The Ponca City Public School District has been celebrating Education Support Professionals this week November 16-20, 2020. Superintendent Shelley Arrott explained, “The week of November 16 is American Education Week. This week presents everyone the opportunity to celebrate public education and honor all individuals who are making a difference to ensure every student receives a quality education. National Support Professionals are honored within this week. It takes everyone from transportation, custodians, maintenance, crossing guards, child nutrition workers, teacher assistants, paraprofessionals, computer technicians, administrative support, secretaries and more to support our students. PCPS currently has 343 Educational Support Employees and the District has been honoring these individuals all week. Sites held special activities aligned with COVID protocols to honor these men and women who support not only our students, but our staff. Without the dedication of these employees it would be impossible for our district to function on a daily basis. These support professionals are an integral part of our school system and play a huge role in keeping our schools running smoothly and impacting the lives of our students. We could not make it without our Educational Support Professionals!”

Zach Murray, President of the Ponca City Association of Classroom Teachers, emailed the following message to all staff, “Wednesday of this week is National Education Support Professional Day. Thank you to all the ESPs in our school district. You make sure students get fed, get where they need to be on time, relay messages, keep our classrooms and buildings clean, work with our students, and in general keep our schools functioning. You are often the unsung heroes of education. Thank you for all you do for our students.

Education Support Professionals Day was first celebrated in 1987, and the NEA designated this day as a time to strengthen support and respect for these colleagues. Over 25,000 support employees are working nation-wide as the helping hands in education.