What About Your Professional Development?
The jobs and classifications of support staff have changed dramatically over the years. Custodians aren’t just janitors who only clean the buildings. Cafeteria works do more than just cook the food and serve it. Paraprofessionals are no longer just the “aides” who supervise the playground. More and more, support staff jobs are requiring advanced training and certification or licensing.
This just emphasizes the need for professional development for support staff.
If your district doesn’t provide any other professional development than the blood-borne pathogens training, it’s time to get involved with the association in the effort to get professional development for all staff. Here’s what you can do to get involved.
- Know what your contract says about training and professional development. Will the district pay you if you take advanced courses?
- Make sure your job description really reflects the work you do. When was the last time it was updated?
- Educate the rest of the staff about the services you provide for students. Does the staff only recognize you as the janitor or as an aide?
- Contact your association rep if you are being asked to do a job that you aren’t trained for. Who is held responsible if a mistake is made with a student?
- Join or start a committee that helps plan professional development for support staff in your district. Did you know that MEA can provide consultants to do the training at no cost to the district?
- Find out who your bargaining team members are and let them know that professional development is an issue for you. Are they willing to take it to the bargaining table?
- Go to www.mea.org and click on For Members, then Educational Support Personnel to read about the Michigan ESP Center for Professional Learning. This is a professional development program designed especially for school support staff. Find out how you can become state certified.