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ACE
ACE Program Leads to Innovation at School Sites
By Maya Sabatino
The essence of Classified School Employee Week (CSEW) is gratitude. It is to appreciate the employees who are the foundation of our schools, to shine a light on individuals who are rarely in the spotlight, and to secure respect for classified workers who give their all to support their students. And ACE, or the Appreciating Classified Employees program, is a highlight during CSEW for this exact reason.
ACE is a unique event, where classified school employees are shadowed by district leadership for the day. Administrators can spend time in a classroom with a paraeducator, participate in a read-aloud session with a library aide, clean the school bus with the driver, pull weeds with the groundskeepers, and more.
This is an eye-opening and fulfilling event for classified staff and administrators alike. The ACE Program helps build community and realize CSEA’s core values of Empowerment, Inclusivity, Respect, Transparency, and Innovation.
Empowerment
ACE allows individuals who usually don’t work directly together to connect.
Everyone is on equal footing during the job shadow and are able to see each other as simply hard-working people. They can laugh, joke, greet students and make a connection.
“It’s really nice to have the boss working with me, seeing what I do every day and what we have to deal with every day,” said Mike Trabanino, a bus driver and member of Menlo Park 630.
“It was really nice, and I feel like I am important,” he said.
This connection is empowering to both classified staff and administrators.
“I had the privilege of participating in ACE Shadow Day,” said Stephanie Sheridan, Assistant Superintendent, Student Services, Menlo Park CSD, who shadowed Trabanino.
“This experience offered me a literal front-row seat to the dedication and care that Mike — and so many of his fellow classified colleagues — bring to their roles each and every day,” said Sheridan.
Inclusivity
Across all job shadows, district leadership gets a “front-row seat” to the inclusive ways classified staff go above and beyond. Whether it be a bilingual classroom aide who had purchased, out-of-pocket, a translation earpiece to best support and understand students in their own language; or a library aide answering every single first-grade question, no matter how silly; or the pride of a driver sweeping the school bus to ensure a clean and safe learning environment.
In shadowing, the essential deeds performed by classified staff are brought to the forefront.
Respect
At one site, the district’s chief business officer, Jackie Chen, shadowed an elementary school librarian. She explained that she primarily manages the district's finances and doesn’t often go to the school sites.
She said that shadowing the librarian was a fantastic experience. She was reminded that her daily the numbers and papers represent real people—kids laughing, libraries decorated with jungle animals, and most importantly, library aides reading “Unicorns are the Worst!”
Transparency
Again and again, administrators shared that they hadn’t realized exactly what classified employees did in their roles.
With ACE, one administrator recognized that paraeducators are more than just providing academic assistance; they are also trusted adults and role models who provide support to students. This realization was repeated tenfold for each role and classification, creating transparency and a connection between leadership and classified employees.
"This experience offered me a literal front-row seat to the dedication and care that Mike – and so many of his fellow classified colleagues – bring to their roles each and every day."
-Stephanie Sheridan, Assistant Superintendent, Menlo Park CSD
Innovation
One superintendent discovered that the district’s two gardeners rotated from school to school every day for eight hours, clearing weeds in bare strips of dirt.
The team of classified and administrators were able to candidly discuss what other landscaping would be better suited to the dirt strips and how vital their gloves were in protecting their fingertips from thistles.
“The classified staff know the answers, we just have to ask,” Kristen Gracia, Superintendent of Menlo Park CSD explained in their ACE round table and luncheon after the event.
While many staff members spent only an hour or two together, they were able to form connections and gain a deeper understanding of one another. These interactions led to innovative insights that will help strengthen the school community and better serve their students.
