Education Support Professionals

ESPs are organizing for respect and fair pay

The days of getting crumbs in new contracts have ended.

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Contract fights lift wages, profile of paraeducators

Recent campaigns shine a light on the outlandishly low wages paid to ESPs.

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Meet MTA ESP of the Year Karen Torres

"We can do hard things."

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ESPs are winning major advances

Contract highlights from recent preK-12 settlements.

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Education Support Professionals keep students healthy, safe, supported, engaged and challenged so they are ready to learn. It is difficult to imagine a school operating for one day without ESPs.

Nominate the next ESP of the Year

ESP of the Year

Each year, the MTA ESP Committee honors an exceptional MTA member with the ESP of the Year award.

Nominators are asked to address the nominee's qualifications in the following areas:

  • Professional Practice
  • Advocacy and Association Involvement
  • Community Engagement
  • Enhancement of the ESP Image
  • Personal Achievement

Nominate an ESp Look Back at Previous Honorees

esp bill of rights
ESPs: Speak Out!

The MTA’s preK-12 Education Support Professionals play critically important roles in our public schools, providing individual and small-group instruction to students with disabilities, assisting in early education classes, supporting English learners, driving buses, preparing meals, keeping schools clean and performing myriad administrative and education support functions.

Learn more about the MTA ESP Bill of Rights and share your story.


take action

Has your local endorsed the ESP Bill of Rights? be the next Local to do so