective education method that has been used by teachers in public schools for many years. Mentoring provides a place for employees to reach out for advice, support, information, and training. A mentoring program developed and established by the Local Association for skilled trades professionals enhances opportunities and protection for employees, and contributes to a results-oriented environment for everyone. It can also raise the attention level and focus of the administration in order to better engage them in pro-viding ongoing training and professional development for Skilled Trades ESP.

You are the local expert: Local talent/local training

When developing training and information programs, never over-look the special expertise already present among Skilled Trades employees themselves. Most Skilled Trades ESP are residents of the districts in which they work, and have special skills, abilities, and connections in their communities that make them particularly valuable and relevant in local training programs. They are the firefighters, club members, parents, taxpayers, EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), and local volunteers.

Local leaders should be aware of their members’ expertise. How many are EMTs? Which members are the volunteer firefighters? Which member is on the town council? How many speak more than one language? How many have been elected or appointed to township committees or boards? Who served in the military and has specialized training? Who volunteers at the community hospital? Who has a spouse who is a police officer, nurse club member? Who is in the National Guard or the military reserves, or works with the Red Cross? Which members are in a second career track and have special experience from a previous job or profession? Which members are community religious elders or leaders?

All of these members possess unique and valuable skills and can provide special resources for training and professional development programs. They are already providing enhanced and special talents to students and the school district every day as they do their jobs. All of this special, local member expertise is a vital component of Building a Skilled Trades Quality Workforce! Discover-ing, gathering, and then using all of this local talent should be an ongoing priority for all Local Associations in order to enhance recognition of Education Support Professionals in our public school districts.

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

Health & Safety -- Protecting the Individual Employee

Skilled Trades ESP are part of the school workforce serving as “guardians of the school environment” for students, staff, and the community as a whole. Skilled Trades ESP workloads continue to increase as new technology, equipment, and regulations require new skills and certifications and increased duties and responsibilities. More opportunities for meaningful, multi-tiered professional development and specific skill set training and certification are absolutely necessary. In the case of Skilled Trades ESP, training is not just a luxury. It is a basic health and safety issue for the individual employee and for the whole school environment.

Back Injuries and Hernias

Skilled Trades ESP jobs require frequent manual lifting, bending, stretching and pulling that can have damaging health effects. Back strains caused by frequent heavy lifting can lead to changes in the structure and function of the spine. Abdominal hernias and other abdominal strains can be acute and life threatening, or may develop over time and cause lifelong medical trouble. These problems can be greatly minimized by matching employees to jobs they are most physically suited to do. In the case of Skilled Trades jobs, however, this is not always possible, as the selection of who will perform certain tasks more often is based on what skills they have.

The best way to avoid or minimize injuries is to train employees in proper methods of lifting and moving and to provide them with the best and most effective equipment for lifting and carrying heavy and awkward objects.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Skilled Trades ESP often risk contact with blood and other bodily fluids in their work. These materials may contain pathogens and organisms that can cause serious disease and even death.

The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard was created by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in 1991 to protect private sector employees from anticipated occupational exposure to bloodborne disease, such as Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. In 1993 the federal standard was adopted in some states for public employees. It is extremely important that Skilled Trades ESP be aware of what standards exist in their state, and demand appropriate training.

(The Red Book -- Exposure to Blood on the Job: What School Employees Need to Know, a booklet from NEA's Health Information Network, contains basic information that every school employee should know about dealing with the hazards of blood-borne diseases, including Hepatitis B and C, and HIV. The Red Book is available free of charge for ESP members only. Contact Agnes Smith at agsmith@nea.org to obtain a copy. Nonmembers may purchase The Red Book for $1 per copy (plus shipping and handling) from the NEA Professional Library.)

Slips and Falls

Injuries caused by slips and falls can be acute and immediate, causing short-term injury, or long-term and insidious, causing lifelong disability, and even death. Some of the major causes of slips and falls for Skilled Trades ESP are hazardous conditions such as wet floors, icy or muddy walkways, food spills, uneven surfaces, raised edges or lips on walkways, equipment not properly stored or maintained, rugs, runners, mats, poor lighting, faulty wiring, ramps and steps poorly maintained, materials stored or used incorrectly, inadequate equipment and/or materials, illness and fatigue.

Equipment

In many cases, Skilled Trades ESP must provide their own special equipment, clothing, and supplies. Generally when some of these things are provided by the employer, they are poor quality and insufficient. This neglectful policy by school boards discourages proper protection, ignores necessity, and communicates disinterest and disregard for employees. Skilled Trades ESP perform particular and specific tasks for the school environment and their equipment needs should be met with careful attention to quality and appropriateness. For administrations, in the short run, this is the safest thing to do. In the long run, it is the healthiest policy for the individual employee and the school district community as well.

What You Can Do

• Keep the work environment clean and safe. Floors should never be slippery or cluttered.
• Traffic areas should be clear of objects and clutter.
• Platforms should be provided where water and moisture accumulate.
• Employees should never be encouraged to strain or carry loads that are physically too heavy for them. Another employee should help lift when the load is clearly too heavy for one.
• Mechanical lifting devices such as hand trucks should be used.
• Employees should be able to rest when they are tired from doing a job. Tired muscles are less coordinated.
• Employees should be offered training exercises for lower back pain.
• Freshly mopped or waxed floors should be blocked off to allow time to dry. Managers should provide adequate time to keep floors, steps, ramps, and work areas clear and dry.
• Non-slip surfaces or mats and non-slip shoes should be pro-vided to employees.
• Safe clearance for foot traffic should be provided in areas where skilled trade equipment is being used.
• Steps and ramps should have rails and guards.
• Simple things like drawers should be kept closed if possible.
• Trash should always be disposed of quickly and properly.
• Lighting should be bright and sufficient.
• Electrical wires should not be run across areas where people could trip or fall on them.
• Tools and power equipment should be stored correctly, and when in use, safety goggles, gloves, earplugs, and masks should be worn and first aid equipment should be on site.
• Hazardous materials should be used properly and stored correctly and safely. Proper safety equipment should be used and be readily available, and first aid equipment should be on site.
• When using power tools and hazardous materials, employees should work in at least pairs so that someone is present in the event of injury or exposure.
• Emergency communication devices should always be available.

Should you sustain an injury or develop a chronic problem, after proper medical attention, inform your supervisor, notify all appropriate personnel, then contact your UniServ representative to properly document the injury. With correct documentation of an injury, obtaining appropriate medical coverage and compensation becomes less of a hassle.

