Educational Support Professionals

Fall Newsletter 2018

Current State ESP Members: 882

Current Region 7 ESP Members: 156

NEA ESP Conference - Orlando, Florida Spring 2018

What an honor to be chosen to represent the BEA Educational Support Staff on a national level. Paraprofessionals from all over the United States gathered together for three days to help each other improve our skill sets, leading to better educational environments for our students. Not only did I cultivate stronger connections with other Paraprofessionals from Idaho, but also from the rest of the country.

The highlight of my time in Orlando occurred on Thursday when we dug into the issue of Trauma and Students in Crisis. Being from Idaho, I thought that such trauma as Sandy Hook or Columbine would never touch our corner of the world. That naïve mindset was proven wrong this summer by the Wylie Lane incident. Although it directly affected a small number of people in our community, the repercussions are and will continue to be felt throughout our schools and city for years to come. The tireless efforts of the counselling team brought immediate comfort to those affected by this tragedy and will continue in the future as these lives unfold. I saw how the practices that I learned about in Florida were put into action and it had a profound effect on how I view our corner of the world.

As I consider what I learned at the National ESP Conference and the connections I made, I realize how small our world is and what an important part Paraprofessional have in helping to mold the future one child at a time. Thank you for the opportunity to grow in my profession and impact our small corner of the world.

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NEA ESP Conference - Las Vegas, NV - March 22-24, 2019

The next NEA ESP Conference is coming up in the spring! There are several ways of attending, including grant opportunities. Make sure to start checking the IEA webpage for their application process this winter.

For more information about the event, head to: http://www.nea.org/espconference.

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BEA ESP of the Year

BEA ESP of the Year is coming up fast! We'll be sending out our nomination survey after winter break, so start thinking about some of those amazing ESP's you work with or know at other schools and nominate them.

We're not the only ones looking for amazing members. Check out the IEA's website and see what different awards are available, including the IEA ESP of the Year. The deadline is January 18, 2019. https://idahoea.org/iea-awards/

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Upcoming Events

We have so many wonderful events coming up this winter! Make sure to check out the BEA ESP webpage for more information on the upcoming events, including ESP Day and volunteer opportunities.