KEA’s Helen Cottongim Named NEA’s ESP of the Year
3/18/2010
Helen Cottongim, the Boone County school bus driver and long-time leader KEA leader and activist has been named NEA’s 2010 ESP of the Year.
KEA President Sharron Oxendine said, “Helen has created a positive image for our members by encouraging them to be proud of their jobs and of the work they do. She never lets anyone get by with saying, ‘I’m only a bus driver’ or ‘I'm only a custodian.’ Helen has done as much as anyone to help legislators, education leaders and even our members understand that public schools could not operate properly without school employees working together as school ‘families’ with respect for one another.”
When she drove her first Boone County school bus in1972, she said, “I told myself, ‘I’m going to take this job as far as I can.’” Thirty-eight years later, she still drives a bus—transporting special-needs students to and from school and to special events—but her duties now include mentoring new drivers and conducting training for other drivers as part of their required annual eight hours of professional development.
In the 36 years between then and now, Cottongim has conducted and participated in so many professional development workshops that she has been named a consultant for the Kentucky Center for School Safety.
In addition to her training for other drivers, Cottongim also has developed and conducted workshops for NEA on leadership development for ESP members.
“Helen Cottongim is a shining example of the ESPs who work tirelessly to make great public schools for every student,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “Education support professionals are the glue who hold our public schools together. Without them, education in America’s public schools would come to a screeching halt. The school doors would be closed and a student’s options in life would be drastically limited.”
Cottongim is known for her compassion and commitment to the students—most of whom have special needs—often buying hats and gloves for those who rode her school bus in the winter. As a result, she has left a profound effect on many of the students she has transported over her 36-year career.
“Helen is always the first to lend a hand to those in need—supporting food drives and homeless shelters among others,” Oxendine said.
As a leader, Cottongim is acutely aware and concerned about the budget cuts hampering school districts nationwide and their impact on students and families in the affected communities. For instance, conference host Las Vegas lost a staggering 550 ESP jobs when budget cuts hit in the fall. But the situation is not unique to Las Vegas. In city after city, and district after district, ESP jobs have been cut and hours reduced. Elsewhere, privatization threatens ESP jobs while threatening to force even more cuts and squeeze out vital services for students.
“Many of us would like to be retiring, but the economy just gets worse, making it harder for our members to get by,” said Cottongim. “These are the reasons that I continue to advocate for our issues.”