OCDE has named its top classified school employees of the year — and this year there are even more to celebrate.
The California Department of Education has reorganized its categories for 2021, increasing the total number from six to nine to be more in alignment with the new Recognizing Inspiring School Employees — or RISE — awards program at the national level.
Orange County’s winners were selected from a pool of 61 district-level honorees based on their work performance, leadership, commitment and involvement with their schools and communities. Without further ado, here they are:
Clerical and Administrative Services
Allison Goettman
School Clerk
La Habra City School District
Custodian and Maintenance Services
Miguel Laris
Senior Custodian
Westminster School District
Food and Nutrition Services
Rosemary Tamayo
Food Services Lead
Garden Grove Unified School District
Health and Student Services
Cassandra Palacios
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Los Alamitos Unified School District
Paraprofessional
Jessica Lee
Para-educator
Huntington Beach City School District
Security Services
Patricia Mendez
Activity Monitor
Santa Ana Unified School District
Skilled Trades
Adrian Prieto
HVAC Technician
Anaheim Union High School District
Technical Services
Chris Martinez
Systems Network Technician
Magnolia School District
Transportation Services
Matthew Sobelman
Bus Driver
Huntington Beach Union High School District
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The Classified School Employees of the Year program was first established back in 2008 by the state Department of Education to spotlight some of the unsung heroes of the education community, including custodians, instructional assistants, office clerks, technicians, bus drivers and other non-certificated staff members.
In Orange County, which serves about 475,000 public school students, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union annually partners with OCDE to recognize those who help ensure campuses are safe, supportive and engaging learning environments.
“Our classified staff members perform essential roles that contribute mightily to the health, safety and academic success of students,” Orange County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares said. “This past year, the global pandemic presented extraordinary challenges for public education, yet it has also highlighted the ingenuity, creativity and dedication of exemplary school employees who more than met the moment to support schools, students and families throughout our county.”
The nine Orange County Classified School Employees of the Year are set to be formally celebrated during Classified School Employee Week, which begins May 16 — and we’ll have more then too.
Each is now eligible to compete for state honors, and if they advance, they could also be nominated as national RISE recipients.