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. This year, that week is May 18–24. The theme for CSEW this year is: Inspiring Generations.
Whatever the reason that California School Employees Association (CSEA) members became classified employees, they realize they can enrich the lives of students, not only by performing their duties exceptionally well, but also by serving as friends, mentors, role models and guardians.
Classified school employees interact with students on a daily basis for years, so forming a trustworthy bond is inevitable. In most cases, classified school employees know the faces and names of the students. They inspire students, joke with them, cheer them up and give them advice.
"CSEA members never hesitate to go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that the students they serve not only receive the support they need to learn, but also to serve as positive role models and to ensure that students know they have someone they can confide in at school," Association Past President Allan Clark said.
Every classified job serves a purpose. Some provide support to students and others make sure schools are sanctuaries of education. Due to education budget cuts over the past few years, classified school employees are often required to perform multiple duties and work hard to stretch school districts' dollars.
Students in the classroom often don’t realize how many classified employees worked to create a positive learning environment free of distractions, performing a variety of behind-the-scenes tasks so that instruction can continue without interruption.
Understanding how they can make a difference in a student’s life through their work or through their personal touch is another part of what makes classified school employees an integral part of schools.
Classified school employees know helping students succeed requires more than performing their jobs exceptionally well. There has to be a human touch to how they do their jobs because students can sense when an individual genuinely cares.
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The California School Employees Association is the largest classified school employees union in the United States, representing more than 210,000 school support staff throughout California.
CSEA members perform a wide range of essential work in our public schools and community colleges, including security, food services, office and clerical work, school maintenance and operations, transportation, academic assistance and paraeducator services, library and media assistance, computer services and more.