Local Associations should form a Health and Safety Committee to monitor conditions in the work environment, negotiate health and safety language in contracts, and meet with supervisors and administrations to have health and safety issues taken seriously. A School Safety Plan should be developed and adopted. Communication with parent groups and the community in order to gain sup-port to eliminate hazardous situations would also be an effective measure in order to provide the best possible environment of health and safety for students and staff.

To Section 8: Meaningful Professional Development = A Quality Workforce!

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

Privatization
and Skilled Trades ESP

Privatization is a cut in service to a school district, and creates a disconnected, non-resident group of workers who are usually poorly paid and not committed to the school district or the community. When school boards turn to privateers they sabotage employees and the community and weaken the ESP Quality Work-force. Clearly, when work in a school district is sold to the “lowest bidder” everyone loses. The old adage, “You get what you pay for,” is true!

Skilled Trades ESP are among the K-12 job groups most likely to face privatization and the possible loss of their jobs. In an NEA member survey, 48% reported that Skilled Trades ESP work is being contracted out in their school district. Almost 80% of those surveyed are concerned or very concerned about having their jobs privatized. Unlike the privateers, as many as 61% of Skilled Trades ESP live in the districts where they work, vote and pay school taxes. As many as 35% have their own children in the school district where they work. (For more information, see the NEA National K-12 Educational Support Personnel Membership Study: 1997.) Skilled Trades ESP are valuable and connected members of the school district communities in which they work and participate. Replacing them with poorly paid strangers is a shortsighted, dangerous, and false economy!

There’s another weakness in the argument for cutting service to the community when a school board sells out to a privateer. Very often a private contractor is hired to do a job at a cut rate. The job is done too cheaply and too quickly and the privateer is gone. Clean-up, repair, modification, and often completion is then necessary, and the job often falls on the Skilled Trades ESP. Two inefficient and wasteful things happen: the job must be essentially done and paid for twice, and Skilled Trades ESP are kept from doing all the other jobs that are postponed in order to fix a job done poorly by privateers. Privatization of skilled trades jobs usually costs more in the long run due to clean-up/correction chores that must be done by Skilled Trades ESP.

In order to successfully fight threats and attacks of privatization by boards of education, Skilled Trades ESP must actively participate in educating their administrations and their communities. They must first define and describe accurately who they really are and then communicate what they really do, as clearly and comprehensively as possible. One of the best methods to focus and accomplish this recognition is through Results-Oriented Job Descriptions. Skilled Trades ESP need meaningful, comprehensive, and accurate job descriptions that reflect all that they do.

When the value of employees is made clear, privateers have a much more difficult time getting a foothold with the school board. The fight to keep privateers out and quality in becomes a fight between the school board and the community (not between the employees and the school board) where it belongs. Privatization is about politics, not money. Privatization is about cuts in service to the community and to the students.

The important message that Skilled Trades ESP must convey in the face of privatization threats is that the majority of them live in their school district, work in their school district, and vote in their school district. Skilled Trades ESP are part of the resident roots of the neighborhood school!

To Section 7. Health & Safety — Protecting the Individual Employee

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

Current Issues/ Current Technology

 "Quick 'n' Dirty" Training Sessions

Regulations and licensing are crucial to Skilled Trades ESPs’ job security. Usually they are the ones who must be responsible for being informed about what regulations and licenses apply and what kind of new or special training is needed to perform assigned duties. Skilled Trades ESP are often caught between the need for extra training to do a job and the administration’s desire to cut corners and fast-track a task. The result is usually an incomplete, inadequate, “quick ‘n’ dirty” training session provided by the administration. This kind of training shortchanges everyone. In the long run, it shortchanges the students most of all.

Skilled Trades ESP must continually educate their administrations and insist that they provide appropriate and comprehensive training. They must constantly demand that the level of training be commensurate with the quality end result desired by all involved.

The Disconnect Between Skills Required and Salary Paid

While learning on the job is as prevalent for Skilled Trades as for other ESP, most of the jobs Skilled Trades perform require certification and are regulated in some way. Often, however, job classifications are poorly defined by administrations, and there’s a disconnect between the level of pay and the level of skill required to do the job. Additionally, Skilled Trades ESP are often left with the cost of acquiring certification training.

Skilled Trades ESP must be tenacious about informing administrations that their jobs require particular skills. These skills should be recognized and compensated appropriately. Knowledge, training, and certification should equal better pay!

“Other Duties as Assigned”

Skilled Trades ESP often enjoy the freedom and responsibility to decide how and when to fulfill job orders and tasks. These rather unique circumstances occur because of the nature of the skilled jobs they do. Unfortunately, administrations sometimes take advantage of this relatively loose structure by including the catch-all phrase “and other duties as assigned” in job descriptions. This shortcut creates many problems, two in particular.

The most obvious is misuse of the time and abilities of a particularly trained and skilled individual by assigning a job that could be easily and efficiently done by someone less skilled. Secondly, when work orders contain anything and everything that may need doing, with little consideration to the skill level of the individual assigned, it is nearly impossible to determine compensation based on skilled trades licensing and ability.

Both employees and employers would benefit if administrations focused on the special abilities and training of Skilled Trades ESP in order to utilize their expertise most efficiently. The students and the community that supports the school districts would reap the benefits of better recognition, definition, and utilization of Skilled Trades ESP.

Inclusion, not Isolation

The nature of the jobs performed by Skilled Trades ESP creates a false impression of isolation from students and staff and from the overall mission of the school district. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Skilled Trades ESP are essential parts of the whole school environment. Their skills and expertise create a safe and modern environment for everyone. Often they work from a more remote location such as a maintenance yard or building, but their presence is vital on a daily basis.

As with all Education Support Professionals, inclusion in the school district mission, more support from supervisors and administrations, and greater recognition of their unique contributions to enhancing student achievement are essential needs for Skilled Trades ESP.

The Computer Age

Computers have arrived in some way or another in every school district and have changed virtually everything regarding communication, information, and recordkeeping. They require new, more involved wiring or wiring modifications and hook-ups, and better space management. In order to keep up with new job requirements, Skilled Trades ESP training and licenses must be up to date.

