Going the extra mile OR Part of the same team
Like many of you, I, too, cheered for the U.S. women’s national soccer team when it won the World Cup this summer. As I watched the team celebrate, one thing stood out: everyone involved with the organization contributed to the team’s success.
The players and head coach are the most visible. Equally important, however, are the assistant coaches, equipment managers, team trainers, nutritionists, and countless others who all played a critical role in making sure that the athletes performed at their best.
Abby Wambach, one of the members of the U.S. national team, once said, “I’ve never scored a goal in my life without getting a pass from someone else.”
That quote encompasses the way I feel about our indispensible Education Support Professionals. Like a sports team, an educational team comprises many different people who contribute to the school community’s success. Helping students achieve their potential requires every available resource.
Teachers are often the first to come to mind when thinking of the people who play a part in a child’s education. But even the greatest teachers catch a pass from staff who, among many things, transport students to school, maintain the building, prepare meals, communicate with the community, offer support in the classroom, and direct the library and front office.
It takes team members like Janet Eberhardt, who was named the 2015 Education Support Professional of the Year (ESP) for her outstanding contribution to the San Francisco Unified School District, her community, and the profession. During her remarks before more than 7,000 attendees at the National Education Association’s 153rd Annual Meeting and 94th Representative Assembly (RA) in Orlando, Florida, I was especially moved by her passion in calling for ESPs, teachers and higher education faculty to join together and fight for students and public education.
NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia joins 2015 Education Support Professional of the Year Janet Eberhardt on the stage after addressing the Assembly at 153rd Annual Meeting, 94th Representative Assembly at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando Fl. July 4nd 2015. Photo by Calvin Knight
When I presented Janet with the national award earlier this year, I said that she is an absolute dynamo, and I feel even more strongly about that sentiment now. She leads by example by developing ESP training opportunities and developing future leaders. In her 29 years with the San Francisco Unified School District, Janet has created programs to engage and mentor students and families as well as developed several reading and student creativity programs to unlock a love for reading. As a union leader within the United Educators of San Francisco, she has held multiple important leadership roles, including planning, coordinating, and delivering ethnic minority leadership Going the extra mile OR Part of the same team - Lily's Blackboard: