By Astrid Cante, President for Palmdale School District CSEA Chapter 296
Classified School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter 296 from Palmdale School District is celebrating Classified School Employee Week, from May 18th through May 24th.
The CSEA website explains what classified employees mean to students and the everyday operations of a school district as follows:
Since 1986, California has taken the third week in May to honor the invaluable contributions of classified school employees.
Classified School Employee Week began as a resolution at CSEA’s Annual Conference in 1984. Two years later, it was adopted as California Senate Bill 1552 and decreed to be an official recognition of classified school employees.
Today, CSEA members celebrate the week with picnics, barbecues and other social events. At work, many members wear CSEA shirts and other symbols of union pride.
From the time students board a school bus to the time they head home at the end of the day, every aspect of their educational experience is impacted by a classified school employee.
Classified school employees play crucial roles in education. From transporting and feeding students to teaching them vital skills and ensuring that schools are operating smoothly, classified employees are integral to public education.
California’s Legislature recognizes the important contributions of classified school employees and named the third full week of May “Classified School Employee Week” (CSEW) to honor these contributions.
Classified school employees make an impact on the lives of students. Classified School Employee Week (CSEW), celebrated every third week of May, is a time to reflect on the contributions classified employees make to education and to celebrate their contributions to California’s students.
This year’s CSEW theme is “Inspiring Generations” since classified school employees are in a unique position to mentor students and celebrate their success. CSEW was designated by the California Legislature in 1986 to recognize the essential work of clerical workers, para-educators, bus drivers, food service workers, maintenance workers and other classified school employees. The third full week in May is designated as CSEW and was signed into law on April 1, 1986.
Classified employees often take on volunteer roles as coaches, group advisors and leaders because they genuinely care about the well-being of students. They know that they can help create a better future for everyone by helping today’s students grow into tomorrow’s leaders.
Please join us in celebrating the efforts, successes, and impact of all classified school employees across the state.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The AV Times.
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