By Kathryn Coulibaly
Building community, one student and one member at a time
For Trina Jenkins, a paraprofessional at Pleasantville’s North Main St. School and the 2023 NJEA Educational Support Professional (ESP) of the Year and 2023 Atlantic County ESP of the Year, community is the key.
“The schools are at the center of everything,” Jenkins said. “Students, schools and the community cannot survive independently from one another. Together, they not only survive, but excel.”
Jenkins is originally from West Philadelphia and is a proud Class of 1985 graduate of Overbrook High School, but she has made Pleasantville the focus of her efforts since 2000 when she answered an ad in the newspaper announcing that AmeriCorps was looking for service volunteers to work in the schools. The following year, she was hired full-time by the district as a one-on-one paraprofessional in an inclusion classroom.
When her husband, Bernes, suffered a medical crisis, Jenkins reluctantly left the district to be closer to family who could help provide support. Her husband passed away in 2004 at the age of 36, leaving Jenkins a widow with two children to raise. She quickly found her way back to the classroom and the Pleasantville community.
“I wish I would have known about the union when my husband got sick,” Jenkins said. “I didn’t think I’d ever come back to education, so I withdrew the pension. In hindsight, I wish I had known the financial ramifications of that decision.”
An advocate for herself and others
Back in Pleasantville, Jenkins soon found herself the target of an administrator.
“This administrator wanted to get me fired, but what it actually did was ignite my fuel to advocate for myself and others,” Jenkins said. “I was inspired to use my voice to stand up for myself, and to confront anyone who tried to attack my character or bully me. Initially, I wanted to pursue a legal case because I felt that the administrator was defaming my character, but ultimately, I decided to use my gift—my voice—to advocate for myself. I was given the opportunity to represent myself at the board’s executive session, and I won! Through that experience, I received the courage and opportunity to advocate for others.”
Throughout this experience, Jenkins saw the value of her union membership. She acknowledged that the threat she faced was greater than what she could have taken on by herself.
“My association had my back, and it was then that I learned how important it is to have a union. I also wanted to make sure that what happened to me never happened to anyone else. To do that, I knew I had to become an active, involved member of my union.”
Jenkins threw herself into advocacy, attending every NJEA conference she could to enhance her skills. She also recognized the role that parent and community support played in her successful efforts to thwart the administrator and keep her job. She became an association representative (AR) and served on Pleasantville’s grievance committee, eventually becoming the chair. In addition, she took on the role of coordinating Pleasantville’s Pride and Families and Schools Together Work for Children (FAST) programs. Pride and FAST are two important community outreach programs funded by NJEA and administered by local associations in ways that best meet each individual community’s needs.
Respect for ESPs
As Jenkins’s confidence in her advocacy increased, she worked to ensure that other ESPs felt respected and that the community understood the critical role ESPs play in schools.
“Educational support professionals are an integral part of the whole school family,” Jenkins said. “As the saying goes, ‘you can’t spell rESPect without ESP.’ ESPs are the most unsung heroes. Many of us have diplomas, GEDs, associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. No, we may not be ‘certified,’ but we are educated, and we are educators. Never discredit or underestimate an ESP. They are the spine that holds the body of education together. Just as a body can’t stand without a spine, neither can a school stand without ESPs.”
Jenkins is very proud to be part of ESPAN, the Educational Support Professionals Action Network, a member-to-member affinity group within NJEA that advocates for ESPs while involving the community and promoting the work they do to the community.
In 2021, Jenkins revitalized the Atlantic County Council of Education Association’s ESP Committee. Jenkins organized a County ESP Appreciation Celebration to recognize all of the great things that ESPs do for their students. The first event was held at the county office, but in the second year, it grew to a local winery, and Jenkins promises that next year will be even bigger!
“After each event, the word spreads about the networking, great engagement, and dancing!” Jenkins said.
An MOC leader and influencer
Jenkins also is very proud to be an influencer and leader in the NJEA Members of Color (MOC) movement, and to bring more awareness to the Members of Color affinity group in South Jersey.
“Every event is like a family reunion—even with members I’ve never met,” Jenkins said.
Not just a career—a calling
In every part of her life, Jenkins is working to create community, but especially in the classroom with her students.
