Classified leaders have as much impact on learning as other educators

Executive assistants. Business officials. Transportation directors. Facilities managers. Public information officers. No other job category within ACSA is as diverse as that of classified educational leaders.

But classified leaders have as much impact on students’ lives as do teachers, principals, superintendents or any other administrator. They serve behind-the-scenes to make sure students get to school on time, have a safe and healthy environment in which to learn, and have the supplies they need to achieve.

ACSA’s 2007 Business Services Administrator of the Year Mike Berg, director of operational services at Central USD and a member of ACSA’s Classified Educational Leaders Council, said though crucial to education, these areas are often overlooked. Holding a cabinet-level position, he oversees facilities and planning, transportation, maintenance, custodial and grounds.

“We maintain a learning environment,” Berg said. “We make sure the environment students and teachers are in is conducive to learning.”

On the facilities front, Berg said there are many elements that go into the construction of a classroom. From airflow to lighting to where students hang their backpacks, each little detail makes a difference in how students learn.

“The classroom isn’t just an empty box,” Berg said. “It’s all about creating an environment.”

As for most educational leaders, working in public schools isn’t just a job. A native of the community, Berg wants to give back and make a difference.

“I feel strongly about making sure schools are as great as they can be,” he said.

Berg said involvement in professional organizations such as ACSA helps him learn more about the system in which he works. Connecting with those in other areas of education helps him do a better job.

“I want to stay engaged from an instructional view so I can plan according to their needs,” he said. “It gives me an opportunity to understand what I’m supporting.”

Nola Lionberger, public information officer for the Solano COE and ACSA’s 2006 Classified Manager of the Year, said her job is important to the success of students because she shares the good work schools are doing with the public and helps to improve morale among school employees. She produces regular newsletters and press releases and coordinates partnerships among local agencies.

“I work really hard to build relationships out in the community,” she said.

For example, Lionberger is coordinating the county’s “Operation Recognition” program, which gives high school diplomas to veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, as well as Japanese American interns. Working with the department of veterans affairs and senior center, the county office of education will hold a real graduation ceremony in May.

“This is another way I show the community I care,” she said.

Lionberger’s work has a direct impact on student performance. For example, she published an article in the newsletter about the district giving fully stocked backpacks to homeless youth. Word quickly spread, and a local company sponsored the donation of 100 more backpacks, loaded with school supplies, to further help homeless students in the county.

She said spreading the word about the good schools do is her number one priority, both within the county office and beyond.

“We can help build morale within our organization and remind people what they do makes a difference,” she said.

Lionberger says classified leaders are essential in developing how the public views their education system. For example – if a school is dirty and unkempt, it sends the signal that education isn’t important. If a receptionist at the front desk is grumpy and rude, it says the school lacks a positive environment.

“Classified employees are the grease that makes the engine run. If they don’t do their jobs well, it affects how people view public education,” she said. “If everybody feels good about what they’re doing, teachers can do a better job. We’re all champions for public education.”

Lionberger said ACSA helps unite classified staff and certificated staff, so that they can come together to do the best jobs possible.

“It’s not ‘their’ team and ‘our’ team. We’re here for the same reason – to do the best for students,” Lionberger said.

CEL Council member Doug Parr, director of transportation and operations for the Fallbrook UESD, is in charge of getting kids to and from school and field trips and ensuring a safe, secure and clean campus.

“For many students transportation is the first and last contact they have with the district,” he said. “We make it a positive impression and reassure parents their children are transported safely and efficiently.”

Having held his current position since 2004, Parr began his career as a part-time custodian while in college, encouraged by his parents, who both worked as classified employees. He worked his way up the ranks, becoming supervisor of custodial operations in San Dieguito USD in 1998 and earning a bachelor’s degree in public administration.

“My work as a Classified Educational Leader has been rewarding since the beginning,” he said.

Parr, who was named Classified Manager of the Year in Region 18 in 2000, has been an active ACSA member over the years. Not only does he serve on the state CEL Council, he is a delegate on Region 18’s Executive Committee and was chair of the CEL Institute Planning Committee in 2005.

One of the greatest draws of ACSA is the opportunity it provides for professional learning, Parr said. Not only does he regularly attend the CEL Institute, he is a graduate of both the School Business Managers Academy and Classified Educational Leaders Academy.

“ACSA is an important part of my professional life and an irreplaceable asset to the attainment of my skills,” he said.

In addition, ACSA provides essential networking opportunities, both at the region and state levels. The value of sharing best practices with colleagues cannot be understated.

“They can show me the way to get the job done. I may have the knowledge but they can help me with the application,” Parr said.

Parr said his involvement in education means much more than a paycheck; he feels proud that his is giving something back to the community.

“I’m here for altruistic means. I’m not here for profit,” he said. “I’m here for the future of children. “Little things done consistently can make a big difference.”