Unfortunately, Boards of Education do not keep pace with the continuing need for appropriate training and professional development programs for Skilled Trades ESP. The many gaps in training to be able to develop, install and maintain new systems make it difficult for Skilled Trades personnel to meet their ever-changing job expectations. Recognition by BOE of the explosion in technology is not enough. They must work much harder to provide training, in-service programs, and professional development for Skilled Trades ESP.

Central Heat and Air Conditioning

The boiler has always been one of the mainstays in the school building environment. Operation, maintenance and repair of the boiler and other parts of the heating and/or cooling systems are all part the overall quality of the school environment. Once again, technology has overtaken the “mainstay,” and boilers and other individual heating systems are being replaced by central heating and air conditioning systems. School administrations must provide meaningful and up-to-date training and professional development programs in order to help Skilled Trades ESP Skilled Trades ESP install and maintain these new systems.

Student Safety and Equipment Technology

The job of developing, installing and maintaining new equipment and meeting new regulations for safety falls on the Skilled Trades ESP. They must know what the new regulations are and then pro-vide and install modifications based on whatever changes need to be made. They address things like permanent benches and bleachers, improved and specific kinds of playground equipment, special, new or improved lighting, new kinds of sports field surfaces, new entrance and egress for students and staff based on security concerns, new monitoring and surveillance equipment for campus safety, new and improved alarm systems, new and improved lavatory appliances, indoor air quality mechanisms, safer and cleaner ventilation systems, better storage and control of hazardous materials, and an ongoing array of changes and repairs to meet requirements that are constantly changing. Skilled Trades ESP meet and surmount these challenges with competence and skill as part of the ESP Quality Workforce.

Shadowing

Skilled Trades ESP make an additional and unique contribution to the school environment by providing students with a mature, hard-working, highly skilled role model. In some school districts they work with the Vocational Teachers on a regular basis. In others, students are permitted to “shadow” Skilled Trades employees in order to gain experience and insight into a particular trade. This positive and valuable opportunity for students is also a proud, responsible opportunity for Skilled Trades ESP.

To Section 6: Privatization and Skilled Trades ESP

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

The Condition of the School
& Enhanced Student Achievement

Some people claim that the physical condition of an educational environment has no bearing on student learning or success. They refer to highly successful individuals—Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Thomas Edison, Mother Teresa, for example—who managed to flourish regardless of circumstances. However, these accomplishments are the exception, not the rule. For students who are not as unique or gifted, there is a clear connection between environment and learning.

Enhancing student achievement and success is the job of every school district employee. This mission requires an appreciation of the value of a well maintained school building, ongoing upgrading of safety for students and staff, and improved delivery of educational programs. Dilapidated and antiquated buildings, play-grounds and sports fields and inadequate equipment and supplies for students testify to the sorry fact that some of our nation’s children are not treated equitably when it comes to educational facilities.

Skilled Trades ESP are all too familiar with differences between wealthy and less affluent school districts and their approaches to maintenance and repair. It has long been the case that wealthier school districts do more maintenance and repairs—even new construction. Of course, most budgets are determined by local school districts, but funding differences are set in stone by state governments and federal programs that fail to meet the construction needs of many school districts. Skilled Trades ESP witness on a daily basis the shortsighted and shortchanging policies of their school administrations. Work orders are often incomplete, materials are often low quality, and new, innovative materials and supplies often don’t get used because of cost rather than performance or safety.

The direct correlation between environment and learning for students is well documented, and can be seen in test scores and individual student success rates. Many an affluent suburban school district with solidly built, beautifully appointed and well maintained schools outpaces its dilapidated, poorly appointed urban school district counterpart in all aspects of student success measurement.

Skilled Trades ESP are acutely aware of the valuable connection between what they do on a daily basis in their school districts and the success of each and every student in their school. Their jobs building, repairing, and maintaining the physical condition of the school building and school campus are of paramount importance to the school district mission of enhancing student achievement and producing capable and successful citizens.

To Section 5. Current Issues/Current Technology

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

Federal and State Statutes

Federal and state statutes provide employee protections and impose requirements on school districts and on Skilled Trades ESP. In many states, trades licenses are required and administrations that ignore them can be fined or penalized. Standards and regulations are more uniform and applicable within the Skilled Trades category than within some other job families. However, school boards still attempt to sidestep or even ignore skilled trades requirements for work orders. As a result, skilled traes employees are put in some regulatory jeopardy.

In order to avoid problems, employees must maintain current knowledge of “rules and regs” regarding the tasks they are expected to perform, and not necessarily depend on what the administration knows.

Federal Law: Certain public school employees are covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which provides protection against employer abuse, including discrimination and overtime abuse. (For general information about Federal wage and hour law, see the U.S. Department of Labor's FLSA Advisor.)

State Law: The Department of Education and the Department of Labor in each state may establish standards and regulations for skilled trades ESP. Licensing and regulations on the state level set by trades organizations and boards are far more comprehensive for Skilled Trades ESP than for most other job categories. Some regulatory information may be provided by your UniServ Office. Skilled Trades ESP should be responsible for remaining informed and current, especially because many school boards do not know skilled trades regulation requirements.

Types of Credentials: Credentials for ESP are constantly changing, because the tasks and responsibilities for all categories of ESP are always evolving. For example, few public school offices had computers 25 years ago. Changes in environmental regulations and laws have greatly affected credentials for Skilled Trades ESP. Huge leaps in technology, newly invented and developed safety materials, and vast changes in school campus security have all contributed to an increase in skilled trades’ regulations and requirements.

Some Definitions

Licensure: is the most restrictive form of professional and occupational regulation. It is illegal for a person to practice a particular profession without first meeting state and/or federal licensing standards. Licensure is often referred to as “right-to-practice.”

Certification: Under certification, the state grants title protection (right-to-title) to persons meeting pre-determined standards. Those without certification may perform the duties of the occupation but may not use the title.

Registration: is the least restrictive of all credentials. It usually requires individuals to file their names, addresses, and qualifications with a government agency before practicing the occupation. The employee may be required to post a bond and pay a fee for the registration.

Training: is the specific course work the employee must take in order to obtain the license, certification, or registration. Because each state can develop and enforce its own guidelines and mandates, current information is essential for all Skilled Trades ESP. Your UniServ office and your state affiliate are always the first and best sources for information and details.

