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Education support professionals press board for higher pay and proper job classifications
Summary
ESPs and parents described heavy workloads, mismatched job classifications, insufficient training, safety issues and modest raises that failed to increase take-home pay; speakers asked the board to raise wages and adjust classifications to reflect instructional duties.
Multiple education support professionals and parents addressed the board to describe the day-to-day duties and pay challenges for ESPs across the district, urging action in contract negotiations and job reclassification.
Tracy Dorn, an ESP with multiple daily responsibilities, said that because parts of her shift are classified as 'clerical' she receives lower pay for instructional work and asked the board to recognize the work by aligning pay with duties. “25 an hour is not too much to ask because we are worth it,” Dorn said. Other ESPs — including Jesse Daniels and Michelle Dennard — detailed limited training, safety incidents in center-based positions, and the effects of rising health-insurance costs on take-home pay, arguing that recent raises have not materially improved living standards.
Gail Huggins urged the board to consider long-term retention and the essential role ESPs play, noting that many ESP duties support English learners and classroom functioning. The board received the testimony during the public-comment period; no immediate wage vote occurred at the meeting.
