Employee Recognition

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  • Employee Recognition

Everyday Heroes Recognition Program

The LAUSD Everyday Heroes Recognition Program honors classified employees who demonstrate excellence in work performance, school and community involvement, and leadership and commitment to our District and students.

Anyone (parent, employee, vendor, etc.) can submit a positive story that recognizes the achievements of one of our classified employees. Click the button below to get started!

Note: Please note that the submission form only works on the LAUSD network. You must be connected to the LAUSD network or must be using a computer that is connected to the LAUSD network.

Recognize an Everyday Hero
Need help writing the submission? Try these tips.

What does it mean to recommend someone as an “Everyday Hero?”

By praising the work of an employee, you are recognizing their work and encouraging their colleagues, their superior’s, and the L.A. Unified community to take notice.

Your message of appreciation will be sent to your Everyday Hero’s supervisor. A copy will also be sent to the Everyday Hero and to you, letting you know it arrived.

Your message of appreciation may qualify the employee for the LAUSD “Outstanding Classified Employee” award. There are only seven awards handed out every year!

Any employee that qualifies for the LAUSD “Outstanding Classified Employee” award is eligible to win the one and only LAUSD “Exemplary Classified Employee of the Year” award!

In addition, your message of appreciation may qualify the employee to be recognized by the California Department of Education. As a result, they may win the “California Classified School Employee of the Year” award!

Your recommendation makes a difference.

Your recognition of an LAUSD employee rewards their competence, dedication, and service.

View Past Everyday Heroes

Frequently Asked Questions

There are numerous reasons to nominate an employee. These are but a few examples:

  • An employee comes up with a way to improve a process that results in a positive and efficient outcome
  • An employee fosters an extraordinary sense of teamwork during the development of a new program
  • An employee provides outstanding service to a parent
  • An employee personally relates to a student which results in that student attending school more regularly
  • An employee trains a colleague in a system/procedure that improves the school’s/office’s overall efficiency

An “Everyday Hero” is a permanent classified employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District who has been recognized for demonstrating excellence in work performance, school and community involvement, and/or leadership and commitment to our District and students. These are the individuals who go above the call of duty and truly represent the best of our classified service.

Any permanent classified employee may be recognized as an Everyday Hero. If a non-classified employee or certificated employee receives a recognition submission, then the recognized individual, their supervisor and the submitter will still be notified of their recognition but will not continue further in the recognition program.

Not only does research indicate that employee recognition relates to employee satisfaction, happiness, job attendance, and performance, but it is also emotionally rewarding to acknowledge others who are doing great work with a great attitude. Everyone wants to feel appreciated and letting someone know their hard work has not gone unnoticed strengthens you, the person you recognize, the community, and LAUSD as a whole.

After you have submitted your recognition message, an email containing your recognition message will be sent within one week to your Everyday Hero, his/her supervisor, and you, to let you know that it has been sent.

From there, a recognized employee may move on to the next level of the Everyday Heroes Program tier if they remain as a permanent active classified employee in good standing with LAUSD and receive an additional endorsement by their supervisor.

No, you do not need to write a masterpiece, a sonnet, or an extensive biographical piece of literature in order to recognize someone. We do, however, have some suggestions for your nominations which can be found here that can help make your good submission into GREAT.

You do, however, need to fill out and submit the online recognition form as completely and accurately as possible. Your ability to do so will help us contact supervisors, employees, and you with more ease and accuracy in regard to the recognition and possible advancement to other tiers in the Everyday Heroes Program.

Employees are chosen by an evaluation committee comprised of a diverse group of senior level staff from various divisions. Committee members review all of the recognitions that have been endorsed by their supervisors to select employees for each ceremony. In cases where the evaluation committee has selected more than one individual per category, Personnel Commission staff will make the final selection. Committee members refrain from reviewing the submissions for employees for whom they know or have a preconceived notion about, in an effort to keep the review process objective.