To Section 4: The Physical Condition of the School and Enhanced Student Achievement

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

The Complexity of Work Done
By Skilled Trades ESP

The Skilled Trades job family includes a staggering array of job titles. They are electricians, carpenters, plumbers, painters, and glaziers; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning mechanics and specialists; specialized machine operators; assemblers and inspectors; printing services personnel, and many non-managerial super-visors. The following is an abbreviated list of tasks performed in a single school year by the Skilled Trades Rehab/Modular Planning Unit of the ESP Association, Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Added parking lot lights and/or school exterior lighting at 15 schools.
• Modernized lighting in hallways and classrooms at 11 schools.
• Upgraded intrusion alarms at 68 schools.
• Upgraded or expanded fire alarm systems at 11 schools.
• Prepared projects to install closed circuit television systems for security. Work was completed at 35 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, 18 high schools, and 5 alternative schools. A reduction in break-ins and vandalism has been documented since the installation of 1,264 cameras, and anti-intruder security has been greatly enhanced. In addition, work at another 161 schools is under construction and 31 schools are awaiting bids.
• Upgraded and added computer outlets at 35 schools. Added power outlets for data and office equipment at 30 schools.
• Upgraded special security lighting at 7 schools.
• Completed designs to tie security systems to emergency lighting (so lights are turned-on when schools are broken into) for 42 schools.
• Installed signage to comply with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) in 42 schools. More than 5,200 signs have been installed on classroom, office, restroom and public assembly room doors.
• Divided 160 classrooms at 72 schools to provide more or specialized classroom space. Erected over 4,700 linear feet of walls.
• Replaced 82,900 square yards of carpet—the equivalent of 17.1 acres, or about the total area of a typical middle school campus.
• During a single school year, replaced 90,675 square feet (approximately two acres) of floor tile. Also replaced 14,800 square feet of wood floors in gymnasiums and dance studios.
• Replaced 800 theatre seats.
• Modified 18 classrooms and modified or constructed additional offices at 45 separate locations.
• Developed a prototype project and installed ADA accessible ramps in 250 portable classrooms.
• Added or expanded “head-end” rooms to house data and communications equipment at 101 schools.
• Replaced bleachers and built new concession stands and rest-rooms at 12 high schools.
• Renovated the women coaches’ complexes at seven high schools.
• Replaced approximately 886 doors, including door hardware.
• Removed and replaced 10 exterior staircases at three high schools.
• Replaced 4,320 academic and athletic lockers at six schools.
• Completed heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) modernization projects at 33 schools, involving 2.5 million square feet of floor space and 9,042 tons of air conditioning equipment. These modernization projects have improved class-room comfort and system reliability, and reduced maintenance and energy costs for the school district.
• Boiler modification projects for four schools are under construction, affecting 888,650 square feet of facilities.
• Completed Wide Area Network Digital Direct Connect (WAN DDC) upgrades for 13 schools.
• Upgraded 23 schools for a WAN demonstration project.
• The Clark County School District has an inventory of 1,311 portable classrooms of various types. During the school year, 413 of these classrooms were moved from one location to another. In an average school year, approximately 368 classrooms are scheduled to be moved.
• Designed and constructed bus washers and waste water reclamation systems at 4 bus yards.
• Designed and built 13 kitchen renovation projects.
• Handled 99 school plumbing projects, including fountains and sinks, modified fire sprinkler systems, upgraded restrooms and locker rooms, and installed washers and dryers.
• Provided 225 shade structures at 75 schools.
• Installed 128,000 linear feet of fencing at 82 schools.
• Completed an ongoing project to replace playground equipment at all school campuses.
• Replaced safety surfaces at 26 schools.
• Replaced playground backstops at 25 elementary schools, ball-field backstops at 13 schools, and batting cages at 4 schools.
• Replaced 810,800 square feet of concrete sidewalks at 69 schools.
• Applied asphalt seal coat to almost 18 million square feet of playgrounds and parking lots.
• Completed landscape projects at 19 schools, and renovated athletic fields at 5 high schools.
• Replaced tennis courts and basketball courts at 52 schools.

To Section 3: Federal and State Statutes

Skilled Trades ESP—
Building a Quality Workforce

The Skilled Trades Quality Workforce that exists in our public schools does not occur by accident. A quality workforce emerges from an ongoing effort by all employees in a school district to contribute to the school community "state of readiness." This workforce comes together when Skilled Trades ESP are recognized and included in the school district mission to enhance student achievement.

This effort must include results-oriented job descriptions and evaluations, new employee orientation programs, ongoing in-service training programs, relevant and current skill set training, and career-enhancing professional development programs. This information — originally published as a  booklet — highlights some of the challenges Skilled Trades ESP face daily as they endeavor to build a Skilled Trades Quality Workforce.

Who We Really Are and What We Really Do

“Our public schools all over the country and our schools in cities in particular are in dire need. We keep raising standards for test scores, but don’t increase resources! Our dilapidated school buildings are a glaring failure of our educational funding policies. Hiring and paying skilled employees to construct and repair school buildings is not a priority! We continue to build and maintain prisons and sports complexes, and fer-ciously neglect physical school structures all in the name of the taxpayer. As a result—the policy becomes—some students will be tracked to Yale, and some will be tracked toward jail! At least when they get there, the building will be in good condition!”
    —Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, LA Times, 2-14-2001

Our Job Description

Skilled Trades Education Support Professionals are essential school employees whose daily work provides for the physical quality of the school building environment. These ESP participate as important skilled members of the “team” of employees responsible for the structural maintenance of public school buildings so that they are aesthetically and safely maintained for students, staff, and the community.

Skilled Trades ESP generally work full-time, 12 months of the year at a dizzying array of jobs and tasks. In many cases, they have attended college, and well over half have completed trade, technical, or vocational training, with over 75% having met specific requirements for their jobs. Many have earned special licenses and certificates, and many take examinations or courses on a regular basis to keep their positions.

Most school districts do not do a good job of defining the jobs that Skilled Trades ESP. Almost 60% of those polled by the NEA Research Division feel strongly that their job descriptions do not accurately reflect what they really do. As many as 70% state that they have no input into updating or changing their job descriptions, and as many as 14% have no job descriptions at all!

The vital role Skilled Trades ESP play in the school environment to help students to learn and thrive is not recognized. School administrations make very little connection between the overall condition of the physical school building and enhanced student achievement.

What Skilled Trades ESP really do on a daily basis must be identified and then accurately described in a comprehensive and meaningful job description in order for these employees to achieve recognition and improved terms and conditions of employment. When not included in the job description writing process, Skilled Trades employees are unable to affect their employment conditions such as salary, job security, grievance adjudication, task ment, time management, skill training, or career-enhancing professional development.

