MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Congratulations to the newly-elected members of our Executive Board who were 

elected on May 28, 2024:  

• First Vice President – Melissa Roach 
• Second Vice President – Anitra Wise 
• Secretary – Gwen Lewandoski
• Communications – Riley Jordan
• Building Rep Coordinator B – Catherine Mercado 
• Building Rep Coordinator C – Jode Pulley 
• Parliamentarian – Liz Walle 

These new members will work with our continuing board members: 

• President,  Kari Madden
• Treasurer, Laura Robyn
• Building Rep Coordinator A, Krissy Brabham

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It takes a village.

We are not “just a …”

Before I joined the community of TPS, I worked for a national youth development organization. A career that included agency management, program development and management and training adults and youth. What kept me there for 30 years was that the programs are focused on kids’ developmental assets and not their deficits. Also, the incredible sense of community that existed in every facet of the organization. Everyone from the CEO to the program volunteers to the summer camp cooks were focused on kids and we all worked together to meet the developmental needs of our members. We worked together, we listened to each other and our focus as on the youth we served.

No one was “just a …”

Now, working for TPS, I am still looking for the developmental assets, not the deficits, in our kids and of course I am looking for that sense of community that is so important to kids and adults. I believe in the saying that it “takes a village to raise a child.” We all bring skills and knowledge to TPS, to our buildings and programs and to our kids. We need a reason to work together that is more than a high school graduation percentage or a sports player who becomes a professional player. We need a goal that every TPS staff member feels they are contributing to. No one in this district is “just a …”. Together we can help our kids become caring confident adults.

I met with Deputy Superintendent Josh Garcia this week and this is how I felt afterwards. I told him that many people in TPS feel that they are “just a para” or “just a bus monitor”. That they feel like they are not seen as an equal member of the district. I believe that most of us are working in schools for similar reasons (in addition to pay) and I believe that the district needs to believe that everyone plays a role in achieving that goal. Dr. Garcia took notes on what I said. They are watching, but are they listening?

Many thanks to the Bylaw Committee who have been working for many months on reviewing and updating our Bylaws.  The new Bylaws are posted on this website under "Important Documents."  Thanks also go to the members who attended our November 23rd Zoom meeting to discuss and vote on the Bylaws.  One major note -- we are now the TACOMA FEDERATION OF EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS.  This was a very important change, making us more inclusive to the Bus Monitors, ASL Interpreters, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants, Speech Language Pathology Assistants, Physical Therapy Assistants, Health Room Assistants, LPN's and others represented by our union, along with our paraeducators.