Education support is the assistance and resources provided to individuals to foster their educational growth and success. It enables educators to offer personalized attention and address students’ learning styles and needs, resulting in better student performance.
It also helps teachers improve their pedagogical skills and content knowledge, which can result in improved teacher performance and satisfaction. In addition, it can help build strong relationships between students and educators, encouraging mutual support and collaboration.
Teachers
Teachers provide education support in a variety of ways, including offering tutoring, mentoring, and personalized instruction that caters to students’ specific learning needs. They also facilitate parent involvement and create a supportive school culture that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and open-mindedness.
Education support services are a vital part of the educational process, as they help students overcome any obstacles that may hinder their progress and encourage them to take ownership of their own learning journeys. This enables them to achieve greater success, develop important skills for lifelong learning, and build resilience to deal with setbacks.
Educators are the key to ensuring that education support workers receive the recognition and respect they deserve. They must be included in whole-child policies, given adequate wages and working conditions, and have a voice in the decision-making processes of their schools. They are the backbone of our public schools and play an essential role in student success. MSEA has a proven track record of helping ESPs win decent pay and better working conditions.
Families
Education is one of the most important aspects of human development. It enables people to grow and develop into contributing members of their communities. However, achieving educational goals is often not easy. Education support helps students overcome academic, personal, or social challenges that may hinder their learning. It can take the form of tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and educational resources.
Family involvement is key to student success. Research shows that when families are engaged, their children are more likely to thrive both socially and emotionally. In addition, their academic performance improves and graduation rates increase.
Schools can help engage families by providing opportunities to attend school events and activities, leveraging community resources, and encouraging mutual support programs. For example, schools can partner with local organizations that offer GED classes and foreign language lessons as well as community health and recreation options. They can also foster a culture of inclusion by celebrating cultural heritage and incorporating families’ “funds of knowledge” into the curriculum.
Schools
Schools are key players in education support services and can provide a wide range of education-related activities. These include facilitating student access to opportunities and resources, strengthening educational institutions and systems, and improving learning outcomes.
Some schools also offer social, health, and community support through partnerships with outside agencies, like counseling or mental health programs. These services are typically coordinated by a school counselor or social worker. Other schools offer internships, apprenticeships, or other hands-on work experiences for students to earn high school and college credit.
In addition to providing educational support services, schools can also serve as a focal point for advocacy and policymaking to ensure that learners have access to quality education. This includes establishing and monitoring policies, standards, and guidelines, as well as developing and strengthening accountability and governance. School administration can also promote and foster a culture of learning and collaboration through the use of research-based school improvement models. Schools can also collaborate with other schools, districts, and organizations to share best practices and lessons learned.
Students
Students can provide education support by being involved in their own learning and taking active steps to overcome academic, personal, or social challenges that impact their well-being and ability to learn. They can also be supported by teachers who offer tutoring, mentoring, and personalized instruction to address specific student needs.
They can also be assisted by education support professionals who provide services such as food services, health and student services, custodial and maintenance, librarians, paraeducators, and security services. These dedicated individuals are the backbone of our school systems and many live in the communities where they work.
In addition to providing critical education support, educational institutions can support students by promoting and practicing a culture of inclusion, equity, and excellence. They can also promote and implement innovative models of education support to help address the diverse and evolving needs of learners and educators alike.