Your written job description matters a great deal! It should describe who you really are, and what you really do in a public school district, and as part of the Skilled Trades Quality Workforce.

To Section 2: The Complexity of Work Done by Skilled Trades ESP

Technical Services ESP --
Building a Quality Workforce

Meaningful Training = A Quality Workforce

Professional Development for Technical Services ESP

As stated throughout this booklet, skills training and professional development are vital components of building a quality workforce in our public schools. Well-trained, equipped, and informed Technical Services ESP contribute directly to enhanced student achievement by providing expertise and technical support to help students learn and thrive in a technologically sophisticated environment. Their contributions become more essential with each new advance in technology. Technical Services ESP need constant and comprehensive opportunities for meaningful and career-enhancing professional development in order to provide state of the art technology support for students.

All employees need resources in order to be life-long learners. Unfortunately, far too many administrations continue to ignore the obvious. In many districts, ESP are still orienting themselves when they are first hired, finding and paying for training and resources not made available by their administrations, and struggling to maintain their skill levels without meaningful career-enhancing professional development.

Meaningful professional development for Technical Services ESP should include:

• Comprehensive new employee orientation programs
• Frequent in-service training programs
• Relevant and current skill set training
• Regularly scheduled career-enhancing professional development programs

Mentoring Programs

Technical Services ESP have a challenging, diverse, and dynamic profession that becomes more demanding and complex every day. Remaining current and trained is difficult at best, and is made even harder by the lack of respect and recognition from their administrations. It is therefore important for Technical Services ESP to organize, develop, and initiate attention and interest by administrations in order to get training, support and information.

An effective method used by teachers in public schools for many years is peer mentoring. Mentoring provides a vehicle for employees to reach out to one another for advice, support, information, and training. Amentoring program developed and established by the Local Association for its members enhances opportunities and protection for employees and contributes to a results-oriented environment for everyone. It can also raise the attention level of the administration in order to engage them in providing ongoing training and professional development.

You are the Local Expert: Local Talent/Local Training

When developing training and professional development programs, never overlook the special expertise already present among Technical Services ESP themselves. Most are residents of the districts in which they work. They have special skills, abilities, and connections in their communities that make them particularly valuable and relevant in Local training programs. They have a unique understanding of the nature of the community and the school district because they live in it, work in it and vote in it. Education Support Professionals are the volunteer firefighters, the EMTs, the club members, the town council members, the townwatch members, the religious leaders, the charity workers, the parents, the taxpayers, and the local volunteers. They are the heroes of our communities.

Local leaders should be aware of the invaluable expertise within their memberships, and should tap this resource often when planning and implementing training and professional development programs. Special local member expertise should be a vital component of building a Technical Services ESP Quality Workforce. Discovering, gathering and then using all of this local talent will enhance respect and recognition of the valuable and quality service provided by Technical Services ESP in our public schools.

Technical Services ESP --
Building a Quality Workforce

Health and Safety -- Protecting the Individual Employee

 Ergonomics & Repetitive Stress Injuries

Ergonomics is the study of the interaction of employees and the equipment and tools with which they work. Over time and without attention, the risk factors and stressors in many tasks performed by Technical Services ESP can cause a vast array of musculo- skeletal injuries or cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). Some of the causes of these conditions are repetition, prolonged and awkward postures in non-adjustable and unforgiving workstations, inadequate rest between tasks, static muscle loading, temperature changes, noise, and vibration.

Computers are ergonomically the worst offender in the workplace. Improper posture and hand and wrist placement when using a computer keyboard can injure many parts of the body. Injuries, especially carpal tunnel syndrome, are approaching epidemic levels. Sight degeneration is another area of concern among Technical Services ESP.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused when hand and wrist movements are repeated day in and day out. The strain causes tendons to swell and press on the main nerve of the hand and can result in pain, numbness, and dysfunction not only in the hands and wrists, but up to the forearm and elbow as well. This problem can be minimized if technical services employees are provided with adjustable equipment. The keyboard, visual display unit, chair, and document holders should all be able to be modified to suit individual needs.

Back problems -- The stress of leaning over printouts and paperwork, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, and spending long hours in one position leaves many Technical Services employees with aching, tired backs. Providing employees a chance to move around and rest their hands, arms and backs can help to minimize these problems.

Short breaks throughout the day can vary the pace of the work and prevent strain injuries. Employees should be rotated among tasks that require different motions or muscles, and their jobs can be reorganized in ways that create more rest and variety.

Eyestrains, fatigue, and headaches can be caused when computer monitors are incorrectly positioned. Monitors should be at least 28 inches away from the user. The top of the monitor should be at eye level. Mounting adjustable arms to the wall or using adjustable stands can achieve this.

Prevention of these ergonomic problems is essential, and appropriate treatment and care is certainly cost-effective for Boards of Education. Early disorders left untreated, aggravated, and neglected year after year can too often spiral into chronic illness, which can result in permanent disability. Much more attention must be paid to these problems by administrations in order to insure the health and well-being of all Technical Services ESP.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Technical Services ESP risk contact with blood and body fluids in their work environment. These materials may contain pathogens, organisms that can cause serious disease. The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard was developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1991 to protect employees with anticipated occupational exposure to these organisms. Of major concern are the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), the cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Most recently Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus (SARS) has been added to the list. Since 1991, many states have adopted laws to protect public employees as well. Check with your UniServ Office or State Affiliate for application in your state.

Much more information is available each year as the medical community gains greater understanding of each of these pathogen risks and how to prevent and treat them. Technical Services ESP need current and complete information and training to effectively protect themselves and those they are responsible.

Student-on-Staff Violence

Employees who are subject to violence or responsible for controlling violence in their work environment are subject to tremendous stress. Because every adult is a figure of authority in a school system, Technical Services ESP are not immune from student-on-staff violence. Professional development programs are desperately needed to provide specific training so employees can respond to violence appropriately and protect themselves on the job.

Technical Services ESP should be aware that parents who attack school employees can be prosecuted to the full extent of the criminal law. You should report any such attack to your local police immediately. You also may sue parents/guardians in civil court to recover money for the physical and/or mental injuries they may have inflicted on you. Parents' liability for the reckless acts of their children is limited under the law and differs from state to state.