Jenkins’ classroom in North Main St. School is shared with her fellow educators and nine adorable, energetic, and funny kindergarten through second graders. There are bright walls, soothing lighting, abundant artwork, and singing and dancing throughout the day. But you have to have a lot of creativity, patience, and stamina to keep up with these students. Fortunately, Jenkins has these in abundance.
“My work with special needs students is not just a career, but a calling,” Jenkins said. “Our children deserve a learning environment that is supportive, inclusive and consistent. Students thrive in that atmosphere. They are comfortable building a trusting relationship with the adults in their school lives; something they may not have in their home lives.
“The parents rely on us, too, and it is extremely important for paraprofessionals to communicate and build relationships with parents. It’s imperative to the well-being of the students; it’s part of the whole-child experience. We’re not there to overstep the teacher’s role, but for the parents to understand that every adult in their child’s classroom cares and assists their child. Often, the paraprofessional spends the most time with the students and knows them the best. We are with them getting on and off the bus, at specials, recess and during meals.”
Jenkins’ professional experience benefits her as the grandmother of three boys, including twin grandsons who are autistic.
“With my experience in education, I knew all along that they were on the spectrum,” Jenkins said. “I have been like a magnet to autism workshops over the years, and I’ve always had a special place in my heart for autistic students, but it wasn’t until my grand-twins were born that I truly understood my calling: I am a child advocate first—no matter what.”
Serving the community
Jenkins sees the whole child and highly values the impact educators have on the students, families and communities they serve. During the pandemic, Jenkins jumped in to help with food preparation and delivery for students.
“When the pandemic began, I knew we were going to struggle as a community in making sure our students were fed and healthy,” Jenkins said. “Right away, I began working with our members in the cafeteria, and we made sure our students were given nutritious food, even at their homes, in some cases. No one asked me to help in this way, but I had to support my colleagues since they were short-staffed. It was very rewarding to pack and deliver meals. I got to see the need firsthand, but I also got to see the sparkle in students’ eyes, and the gratitude from the families. Food is known to bring people together, and in this case, it really strengthened our community.”
Jenkins’s advocacy and engagement are unmatched, and the list of her achievements and responsibilities is almost endless. She is very engaged with get-out-the-vote efforts in her community, writing postcards and phone banking, and traveling as far as Cape May to assist other members’ organizing efforts.
As the PEA’s vice president of support staff, she is a fierce advocate for members, and she encourages ESPs in her local and county to attend trainings and workshops offered by the local, county and state. She is an elected Atlantic County Delegate to the NJEA Delegate Assembly and has served as a delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly (RA), serving as the Atlantic County Coordinator for the NEA RA in Chicago.
In 2022, Gov. Murphy appointed Jenkins to serve on the Task Force on Public School Staff Shortages.
A creative streak
With such a busy schedule, Jenkins still finds time to be creative. She is a makeup artist who loves to create. She has done Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Maleficent, Elmo, and other looks based on children’s books such as Harold and the Purple Crayon.
“I love art, and I find doing makeup to be very relaxing,” Jenkins said. “It’s almost like adult coloring. I have tons of makeup. I particularly love a brand called The Crayon Case, a school supplies-themed makeup line.”
Jenkins is proud to have been named the 2023 NJEA ESP of the Year and Atlantic County ESP of the Year and knows that her children, Jasmine and Jamill; grandchildren, Tyzhiem, Justice and Jayden are proud of her, but she is sure her departed husband is also celebrating with her.
“At the age of 36, I became a widow,” Jenkins said. “My late husband was my best friend and greatest cheerleader in anything I did. When it was announced that I was the 2023 NJEA ESP of the Year, I looked to heaven and envisioned his priceless smile and nod of approval. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked to see his image of approval or reassurance, ‘you can do it!’”
As the 2023 NJEA ESP of the Year, Jenkins has already been nominated for the NEA ESP of the Year award. She will attend the NEA ESP Conference and is entitled to a Disney vacation, funded by NJEA. Jenkins also will receive an ESP of the Year ring, she will be a featured speaker at the NJEA ESP Conference, and she will be honored at the 2023 NJEA Convention.
Kathryn Coulibaly is the associate editor of the NJEA Review and provides content and support to njea.org. She can be reached at kcoulibaly@njea.org.