Putting the Spotlight on Clerical Services

In the New Member Tips, we’ll highlight a different ESP classification by providing job information, statistics and professional development ideas and resources. The data and the information come from “2002 Status of NEA K-12 ESP Membership Study.” This information can be used in newsletters, flyers to the community or in a bargaining strategy.

This month the focus is on clerical services.

• NEA lists the following areas as part of clerical services:
  secretarial; clerical and administrative services; office assistants; bookkeepers; accounting and financial assistants; statistics, payroll, and general office assistants; registration and records attendants; and telephone operators.

• More than 75 percent of clerical services ESP live and vote in the school district where they work. More than one-third have children in the same school system.

• Clerical services makes up more than 17 percent of NEA ESP members. That means more than 56,000 people.

• Twenty-five percent of clerical services work with special education students.

• Over 80 percent of clerical services employees have attended professional development training in the past two years.

• Wages for 53 percent of clerical services employees are paid on an hourly basis.

• Clerical services employees look for professional development training in the following areas:
  
  Computer and software skills
  Language arts
  Records management
  Time management
  Financial recordkeeping, spreadsheets and databases
  Accounting
  Business law
  Office administration and technology
  Business communications
  School law

Updated: February 18, 2009 6:45 PM