There is no such limitation on parent liability for their own violent acts. Clarification on the particulars of liability should be verified through your local police department, your UniServ Office, and your State Association.

If you are a victim of violence while on the job:

• Call for help immediately. (911, police, fire, etc.)
• Seek medical attention immediately. Insist on immediate medical diagnosis (emergency room) and treatment.
• Report all injuries to the school medical personnel (school nurse, EMT, etc.), the local police when necessary, and complete an accident report and/or file charges where appropriate.
• Contact your Local Association representative (your State NEA UniServ Rep.) immediately. They can help you document your case in order to file for appropriate medical coverage and compensation.
• Always record the time and date of the incident and document all the facts. Immediately complete an incident report with your supervisor.

HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE

The Local Association in every school district should develop a Health & Safety Committee for its members. This Committee could provide current information, more meaningful training programs, and a psychological outlet for individuals exposed to violence. A joint committee with the administration would be an ideal situation and certainly provide needed attention and support to a difficult and dangerous problem for school employees.

The Local Association Health & Safety Committee should develop Action Plans -- one for ongoing action to protect employees and one for crisis action.

The Continuous Action Plan should address school management, including discipline codes, crime and violence reporting, off-campus crime, student involvement, and alternative educational environment for incorrigible students. It should also address curriculum relating to school safety policies, peer mediation, conflict resolution, and multicultural education. And it should consider the physical environment, including whether or not to use metal detectors and other surveillance devices, eliminate lockers, improve lighting, oversee areas where students congregate, and reduce class size.

The Crisis Management Plan should comply with all federal and state laws under the Homeland Security Act and the National Alert System, and should specify who does what, when, and with whom in the event of a crisis. It should address communications with the media, parents, staff and community police; assistance to be provided to victims, offenders, and staff; and counseling for anyone involved, including students, staff, or bystanders.

The Local Association Health & Safety Committee will provide member/employee security, information, and action separate from job function regulations. It will liaison with the employer, other staff, and the community in the employees' best interests and should function from a framework that includes:

• Violence and incident assessment
• Cooperation, liaison, outreach
• Member protection
• Individual employee school safety measures
• Enhanced awareness by administrations and school boards
• Safety and security training and professional development
• Public and community relations
• Evaluation of effectiveness and progress for Local members

To Section 9: Meaningful Professional Development = A Quality Workforce

Technical Services ESP --
Building a Quality Workforce

21st Century Challenges for Technical Services ESP

Privatization Is Not the Answer

Privatization is a cut in services to the community by the school district. It creates a disconnected, transient, and non-resident group of workers who are usually poorly paid and not committed to the school district or the community as a whole. Privatization directly contradicts the concept of building a Quality Workforce. When work in a school district is awarded to the lowest bidder everyone loses. In the case of Technical Services ESP it is especially true that "you get what you pay for," both in personnel and equipment.

Boards of Education threaten privatization to achieve certain bargaining 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 contributions Technical Services ESP provide. Technical Services ESP are being threatened with privatization all over the country, with 80% reporting anxiety over the possibility of being privatized.

A majority of Technical Services ESP live in their school districts, work in their school districts, and vote in their school districts. According to the latest NEA survey, on average, a Technical Services ESP has lived in the school district where he/she works for 26 years. Well over one-third have their own children in the school system. They are the resident roots of the neighborhood school.

Technical Services ESP must actively educate administrations and communities in order to fight privatization. The first best step is to develop results-oriented job descriptions that are an accurate, comprehensive, and meaningful reflection of all that they do.

Promotion Opportunities

Promotion opportunities are a particular problem in the Technical Services ESP job family. According to the NEA ESP survey, Technical Services ESP report that promotion opportunities are virtually non-existent. This generally occurs because administrations don't understand the services ESP provide. Most administrations think that "a Tech is a Tech is a Tech."

School management tends to have tunnel vision regarding technology support. "Is it fixed?" and "When will it be working?" are the only questions they care about, not how was it done or who did it or what training and expertise was needed.

Technical Services ESP must continually educate their administrations regarding the complexity and diversity of the skills they use. They must teach their own Locals to advocate for them. They must actively participate in the development of contract content or nonbargaining agreements that recognize them, define them, and provide opportunities for promotion. They must continually assert through contract negotiations or non-bargaining process that "levels of skills" as well as "diversity of skills" applies to them as much as to any other job family.

The Gap Between Skills Required and Salary Paid

While Technical Services ESP often learn some things on the job, most of the services they perform require very specific training, skills, and certifications. Their salaries, however, often are not commensurate with their level of skills. And in many cases, the Technical Services ESP must pay for hardware or software training programs out of his/her own pocket.

Technical Services ESP must be tenacious about informing administrations that their jobs require particular skills and specific and constant training. The fact that technology support and service must be "of the moment" shouldn't be a hard concept to grasp in this day and age. Administrations should recognize the need for training and then appropriately compensate employees for their expertise. Knowledge, training, and certification should equal better pay.

Night Shift Back-Up Work

Security on school campuses has increased and improved dramatically since Columbine and September 11th. Unfortunately, some districts still do not properly address personal security issues for night shift employees. For Technical Services ESP this is a growing and serious problem. Often they are required to be alone in buildings in order to back-up systems after students and staff have gone home.

Given the existing environment, any plan designed to protect students and staff during school hours should extend to protection for employees working alone and at night. Has the district provided security training for Technical Services ESP? Has the district appropriately included Technical Services ESP in the "Intruder Response Plan"? Does the district provide equipment for individuals working alone, such as cell phones, secure land lines, emergency and medical contacts, and an escape plan should it be necessary?

Support, Training, Equipment, Supplies -- Resources

Administrations have a long way to go to provide the resources -- training, information, updated computers, state-of-the-art hardware and software, safety equipment, and more and better parts and supplies -- Technical Services ESP need to do their jobs. One of the biggest challenges Technical Services ESP face is getting Boards of Ed to really embrace technology with money and equipment, and not just pay it lip service. There's a big difference between what they say and what they actually buy. And as technology changes daily, Technical Services ESP simply don't have enough resources and/or time to keep up. Even under these circumstances, however, they continue to skillfully and competently provide the service and expertise needed in our public schools on a daily basis.

To Section 8: Health & Safety -- Protecting the Individual Employee

Technical Services ESP --
Building a Quality Workforce

A Technology-Rich School . . .

