Welcome to the EduVerse with ProfessorJBA. This series is designed for parents and caregivers in an effort to inform them about the various roles and aspects of the educational landscape to ensure that caregivers can make informed decisions regarding their child(ren)’s education.

It is so important that we put the needs of our children first. The support of nurses, counselors, graduation coaches, student life directors, para professionals, RTI (response to intevention), MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support), gifted & alented coordinators, special education coordinators, and family engagement coordinators help make this dynamic work happen. Yet, educational leaders continue to send capital and resources to other areas of focus in education that don’t have a direct impact on student achievement and development.

Here are 10 Reasons Why Support Staff Aren’t Being Fully Supported: 

1. Priortization of adult needs first
2. Focus on using poverty to make profits
3. Lack of effective leadership
4. Lack of vision for student success
5. Failure to effectively manage financial resources
6. Lack of partnership development for schools
7. Lack of accountability
8. Large amount of ineffective policies
9. Lack of procedures
10. Lack of understanding of services

In order to support staff who fill in the gap of the academic, emotional and social growth of our children we must place children first and not adults. We must realize that poverty makes profit for corporations and organizations that have financial and political ties to schools. We must build effective leaders by promoting educators with promise and purpose for serving children.

The vision must be what is elevated, celebrated, and promoted and not the personal agenda or success of adults. When adults are earning six-figure salaries and kids can’t read, that is a problem. Effectively managing financial resources helps support areas that are need to build student achievement. Driving the vision requires partnership development on the school level for child and family needs even if that mean cutting ties with organizations who have failed to provide proper support.

NO accountability is what has driven us to the lack of educational support for children and schools we see now. At some point, we must evaluate what we have been doing for decades and make a shift.

Families and stakeholders must be engaged in spite of how well schools may build relationships with them. When stakeholders aren’t present, accountability lacks. Ineffective policies are a result of the lack of accountability which also creates bad practices and procedures. The core of why support staff aren’t supported is the lack of understanding of the services and programs offered. Schools need more than classroom teachers. When leaders don’t believe this, essential services are cut which harms students.

After a while it becomes a question of if it’s truly a lack of understanding or simply a lack of care.