State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell has confirmed he will appear at ACSA’s 2008 Classified Educational Leaders Institute, Sept. 25-26 in Ontario.
O’Connell is a staunch supporter of CELs. He made that perfectly clear with the advent this year of the state’s Classified School Employees of the Year Program, which ACSA helped design.
At a news conference in May, O’Connell emphasized his commitment to CELs, stating, “Classified school employees play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of any successful school system.” He has acknowledged the burden being placed on them by proposed cuts to education.
ACSA’s CEL Institute – this year themed “Everyday Heroes” will offer an excellent variety of trainings to help all classified and certificated employees in such areas as customer service, positive approach, updating skills in technology, understanding budget conditions that affect the state’s education system and how to explain it to the general public, classified and certificated employees working as partners, understanding the work ethic of the younger generations in today’s workforce, managing time in a busy office, emergency preparedness, stress management, and reshaping skills to meet the demands of a new era in education.
“It is important to have classified personnel trained on a regular basis because there are constant changes in the educational field and updates to staff are vital to make sure we follow the law,” said ACSA CEL Council President Grace Mittleman, assistant superintendent in the Instructional Services Division at Montebello Unified School District.
Whether understanding laws affecting how schools do business, funding guidelines for certain programs, personnel requirements or facility regulations, the institute provides expert information that helps classified workers better assist their immediate supervisors or their sites and offices in making sure things are done according to updated information.
“Classified positions are usually the detail persons who implement the administrator’s vision,” Mittleman said. “What better way to assist the administrator if classified personnel understands the vision and the laws that support it.
“I would suggest to administrators and supervisors that they select and encourage their top staff to attend the CEL Institute and come back and share what they have learned with their co-workers,” Mittleman said. “We want employees to work smarter, not harder.”
ACSA’s CEL Institute will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel, next to the Ontario Airport. ACSA members pay $275; for teams of three or more with one ACSA member, the first registrant pays $275 and subsequent attendees pay $260 each. Team registrations must be submitted together.
For more information on the 2008 CEL Institute, contact Lori Allred in ACSA’s Executive Department at lallred@acsa.org, (916) 444-3216 or (800) 608-ACSA.