Idaho Education Association committees and councils represent certain groups of members, work on special projects or issues central to IEA, or simply advance the business of the union. These groups are essential to the work of the union — but how much do you know about them, really?
This is your chance to find out! In the weeks leading up to IEA’s 2025 Delegate Assembly, IEA Reporter will feature a number of these committees to give you a better idea of their work and how you can get involved. This week, we’re looking at the ESP Committee.
Name: IEA Education Support Professionals (ESP) Committee
Representation: The committee is designed to accommodate membership from every region. All members must currently work as ESPs.
Creation and governance: The committee chair is LiseAnn Mills, IEA board member and co-president of the Mountain Home Education Association and Region 8. It plays a vital role in addressing the unique challenges faced by ESPs through recruitment, professional development and empowerment initiatives, ensuring ESP voices are heard in decision-making processes.
What the committee does: ESPs — who serve as class aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and more — are crucial to the public education system. While any ESP can become an IEA member, they face specific limitations: Idaho Code prevents ESPs from collectively bargaining. In addition, ongoing issues such as low salaries, insufficient staffing and classroom assaults create unique challenges for ESPs.
The ESP Committee is dedicated to addressing those challenges. Committee members actively recruit and organize ESPs to ensure robust representation and support, working to build a strong network of ESPs within IEA and developing collective strength and advocacy.
Their outreach includes ESP-only professional development such as the ESP Sparks program, which provides training and growth opportunities tailored to ESPs’ needs. The initiative allows ESPs to enhance their skills and stay current with the best practices in their field.
They also develop ESP-specific membership materials to attract new members and inform them about membership benefits and the support they can expect to receive from IEA. A national effort, The ESP Bill of Rights, is part of the committee’s work, as well. The bill of rights would increase ESP visibility and give them a bigger platform from which to advocate for fair compensation, recognition and respect, safe and healthy work environments, affordable health insurance and paid leave, among other important issues. Each state union must ratify the ESP Bill of Rights, and the IEA ESP Committee has a key role in winning that support from their fellow members.
“In my brief time as liaison, I’ve come to know dozens of ESPs across the state of Idaho who perform incredibly valuable work for their communities,” said Brent Nichols, who serves as staff liaison. “Not only are they putting in long hours for painfully low pay, at times they’re even putting their physical health on the line to ensure student safety. I’ve personally witnessed educators pull up their sleeves to reveal scrapes and bruises from behavioral health interventions. I’ve personally heard bus drivers recount stories of having to unexpectedly change routes during cold winter conditions. The fact that Idaho state law grants ESPs fewer legal rights than their teacher counterparts is something I find to be morally indefensible. These hardworking men and women are heroes in their workplace and deserve to have a voice on the job, not to mention generous pay and benefits.”
How you can get involved: The committee currently has openings for regions 1, 5, 6 and 9. If you would like to serve on the committee, reach out committee staff liaison Brent Nichols at bnichols@idahoea.org.
