Wednesday is Education Support Professionals Day, and as American Education Week continues, Wisconsin educators are emphasizing how crucial the workers are to schools, and the challenges they face when trying to help some of the most vulnerable students.
Jamie Komorowski, a special education paraprofessional at Green Bay Preble High School, currently works one-on-one with high school students with disabilities. In Wisconsin, the works known as ESPs make up about a third of all public school staff. But Komorowski argued it is not enough. She emphasized understaffing often forces her to reprioritize urgent matters on a daily basis.
She noted retention for ESPs is a challenge due to low wages.
"Oftentimes, people absolutely love the work that they do but they cannot afford to keep this job because they have bills to pay," Komorowski pointed out. "And unfortunately, when you're being paid poverty wages, you've got to make some decisions."
About one-third of ESPs make less than $25,000 per year. Komorowski added a nationwide push continues for states to adopt an "ESP Bill of Rights," including articles to ensure fair compensation, affordable health care, paid leave, appropriate workload and staffing, and rights to collectively bargain.
Funding disparities in special education also create obstacles, Komorowski stressed, as special education students have different but equally important needs and their education benefits not only them but their families and the broader community.
"Those are huge things that we're offering to maximize their potential as much as we're able to," Komorowski emphasized. "When we're looking at funding, we are funded at a far lower rate than private schools."
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, said she has serious concerns about the attack on public education and what she describes as a wrecking ball the Trump administration has taken to the Department of Education. She argued significant funding cuts and private school voucher programs have affected support for low-income students, those with disabilities and those living in rural communities.
"Taking away funding from the schools that educate 90% of our students, then actually adequately fund our public schools," Pringle contended. "We need to use this week to lift that reality up. And remind people that they actually have the power to change it."
In addition to paraprofessionals who work in the classroom, clerical workers, bus drivers, janitors and aides are also considered ESPs. Education Support Professionals Day was first marked in 1987 when the association announced it would recognize the contributions of all school support staff.
