Classroom assistants are invaluable support. Their paychecks reflect otherwise
Anajah Aaron, an education support professional at Bethune Community School, waved at a supportive motorists on the picket line Thursday. Photo by David Pierini
By David Pierini, Editor
Anajah Aaron goes to work each day with compassion and thick skin that has endured plenty of punches, kicks and thrown objects.
She is an education support professional at Bethune Community School where she works with children who have emotional and behavioral disorders.
Despite the risks, the job does not reward her with a livable wage.
Aaron, 21, is among hundreds of ESPs who joined Minneapolis Public Schools teachers on the picket lines on March 8 after contract talks with the school district broke down.
Administrators, citing rising costs, declining enrollment and revenue shortfalls, say they are unable to meet demands. In addition to a raise for teachers, small class sizes and more mental health support for students, the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is asking that ESP’s be paid at least $35,000 a year.
The current salary range for the district’s 1,200 ESPs is between $19,000 and $29,000.
“We love our jobs. We love what we do,” Aaron said. “It has never been about the money, but I would like to make enough money to live on my own and buy groceries.”
Many teachers say ESPs are a school’s backbone, providing invaluable support to classroom teachers.
Henry High freshmen Savannah Vue, left, and Hannah Lee, waved at motors on the picket line Tuesday. Photo by David Pierini
But many ESPs, like Aaron, are working one or two extra jobs to support families and make ends meet.
Aaron earns about $20 an hour as an ESP and gets extra money each week as a bus aide. She assists kids in grades 2-5 who struggle with trauma and may not have the interpersonal skills to be fully integrated into the classroom.
She said a child could kick her one minute and then hug her the next.
“It’s not the fault of the kids,” Aaron said. “But you do get a lot of abuse. Kids will throw things and you have to know how to duck. Patience and forgiveness is a big thing.”
Aaron works a second job as a personal care assistant for senior citizens and often works for one of her clients from 4 to 6 a.m. before the school day begins. She is then working with other clients–house cleaning, shopping and helping with bathing–after school.
Aaron lives with her mother, has no vehicles and pays around $300 per week for daycare for her 2-year-old daughter. Aaron has to use Uber to get her from job to job, another drain on her finances.
Shaun Laden, ESP chapter president, said the union seeks contract language that gives ESPs job protection.
“This district has said teachers of color and retaining them are a top priority,” Laden said during a news conference on March 22. “Half of our ESPs are educators of color and they have no job security in the contract. This is not a monetary issue, it’s a matter of whether or not we’re taking care of career educators who give years of service, who bring incredible experience and community connection.
“These are folks who look like our students and they bring so much. Lets get them the job security they deserve.”
MPS Supt. Ed Graff said his administration shares the same values and acknowledged during a press conference Wednesday that teachers and ESPs deserve the increase in pay.
But he said the district is too “resource-limited” to meet their needs.
“We’re going to have to invest in our employees, we know that,” Graff said. “The educators, the ESPs… we value the work they do. But the only way we’re going to be able to sustain that is through increased revenue. The finances we have are not enough to provide the support we need to provide.”
Maria Ahlgren, an ESP at Henry High School, works two other jobs to help support her and her son. Photo by David Pierini
When the strike began on Tuesday, Henry High School ESP Maria Ahlgren opened her home to picketing colleagues. She lives on Logan Avenue North, about two blocks from the high school, and offered her home for snacks, bathroom breaks and even daycare where needed.
Her front yard has a fire pit, two tables full of food and was a meet-up area for different strike-related events.
Ahlgren works with the school’s Check and Connect program and provides homework help, classroom support and develops relationships with families to improve academic outcomes for students.
She makes just over $20 per hour after four year but says roughly 30 percent of her paycheck goes toward health insurance for her and her son. To bolster her income, she works two part-time jobs, one as a youth program consultant for the Webber Camden Neighborhood Association and the other has her shopping and dropping off groceries for a food delivery app.
“It’s still paycheck to paycheck,” Ahlgren said. “Money is a big thing, but I’m still gonna figure out ways to do the work and make ends meet. I love the kids so much that I’m willing to do all the extra stuff. We’re like family.
“There’s a lot of anxiety and unknowns (with the strike), but we have to do this.”