California celebrates Classified School Employee Week (CSEW) May 20-26. We are building on the work we’ve done in years past to celebrate Classified Employees and the vital role we play in the education arena, as well as within the community. CSEA will also be kicking off some exciting new projects this year.

Enhancing the success of our television ad program from last year, we’ve created a new ad that will play the week leading up to and during CSEW. This ad will play on cable channels in TV markets throughout the state. Once again, we place our members front and center to remind voters, parents, legislators and the rest of the education community who we are and what essential services we provide for our public schools and colleges. We have an added bonus this year. Thanks to our reputation in the education community, and the respect he has for our members and our organization, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell accepted our invitation to appear in the ad. Jack is a long-time friend of CSEA and a huge advocate for classified employees. This is another example of his strong support and his willingness to communicate the value our members bring to California’s public schools and colleges.

And while we are thrilled to have reached more than 10 million Californians with our TV ads during the past two years, we wanted to reach even more people and a more captive audience. So I’m proud to announce our statewide movie theater program. Beginning May 4 and running for the entire month of May, we will be seen on more than 200 movie theater screens statewide. I encourage you to find out if there is a theater near you showing the ad and create a fun CSEW event around a movie. I’m sure you will be as proud as I am of the image we project to the public.

I’m also very excited to introduce a new program we are piloting in 10 chapters around the state this CSEW—the Appreciating Classified Employees program (ACE). Through the program, school district administrators (superintendents, district-level administrators and principals) and trustees will “job shadow” a classified school employee during Classified School Employee Week.

We are working with the chapters and school/college districts now to work out the specifics, so that both groups benefit from the program. The ACE program is an innovative way to celebrate and call attention to the contributions of classified school employees and to allow administrators to gain a greater appreciation for the work that our members perform. It’s our hope that administrators will share this experience with other superintendents, administrators and community members to help illustrate firsthand the positive and vital role classified employees play in our schools and communities. This is another way of educating others as to our vitality within the school system and community.

Be proud to be a classified school employee. You are a vital link in the education of a child; whether that is a toddler or college student, you make a difference. Be as proud as we are that you are EXTRAORDINARY WORKERS DOING ESSENTIAL WORK!!

In strength and unity,

Rob Feckner