What If ?

Let's suppose just for a moment, what if there weren't any ESP
What would become of our schools and where would education be
If not for the dedication of each Education Support Professional
How could our schools ever survive or even function at all 

For the bus driver wouldn't be t here to pick up children along the way
The doors wouldn't be unlocked, the lights on, or the buildings heated each day
The aides wouldn't be there to help those children with a special need
Or the cooks wouldn't have a hot and tasty meal ready for all to feed

School security wouldn't be there to watch over the children with care
Each child's records wouldn't be the secretary's load to bear
The computers would crash without the technician to keep them up to date
And not for the maintenance personnel, one can only guess the school's fate

And there are many more that give so much, each in a different capacity
For to each ESP, education is far more than just another job or utility
Education is each child's future, the hope and prayers of our nation
For that future, each day, ESP give their work, love, and dedication

Dave Arnold

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School

in Southern Illinois. He can be contacted at darnoldjanitor@yahoo.com.