Within one week of a submission, an email is sent to the Everyday Hero, his/her supervisor, and the submitter notifying them that the individual has been recognized as an Everyday Hero. The email notification includes a copy of the written recognition information that was submitted in the online recognition form.

If selected as an Outstanding Classified Employee of the year, the employee will be publicly recognized at a Personnel Commission meeting, he/she will receive a certificate identifying them as Outstanding Classified Employee, and he/she will be featured on the District’s and Personnel Commission’s websites, as well as other public venues.

If selected as the Exemplary LAUSD Classified Employee of the Year, this individual will be featured on our District website, highlighted in Personnel Commission publications and website, highlighted on KLCS, recognized during Classified Employee Recognition Week at the Personnel Commission meeting, and will have the opportunity to meet with the Superintendent.

The California Classified School Employee of the Year honorees are determined by the California Department of Education.

Yes! There is no limit on how often a person may be recognized (or may submit recognitions). You can recognize as many employees as often as you would like. In regard to the other levels, an employee may not be recognized as an “Outstanding Classified Employee,” “Exemplary Classified Employee of the Year,” and “California Classified School Employee of the Year” more than once per year.

There are lots of other ways you can recognize an employee or learn how to effectively give employee recognition. There are a number of resources on our Just-in-Time Learning Resources page that provide guidance on recognition basics (search for “recognition resources”), the organizational benefits of recognition, and what recognition can really do.

Are you a supervisor that wants to recognize an outstanding employee?

As a supervisor/administrator, you can nominate an exceptional employee for the LAUSD “Exemplary Classified Employee of the Year” award and the California Department of Education’s “Classified School Employee of the Year” award.

Get started by exploring the following questions.

For LAUSD’s Exemplary Classified Employee of the Year Award process, the nominee must:

  • Be a current classified employee in active and permanent status.

 

For CA Department of Education Classified School Employees of the Year Award process, the nominee must:

  • Be a current classified employee in active and permanent status.
  • Be a rank-and-file employee, not in a management or supervisory position.
  • Have a minimum of five years in the nomination category (see below for explanation of categories).

 

NOTE: Nominees will automatically be considered for both awards, provided they meet the criteria.

Each nomination packet must be initiated by the employee’s supervisor/administrator. To nominate an employee, please submit the following forms to [email protected] no later than February 23rd:

  • Nominee Information Form (To be completed by supervisor/administrator and must be signed by the employee being nominated) NOTE: Please scan and email completed form as a PDF document.
  • Nominee Recommendation Forms (3 recommendations in total: 1 must be completed by supervisor/administrator, 2 others can be completed by colleagues, parents, teachers, etc.) NOTE: Please email forms as WORD documents.

 

Submit completed forms to [email protected] no later than February 23rd.

Use one of the following categories that apply to the employee.

  • Child Nutrition: Examples – Food Service Worker, Food Production Worker
  • Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities: Examples – Buildings and Grounds Worker, Gardener, Forklift Operator
  • Office and Technical: Examples – Office Technician, Secretary, Attorney, IT Specialist
  • Para-educator and Instructional Assistance: Examples – Special Education Assistant, Instructional Aide
  • Support Services & Security: Examples – Police Officer, Police Detective
  • Transportation: Examples – Bus Driver, Dispatcher, Mechanic
  • Supervisor/Manager (in all areas): Examples – School Administrative Assistant, Plant Manager, Food Service Manager, Principal Administrative Analyst, Regional Transportation Manager

A complete nomination packet will include the following:

Take note of the following dates.

  • Deadline to submit nomination packets: February 23rd
  • LA County Dept. of Educ. selects finalists for State process: March 20th
  • LAUSD selects Exemplary Classified Employee and notifies awardee: Early April
  • CA Dept. of Education announces the Classified School Employee of the Year awardees: April
  • LAUSD’s Exemplary Classified Employee of the Year is honored at Personnel Commission meeting: May

Do you have any questions?

Please contact us if you have any questions or need any assistance.

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