 . . . A More Sophisticated Technology User Community

For the most part, the public school environment reflects the community in which it exists. What is going on in the community will also be found in the hallways, classrooms, gyms, nurse’s office, library, cafeteria, school bus, and athletic field. And it will most definitely be found in detention.

If the community is awash in drugs and alcohol, so is the school. If gangs have established themselves in the community, their violence will spill into the school system. If an epidemic disease or even an isolated biological threat exists in the community, the school district is automatically a part of the plan to deal with it. In some instances, the school becomes the frontline for detection, treatment, and deterrence. The school most certainly partners with the community emergency responders to identify and remediate a crisis. In many situations, the best resources and the most qualified people can be found on staff at the district school. Certainly, the school becomes one of the best providers of information and networking for first responders and emergency efforts involving children.

And in this age of terrorist threats and a color-coded alert system, the public school has been transformed into a safe haven for students and staff. Many schools throughout the country now have what is known as "shelter in place" plans. Students and staff are "locked-down" where they are on the school campus. The shelter is equipped with everything they might need for survival and safety: food, water, sanitary supplies, communication equipment, blankets, first aid, medical provisions, and so forth. In some Arizona schools, the "lock-down" areas include computer links to police departments and fire and rescue stations.

While the school is a mirror of the community for most issues, the reverse is true in regard to technology -- the community reflects the school. The more current and technologically sophisticated the schools are, the more technology can be found in the community. Technical Services ESP have discovered that "wiring" a school immerses the entire community in the excitement, expansion, and knowledge of state-of-the art information.

As always, more affluent and sophisticated communities are better able to provide the "very best" for their kids. But even in poorer communities, "wiring" the schools increases knowledge and familiarity about computers at home. When kids use computers and sophisticated art, science, photographic, printing, word processing, internet access, and web development equipment at school, their greater sophistication and excitement spills over at home, causing more technology to permeate the neighborhood.

One other reason for this phenomenon is that learning with technology is a 24-hour process. Fifty years ago when children had a reading assignment, they would read the book, put it down, and not consider it again until they got to school. In this Internet age, much learning happens during browsing and investigating the many resources on the Internet, with or without a book, and in or out of the classroom. Home schooling and distance learning have also expanded the parameters of the "classroom."

Technical Services ESP in our public schools provide the expertise and technical support for schools and communities to use the educational possibilities of the worldwide web. Computers and sophisticated technology equipment expand students’ horizons both in and out of the classroom.

To Section 7: 21st Century Challenges for Technical Services ESP

Technical Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

So Much to Do, Never Enough Time

The Constant Tug-of-War

Like everyone these days, Technical Services ESP feel pressured by having too much to do and not enough time to do it. Their time crunch is further exacerbated by the nature of their work. Everyone who requests technical assistance wants attention immediately, and they usually think their particular problem is more important than anything else the tech might be dealing with.

Technical Services ESP must constantly judge which problem to tackle first while looking at the overall picture. For example, if the mainframe for the school is down, repairing it obviously takes priority over anything else that needs doing. At the same time, there might be many other problems that need fixing in a variety of departments throughout the school system. The Technical Services ESP must be prepared to decide which one to tackle next. As technology progresses and more complex equipment is used in schools, the demand for Technical Services ESP support and problem solving increases exponentially.

Time management difficulties for Technical Services ESP are compounded by the fact that most school systems don't have enough technical services personnel to handle the kind and amount of technology they are using. Also, when Boards of Education purchase technology equipment, they usually buy the cheapest. This of course creates more problems for Technical Services ESP. It is generally true that technicians spend much more time dealing with cheap and inadequate equipment than they would if Boards of Ed would choose more carefully and expend the resources needed to keep what they have up-to-date. If administrations would consult and include Technical Services ESP in the choice and purchase of equipment, they could save a lot of money as well as increase efficiency and productivity.

Technical Services ESP often must keep working on a project after hours in order to complete the job. Administrations continually demand instant results while not properly paying for overtime or providing compensatory time off. In cases where comp time is provided, the Technical Services ESP often cannot use it due to workload.

Technical Services ESP are often highly stressed due to chronic short staffing and shoddy equipment. In addition, they constantly deal with people who are frustrated or angry at "their computer " and who want the problem resolved immediately. Technical Services ESP must practice stress reduction psychology in order to maintain their relationships with other employees. Again, many Technical Services ESP feel that those in need of their services often expect them perform magic.

But while they may seem to be magicians, Technical Services ESP are actually highly trained individuals who contribute invaluable service in this technology-rich age. It would be impossible to maintain most systems of a school district today without their expertise. Despite inadequate training and updating opportunities, and in an atmosphere of too much need for service and too little time to accomplish results, Technical Services ESP perform with professionalism and respond with great skill while supporting the students and staff they serve.

To Section 6: A Technology-Rich School = A More Sophisticated Technology User Community

Technical Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

Jack of All Trades — Jurisdiction Over None

Technical Services ESP work at a variety of locations throughout a school district. They are in central offices, administrative centers, maintenance facilities, transportation centers, audio-visual and language departments, distance education and media centers, art and printing departments, photography and journalism centers, writing and word processing departments, supply and storage facilities, security and medical campus offices, and special education departments. They perform support services on equipment for many different individuals and departments, often in several locations in a single day. As a result they continually struggle with a lack of clear lines of supervision, jurisdiction, and expectation from those for whom they service.

They must constantly prioritize and organize their work orders while trying to meet the high expectations of those who need their help. Project management is crucial to the effectiveness of service provided by Technical Services ESP, and very often has a unique demand built in. Much of the service provided is time sensitive, which creates yet another priority challenge for Technical Services ESP.

Supervisors and administrations are very often lax in recognizing the degree to which jurisdictional problems adversely affect Technical Services ESP. Support and training are scarce. Flexibility and alternatives do not exist. Most often Technical Services ESP must muddle through this minefield on their own. Despite inadequate training and professional development programs, they rise to these challenges with skill and over-the-top dedication to the students and staff they serve.

To Section 5: The Constant Tug-of-War -- So Much to Do, Never Enough Time

Technical Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

The Technology Explosion

 In January 2001, the Maine Township High School District 207 in Illinois was beginning a reported $7 million dollar technology acquisition project. As part of the project, the Maine West High School in Des Plaines was to start a course that would familiarize students with Microsoft software and prepare them to earn the company's certification to work on its computer networking products. The district also began a course of study focusing on Web page design and its uses for business. This was a huge project for this district of approximately 6,450 students.

