STATE NEWS
Classified School Employees of the Year Award
CSEA members honored as Classified School Employees of the Year
by David Ngo
The 2020-2021 school year was an uphill battle but for members of the California School Employees Association, it was a mountain worth climbing.
In May, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond wrapped up Classified School Employee Week by recognizing the contributions of classified school staff with awards in nine different job classifications:
- Clerical and Administrative Services
- Custodial Services
- Food and Nutrition Services
- Health and Student Services
- Paraprofessional Services
- Security Services
- Skilled Trades Services
- Technical Services
- Transportation
“The pandemic has made this an incredibly difficult year for students and families; meeting students’ basic needs as well as their social and emotional needs is more important than ever,” said Thurmond in a recent press release. “Our outstanding classified employees have made heroic efforts to step up and support California’s students so they can continue to learn.”
As schools first adjusted to distance learning, classified school staff were asked to take on new and additional duties.
“Our outstanding classified employees have made heroic efforts to step up and support California’s students so they can continue to learn.”
Bus drivers became custodians. Library assistants emerged as IT support. There were office secretaries, like Natalie Hung, who became logistical tacticians overnight.
Natalie Hung, winner of the Clerical and Administrative Services category, is an office secretary at Castro Valley Elementary School. During the pandemic, Hung organized the distribution of hundreds of Chromebooks and portable Wi-Fi devices and coordinated after- hours material pickups.
Natalie Hung
“The secretary role has changed tremendously but just this year alone, secretaries are doing even more,” said Hung, an elementary school secretary from Castro Valley Chapter 52.
“We are acting as health assistants,” Hung explained. “We were constantly researching what PPE to get, what signs were needed, where they needed to be placed. Little things you don’t even think of.”
She was one of five CSEA members who won Classified School Employee of the Year (CSEY) awards.
“Natalie was the person who coordinated all the moving parts,” said Affie Sklut, principal of Castro Valley Elementary, where Hung works. “I was thrilled the award panel recognized how amazing she is.”
Paraprofessional Services winner Aven Callahan, smiling during a summer school story time session at S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School. Callahan doubles as a library assistant and grant writer who has successfully secured four grants for her school library.
Aven Callahan
While many classified employees take a well-deserved vacation this summer, a majority of these award-winning CSEA members are still working.
“I’ve always known classified employees were valuable,” said Aven Callahan, school library assistant from Alvod Chapter 339.
“But the amount of love and creativity that came out of our district’s classified employees (during the pandemic) was nothing short of amazing."
Classified school staff like Callahan perform an abundance of supplementary education that enhances their school communities.
Data from the California Department of Education shows that classified school employees make up a significant percentage of school staff, but are often left out of public education’s spotlight.
Tony Williams, aka the “Bus-todian”, is pictured mowing the lawns of Igo Ono Elementary school in Shasta County. Winner of the Transportation category, Williams is a jack-of-all-trades, transporting students, servicing buses, and maintaining facilities.
Tony Williams
“There was definitely extra cleaning involved to get ready for the school year,” said Tony Williams of Igo Ono Chapter 886 and winner of the Transportation category. His colleagues describe him with the nickname: the “Bus-todian.”
“Additionally, I created new bus routes as needed and I implemented multiple new student safety protocols during the pandemic,” Williams added. “It's been an honor and privilege to represent my fellow members.”
In recent years, the CSEY award winners have been entered into a national competition that features classified school staff from across the country.
Though the pandemic has impacted the possibility of these award-winning members being showcased at the national level, those closest to them stress the importance they play in their local school communities. “Igo Ono is a very small school with a total of only about 45 students,” said Kim Miller, Principal of Igo-Ono Elementary, where Williams works near Redding, Calif.
“Tony is very deserving of the award, and I knew it would mean a lot to him and to his family. I just never thought someone from our tiny rural district would win.”
The following CSEA members were also named
Classified School Employees of the Year:
- Food and Nutrition Services: Rhima Blenkhorn of Twin Rivers Unified Chapter 1717, Café Team Lead l, Orchard Elementary School and Twin Rivers Unified School District, Sacramento County, 13 years of service
- Security Services: Patricia Mendez of Santa Ana Chapter 41, Activity Monitor, Manuel Esqueda Elementary School, Orange County, 10 years of service
- Technical Services: Chris Martinez of Magnolia Chapter 195, Systems Network Tech II, Magnolia School District, Orange County, 13 years of service
Other winners include:
- Custodial Services: Dan Luu, Lead Custodian, John Baldwin Elementary School, Contra Costa County, 15 years of service
- Health and Student Services: Pamela Wampler, Licensed Vocational Nurse, San Joaquin County Office of Education, 20 years or service
- Skilled Trades Services: Adrian Prieto, HVAC Technician, Anaheim Union High School District, Orange County, 24 years of service