Office workers, bus drivers, custodians, and maintenance staff keep schools running and students learning

BURLINGAME – Today, on California Education Support Professionals Day, educators recognize, honor and thank their colleagues who make school days possible. These office workers, bus drivers, food service workers, custodians, paraprofessionals, maintenance staff, and other support professionals are very often the first faces students see in the morning and the last to turn out the school lights when the day is done.

At the front lines of education, they make up one-third of the entire education workforce. They drive students to school, answer the phones, keep the grounds running, the students fed, and during difficult times like the pandemic, they made sure schools were clean and safe.

“Schools simply could not operate without ESPs. They play a key role in establishing relationships with students and parents and helping ensure that the school day runs smoothly. With ESPs as our partners and colleagues, we have been able to persevere through this pandemic,” said CTA President E. Toby Boyd, a kindergarten educator. “As California works to address the statewide teacher shortage, we must also address a shortage of these support staff, who are absolutely critical for the success of our students and schools. We must honor and value them not just one day of the year, but every day of the school year.”

Mary Ambriz, an office manager at Mariposa Elementary School in Redlands and a member of Redlands Education Support Professionals Association (RESPA), was recently named this year’s Paula J. Monroe CTA ESP of the Year. This recognition comes from her decades of work, ongoing commitment to supporting RESPA members and their families, and activism in her union on behalf of the students she works with every day.

CTA is urging Californians to thank ESPs in their school communities. For some social media shareables, go here.

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.