Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

2020 Classified School Employees of the Year Program

I would like to invite each county office of education (COE) to participate in the 2020 Classified School Employees of the Year (CSEY) Program, which is presented by the California Department of Education (CDE), the California School Employees Association, and California Casualty. The CSEY Program highlights contributions of classified school employees who support the education of California’s public school students from preschool through grade twelve.

The program goals are to identify and honor six exemplary classified school employees throughout California for the CSEY award in the following categories: Child Nutrition; Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities; Office and Technical; Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance; Support Services and Security; and Transportation.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for the 2020 CSEY Program is limited to candidates who meet the following criteria:

• Current classified employee of a California public school (preschool through grade twelve), including charter schools, district offices, and COEs;
• Named a finalist in their local county competition;
• Rank and file employee, not in a management or supervisory position; and
• Minimum of five years of service in nomination category, with no minimum full-time equivalent.

County Selection Process

Each COE is encouraged to submit at least one candidate in each of the six categories for consideration by the CDE selection committee. COEs identify their nominees through a local selection process determined by each COE. The CDE encourages COEs to collaborate with employee organizations and school districts in the local selection process. The CDE encourages participation in the CSEY Program by all counties.

Nominations for the CSEY Program can ONLY be submitted by a COE. Nominations will not be accepted directly from schools, school districts, or other organizational entities. Nomination forms must be emailed to awards@cde.ca.gov with the subject line: “(Your County Name) CSEY application” by Friday, March 27, 2020. Information and application forms are available on the CDE Classified School Employee of the Year web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cl.

Statewide Selection Process

The CDE will convene a selection committee to evaluate the nominations, and I will announce the recipients of the CSEY Awards in April. There will be one awardee in each of the six categories. The awardees will be honored at a luncheon in Sacramento.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact the Awards Team at 916-319-0842 or by email at awards@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

TT:rc
2020-00841

cc:       County Coordinators