Tuesday, March 11, 2008
MPS Safety Assistant Laura Vernon wins top national education award
Roosevelt Middle School safety assistant and paraeducator wins highest honor for education support professionals.
Laura Vernon is the National Education Association’s 2008 Education Support Professional of the Year.
NEA President Reg Weaver presented Vernon with the NEA’s highest honor for education support professionals during the March 7-8 annual ESP Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
“When you understand Laura’s accomplishments, you get a better sense of how integral ESPs are to children receiving a quality education,” Weaver said. “Her contributions to the children of Milwaukee Public Schools have benefits that extend beyond the classroom.”
Education support professionals account for about 40 percent of the educators working in public schools and 483,000 of NEA’s 3.2 million members. They include school bus drivers, food service workers, school nurses, paraeducators and safety assistants.
WEAC President Mary Bell said Vernon is one of the standard bearers for the unsung heroes who quietly build the foundation for Wisconsin’s future in the state’s public schools every day.
“Laura embodies the commitment to her profession and devotion to children that I see in public school employees throughout Milwaukee and the rest of the state,” Bell said. “Investments in great schools build strong communities, and educators like Laura invest all of themselves in their work because they know today’s public school students will impact everyone’s future.”
Vernon has been a Milwaukee Public Schools employee for 33 years. She has earned countless awards, certifications and recognitions throughout her career, and is well known for extending herself beyond the demands of the typical work day. She has solicited donations so high school students from low-income families could attend the prom. She volunteers to tutor students during the summer months to help them stay focused.
“In my professional practice, as I perform my job every day, I am there for the children,” said Vernon. “I know that I cannot have others join me if I am not actively involved in working to better our community.”