April 24, 2002
Expertise: made in New York
SRPs leading workshops, exchanging ideas
Loretta Johnson, center, hands the AFT Union Builders Award to members of New York State United Teachers for its summer program that trains school staffers to train other school staffers. From left: Nancy Peluso, Sandie Carner, Minnie Wheeler, Margaret MacCartney, Johnson, Kathy Hartmann, Alice Brody, Irene Lockwood, Charlett King and Sue Webb. [Photo by Mike Campbell.]
When it comes to helping School-Related Personnel get training and job protections, New York State United Teachers and its local unions lead the way.
Proof came in recognition from the American Federation of Teachers, the national affiliate, which asked NYSUT members to conduct seven workshops at its national training and development conference in Washington, D.C. The AFT represents 230,000 support staff members who work in schools, higher education and other facilities across America. NYSUT members led four of 13 strategic planning sessions.
"So many of us don't realize the experts we have in our own backyards," said Mary Jo Roberge, a North Syracuse Education Association member who chairs the statewide union's SRP advisory committee. "It's an honor to present our expertise to our colleagues from other states, as well as have the chance to learn from them and their situations."
New York was also recognized during the awards program of the AFT's 25th annual Paraprofessional and SRP conference. The Cardinal Bus Drivers, a local union of bus employees from the Newark Valley district, received AFT's Workers Memorial Day award for their efforts to help employees protect their health while doing their jobs. Linda Tarbox and Martha Walters, members of the southern tier local, made use of "train-the-trainer" ergonomic instruction from the AFT, helping colleagues learn how to do their jobs without sacrificing their health.
NYSUT received the national Union Builders Award for its summer program of training support staff to present workshops to other staff in their own and neighboring districts. The statewide union started the program after surveys found that support staff were not getting the on-the-job training they needed, and that school staff are receptive to staffer-led professional development.
Conference participants were the first to hear about "It Takes a Team," a comprehensive portrait of SRPs that combines a rich collection of data with short profiles of "everyday heroes" working in our schools. The AFT report pulls together data on the 3.5 million workers in pre-K-12 schools and colleges and universities.
Visit the AFT Web site, www.aft.org/psrp, for a copy of the full report.
- Betsy Sandberg
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