As part of the multi-year plan, the district hired three new technology coordinators who joined three existing technology support employees. At the time, the district's Technology Director, Jim Flanaghan, said, "The new employees would make sure the technology is available to teachers and students whenever they need it." District officials said hiring the technology coordinators was necessary to maintain the district's fast-growing computer system, including hardware and software for classroom use. (Source: Des Plaines Daily Herald, Jan. 12, 2001)

This is just one small example of the technology explosion in public schools over the past 15 years. For the Des Plaines district, the emphasis in 2001 was student-driven, but the use, application, and increasing sophistication of technology in schools goes beyond student use of computers and software. Public schools now have "smart phone systems" that require huge amounts of attention, expertise, and monitoring. All department inventory and ordering are maintained by computer programs and networks. All tracking of public health issues and information and resource acquisition are computer networked among a vast array of agencies and associations, and involve complex internet activity. Food Service in every school is now tracked, ordered, and maintained by computers. Attendance, student testing and student records of all kinds is computer maintained. The huge advances and demands of school security and safety are met and maintained by electronic monitoring and computers. Complex emergency systems are now linked to local and state law enforcement and emergency services.

School finance, budgets, supplies, inventories, and personnel records are all maintained by computer records. All student media centers and audio-visual equipment depend on computer hardware and software. The increase in distance learning and videoconferencing has created a whole new area of technology and need for expertise.

Further, it is important to remember that with every new student testing program mandated by the state or federal government, a whole new software or application program may be needed, and then the data must be stored, maintained, and categorized. Once the data is acquired, it also then must be made available to the appropriate agency. The scope of networking and the array of information that is collected, categorized, inputted, rolled-over, backed-up, maintained, dispersed, and warehoused is staggering.

Often the challenge is not the software. Technical Services ESP must be trained and prepared to fix, alter, adjust and generally patch together a great deal of hardware that may or may not be compatible, expandable or portable. Technical Services ESP sometimes feel that "magic" plays a large role in their daily success.

September 11th and the school shootings in Columbine, Colorado, and other school districts around the country have caused surveillance equipment in schools to crop up like mushrooms. All this advanced equipment must be used correctly, maintained carefully, and repaired when necessary. This equipment can include video and/or audio, scanners and metal detectors, identification devices, imaging devices and cameras. The proper use of all these devices is just the beginning for Technical Services ESP. They must then categorize and store the information the devices generate.

Although Technical Services ESP are generally not responsible for the content of the information with which they come in contact while maintaining hardware and software, they still must be diligent regarding the confidentiality of that data. Handling student and family data confidentially, appropriately, ethically, and legally requires attention and skill. Appropriate guidelines must be developed and implemented by administrations in order to protect the individual student, staff person, parent, and also protect the Technical Services ESP.

To Section 4: Jack of All Trades -- Jurisdiction Over None

Technical Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

Federal and State Statutes

 Federal and state statutes provide certain protections and impose certain requirements on school districts and school district employees. Technical Services ESP should be familiar with both state law and federal law, be aware of differences from state to state, and know which federal laws override or conflict with state requirements.

Remaining current and informed is a challenge for Technical Services ESP, more than half of whom work in safety and security venues with an increasing amount of security equipment. Remaining current is more difficult for them than for any other ESP job family with the exception of Security Services ESP. It is vital that administrations recognize this ongoing challenge and take action to provide information, training, and professional development about relevant laws and statutes.

Standards and uniformity in laws, regulations, certifications, statutes, registrations, and licensing would provide for more accurate job descriptions, more meaningful professional development, better terms and conditions of employment, more promotional opportunities, and a greatly enhanced professional image for Technical Services ESP.

• Federal Law: Certain public school employees are covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which provides protection against abuse of overtime and discriminatory practices by employers. Congress recently passed a bill that dramatically changes the application of the Act regarding overtime pay versus compensatory time. The impact of the change for Technical Services ESP should be carefully scrutinized. Contact your Local and State UniServ offices for more information. (Also see Federal Bulletin #778 — Overtime Compensation, which defines how employers should properly calculate overtime.
  
  Technical Services ESP should also be familiar with the latest federal mandates under the Patriots Act and the Homeland Security Act. Information is available from the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, and Labor, and from the U.S. Attorney General's Office.
  
  
• State Law: The state Departments of Education, Labor, and Health & Human Services, and in most states the Attorney General's Office, may all establish some standards and qualifications for Technical Services ESP.
  
  
• Types of Credentials: Credentials for all categories of Education Support Professionals are constantly changing. The technology explosion has completely altered clerical services ESP jobs — few school offices had computers 25 years ago, no one used email, and the telephone was answered by a real person. Custodians no longer just clean the building — they are responsible for the total environmental quality of the school building and campus. For Transportation ESP, the school vehicle is not just a bus anymore — it's a microcosm of the classroom and the community. Food Services ESP no longer just make lunch. Nutritional health and welfare of each and every student is a daily responsibility and essential for student's learning and thriving. Mainstreaming of students with special needs has redefined and expanded the role of the Paraprofessional. For Health & Human Services ESP, measles and aspirin are important, but passé. Biological and chemical terror and violent trauma care have come to live in public schools.

The increase and changes in responsibilities and tasks is particularly dramatic for Technical Services ESP. Add security and safety in a "terror rich" atmosphere to ongoing and benign technology changes — the skill sets necessary to do their jobs are altered forever. With skill set changes have come dramatic changes in requirements to get and maintain their job qualifications.

Some Definitions

• Licensure: is the most restrictive form of professional and occupational regulation. It is illegal for a person to practice a particular profession without first meeting state and/or federal licensing standards. Licensure is often referred to as "right to practice."
  
  
• Certification: Under certification, the state grants title protection (right to title) to persons meeting predetermined standards. Those without certification may perform the duties of the occupation but may not use the title.
  
  
• Registration: is the least restrictive of all credentials. It usually requires individuals to file their names, addresses, and qualifications with a government agency before practicing the occupation. The employees may be required to post a bond or pay a fee for the registration.
  
  
• Training: is the specific course work the employee must take in order to obtain the license, certification, or registration. Because each state can develop, pass and enforce its own guidelines and mandates, current information is essential for Technical Services ESP. Your UniSev office and your state affiliate are always the best first source for information and details.

To Section 3: The Technology Explosion

Technical Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce