David Pickens Is MSEA’s ESP of the Year

ESP of the Year David Pickens with Helen Wilkerson, president, Secretaries and Assistants Association of Anne Arundel County (SAAAAC), and Debbie Schaefer, chair, MSEA’s ESP Organizing Committee.

“Regardless of your status, your title, or where you are on a pay scale, you indeed are priceless and vital to the development of young people.” — David Pickens, MSEA ESP of the Year

David Pickens, MSEA’s 2019 ESP of the Year, is an Anne Arundel County middle school teacher assistant and permanent substitute. He’s also a JV football coach, where he fills the role of mentor and advocate for many of his players. His skills in the classroom and on the field are called on to lead after-school programs because of his effec­tiveness in motivating and coaching students.

Pickens says attending several national NEA conferences — including the recent Racial and Social Justice Conference — inspired him to incorporate innovative techniques like restorative practices to lift up students and empower his peers. In his speech to delegates at MSEA’s 2019 Convention Pickens said:

“Our ESPs…indeed are priceless. Educational support professionals transport students to and from school, serve as teacher assistants in the classroom, secretaries in the offices, cafeteria workers, work in operations as custodians, and wherever they are needed in the building. … Regardless of your status, your title, or where you are on a pay scale, you indeed are priceless and vital to the development of young people.”

Pickens was recommended for the statewide award by MSEA’S ESP Organizing Committee and is a candidate for NEA’s ESP of the Year award.