Appreciating school employees

One of the most positive aspects of serving as county superintendent of schools is working with and acknowledging exemplary educational employees across San Luis Obispo County. Last month, schools across California celebrated the caring and devoted individuals who serve in our schools. For many children, some of the first sparks of joy they encounter at school are from dedicated, caring, and service-minded school employees. The kind words of encouragement from a custodian, driver, assistant, teacher, or administrator can make a tremendous difference.

During my time as a student at UC San Diego, I had the opportunity to work nights as a custodian. This experience not only taught me the value of hard work and service to the community, but also instilled in me a deep appreciation for those maintaining our public agencies. Later, as I embarked on my journey in teacher education in the 1980s, my curiosities and passions led me to another classified position as a computer lab assistant in a new, cutting-edge endeavor in schools: the computer lab.

As the county superintendent, I bring invaluable experience from these roles to my daily work with educational agencies in San Luis Obispo County and throughout the state. It’s crucial to remember that school support staff are not just a part of our schools, but the backbone of our educational system. Their contributions are instrumental in the success of our students, schools, and communities.

School classified staff are often bright spots in a student’s day. I remember this as a student at Bracher Elementary School in Santa Clara, where students were allowed to assist with the lunch services and interact with the support staff that served lunch. This activity was something different that I enjoyed and looked forward to when it was my turn to work the lunch room. Support staff members can build caring, warm relationships with students different from those formed with teachers. You can read stories of these adults playing vital roles in the village surrounding and nurturing our students. That is part of why the California Center on Teaching Careers launched a campaign this year to recruit more school classified staff. The center, a statewide agency headquartered in Tulare County dedicated to tackling California’s shortage of educators, called it “Be Their Joy” — a reference to the smiles these individuals can bring daily to our kids’ faces.

While the smiles on our students’ faces are heartwarming, it’s important to recognize that our schools need more than just joy. They need to function smoothly so that our students can learn and taxpayer investments (schools) are maintained. Across the country, there are documented negative consequences of not having enough classified school staff to support our schools. San Luis Obispo County has also experienced a shortage of classroom and non-classroom employees. The national bus driver shortage, for instance, caused some schools in Kentucky to shut down. This is a pressing issue that demands our attention and action. Schools cannot function without classified staff, and our students, families, staff, and the community cannot afford schools that are not running smoothly.

The workload given to public school educators continues to swell because of the increasing demands on our public agencies. Unsurprisingly, many are burning out and leaving the classroom. When a school doesn’t have enough classified staff, that work is often distributed among the school’s teachers — adding hefty (and important) work to an already-full plate. If we want to tackle the California educator shortage, one part of the solution is to ensure every school is staffed appropriately with classified employees.

After serving in various classified staff roles, I became a classroom educator, a program specialist, a school principal, a college instructor, and a district superintendent before being elected as San Luis Obispo county superintendent of schools. I feel fortunate to have served our schools in classified and certificated positions. We should celebrate the positive power that all of our educational employees have with the most important people in our schools: our students. It is an honor to serve as your county superintendent of schools.

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