2024 Camden County ESP of the Year shares her perspective

With Kimberly Crane

Rose Casey is the president of the Educational Assistants of Cherry Hill (EACH) and the 2024 Camden County ESP of the Year. With Cherry Hill Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kwame Morton, the district and local association are actively engaged in labor-management collaboration.

How did EACH begin the LMC journey?

The district started a year prior to EACH getting involved. When Dr. Morton became the interim superintendent, one of the first things he did was come looking for me and say,
“I want you to be a part of this.” Knowing that I represent 300 people in 19 buildings meant a lot. That’s basically how we got started. It was a year this past September that we began.

What were some of the first conversations like?

For the first few district meetings, I sat on the steering committee and observed. Working with other ESPs in the county drove home the point that ESPs are often set aside from other staff. Our concerns are often not heard. When something came up in the meeting, I would say, “Well how about the educational assistants? That affects us too.” The group didn’t realize that so many issues include us.

It started with making sure that my members’ voices were heard. Now, a year later, there is an educational assistant on every building’s LMC team.

How are the opportunities created by the LMC being taken advantage of by members?

Mike Ritzius came in to give an overview of what LMC work looks like and what to expect. Each school building is run differently, but little by little members are getting the hang of it. We held an overnighter for educational support staff, certificated staff and principals where we worked out some differences between buildings. It was a big step for our members.

Also, our school calendar was reduced to 180 days for students but EACH members work 182 days. By working it out through the LMC we now get two professional development days and won’t lose any pay.

Do you feel that there is more trust in the process now?

Yes. The main conversation at the overnight was about planning a wellness day for the last day of school. Teachers leave later in the year than educational assistants. It was suggested that we could come back and join the teachers. I said we weren’t going to do a separate day.

It was a hard conversation, but I think the members that were there now believe that they have a voice. They have a better understanding of how things are going now that they are organized.

What plans does EACH have to expand LMC work?

I’m planning to bring the members and reps at the building level together so everyone has a good understanding of the LMC process. We’d like to have Mike host another meeting to talk about trending issues. I would also like to encourage other ESPs across the state to participate in LMC work. I think it’s very important to have a network that understands what you are going through. They can reach out to me if they feel I can help in anyway.
(Casey can be reached at rosericcardo@yahoo.com.)

Kimberly Crane is an NJEA Communications Consultant and the vice president of the Highland Park Education Association. She can be reached at kcrane@njea.org. For information on the New Jersey Labor Management Collaborative, email Mike Ritzius, NJEA liaison to the New Jersey LMC, at mike@LMCparternships.org.