Award Categories
Program History and Information: The Employee
Recognition Program was established in 1985 as a way for the Board of
Trustees, the Superintendent or designee and co-workers to honor
outstanding certificated and classified employees for their service and
contributions to the district.
Not all employees who are nominated will
receive an award. The selection process for all committees
at the sites, and at overall districtwide level, is always a difficult
and arduous process as all nominated employees are truly
outstanding! Regardless of outcome, it is truly considered
an honor to be nominated by a peer, coworker or
supervisor.
There are FOUR award categories requiring nomination and selection:
An employee must have at least 10 years of service credit to be eligible to receive a Distinguished Service Award. Various criteria including long term, outstanding contributions to the district, students or profession are required to be nominated. The award may be presented only once to an employee. A special vote is required by the committee present more than a total of 4 awards each year.
Special Service Awards may be granted more than once to an employee and do not require a minimum of service years. Criteria to nominate an employee for Special Service Award includes: unusual competence, courage or performance in an emergency situation or under unusual difficulties, and/or original suggestions, developments or major improvements in methods, organization or procedures, or for work on a particular project which resulted in a substantial benefit to the District.
A highlight of the activities, is recognition of the AVUHSD Classified Employee of the Year. Employees are nominated at each site. From that group, site level committees select one employee to serve as each Site Classified Employee of the Year. A district level committee comprised of employees from various fields such as clerical, maintenance, food service, computer/technical, and paraprofessionals then selects the overall AVUHSD Classified Employee of the Year from the group of site recipients. Nominate a deserving non-teaching employee who went above and beyond this past school year!
In conjunction with Employee Recognition Activities, the AVUHSD District participates in the Teacher of the Year Program. One teacher is selected from each site as a Site Teacher of the Year. From this group, one is chosen as the overall annual AVUHSD Teacher of the Year. The AVUHSD Teacher of the Year will participate further at the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year Program. Recipients of the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year award proceed at State and National competition levels.
Service Year Awards are also given to employees. These are NOT given through a nomination, but by the amount of years worked by the individual. Awards may be presented for service years in the district for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35+ years as determined appropriate by the Employee Recognition Committee. For service year awards, a full year of service may be granted for paid status of 75% or more of a standard school year. Substitute employment is not counted as service credit. Time accrued during inactive status due to unpaid leave, resignation, lay-off or placement on a reemployment list, is recognized as a break in service and will NOT be counted as service credit for ERC. Employees must be in paid active status 75% of a standard school year in order to accrue an Employee Recognition Service Year. (Please note again, the above criteria cover service year accrual for Employee Recognition Purposes ONLY and do not represent placement used for salary, retirement, or any other official district record.)
