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East Penn ASAs Urge Board to Restore Paid Days and Compensate for Lost Prep Time
Summary
Several academic support assistants told the board that a schedule change reduced their weekly prep time and left them with only two unpaid personal days; they asked the district to find budget room for additional paid days to ensure equitable treatment.
Several academic support assistants from East Penn schools told the Board of School Directors on Sept. 9 that a recent schedule change has reduced their paid prep time and left them without adequate paid personal leave.
"I am the proud parent of an EMAIS alum... Being an ASA is an incredibly rewarding job," Susan Berger, an academic support assistant at Jefferson Elementary, told the board. Berger said there are 43 ASAs employed by the district, that the elementary ASA schedule shifted this school year from 8:30 a.m.–3:15 p.m. Monday–Thursday with a shortened Friday to a Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–3:18 p.m. schedule, and that the change cut allotted prep time from about eight hours a week to roughly 2.5 hours.
Berger said that, unlike other support staff, ASAs lack paid personal days, holidays, emergency and bereavement leave in the same way as their colleagues. "We ask that the district find room in the budget to afford the ASA's additional paid days," she said.
Other ASAs—Janine Ward (Albertus Elementary), Lisonbee Evans (McConaughey Elementary), Amy Bridal (Macungie Elementary) and Christa Candy (Macungie Elementary)—each spoke in support of Berger's request during public comment.
At the meeting's close, Dr. Campbell said administration had met previously and offered to follow up directly with Berger to clarify specific difficulties and next steps. No formal board action was taken at the meeting; the board directed administration to follow up with the commenter.
Why it matters: ASAs provide small-group interventions and progress monitoring that district leaders said are important to student success. The ASAs' request, if adopted, would change payroll or budget allocations and affect staffing costs.
The board did not vote on the request; administration agreed to follow up with the commenter about details and possible next steps.
