MTA ESPs serve on national level

MTA members Donna Johnson and Robert Travers are working hard to raise the profile of education support professionals in Massachusetts and across the country.

Johnson is used to wearing many hats, serving as president of the University Staff Association at UMass-Amherst, a member of the MTA Executive Committee and chair of both the MTA Higher Education Leadership Council and the MTA ESP Committee.

Now she is also the Northeast regional director on the National Council for Education Support Professionals, the ESP caucus of the NEA.

“I am extremely excited about this position,” Johnson said. “This gives me a chance to represent Massachusetts ESPs on a national level.”

Travers, a member of the MTA Board of Directors and treasurer of the Cambridge Teachers Association, is currently serving his first term on the NEA Board of Directors. He is the first ESP to have been elected by statewide ballot in Massachusetts.

“This is an important accomplishment for ESPs who are struggling to get ahead and get the recognition they deserve for the work they do in our public schools,” Travers said.

He was elected in May, and his term began on Sept. 1.  He recently attended his first NEA Board meeting in Washington, D.C., and joined with fellow members in lobbying members of Congress about the dangers of the federal No Child Left Behind act. Travers made stops at the offices of all 10 Massachusetts congressmen.

“Now our state delegation has every category represented, from classroom teacher to higher ed to ESP, on the NEA board,” he said. “I represent all constituencies, but most importantly ESPs.”

Johnson hopes her new position will provide her with opportunities to share success stories from Massachusetts and learn more about effective initiatives in other states.

“I’m hoping that I’ll get some ideas from other states about how they are growing their membership,” Johnson said. With more than 16,000 ESPs on the MTA’s membership roster, Johnson said, progress has been made, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

She noted that this is the first time an NCESP director has come out of the public higher education sector. She also said it is the first time a representative from Massachusetts has served on the council.

Johnson replaces Jackie Aubrey of Pennsylvania on the NCESP.

Meanwhile, in addition to fulfilling all of her other responsibilities, she is one of 20 ESPs nationwide participating in a training program aimed at building a network of leaders and raising awareness about the important work that ESPs do every day.