Welcome to the AVUHSD Employee Recognition Program web page!  Scroll down for general information below, or you may click on a title at the top to go directly to the topic of your choice. 

NEWS AND UPDATES: May 20, 2008: Congratulations to Ms. Elizabeth Deal, Custodian II, Highland High School who was selected as the 2008 AVUHSD Classified Employee of the Year, and to Mr. Michael McCullough, Teacher from Palmdale High School, selected as the 2008 AVUHSD Teacher of the Year!

The nomination period for the various 2008 award categories is closed, but will reopen in February 2009. The AVUHSD Annual Employee Recognition Ceremony was held May 19, 2008 at Lancaster High School at 4:00 p.m. All in attendance enjoyed the ceremony. Special thanks to those who helped make the afternoon a success. Hats-off to all our colleagues and co-workers!

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.

There are FOUR award categories requiring nomination and selection. Please click on each link for further explanation of eligibility and selection criteria:  

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.  See the link above for more.

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.

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.  

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.)  

Click Here for Board Policy.

Employee Recognition suggestions and comments
to Personnel Services Department 661-948-7655
  Marilyn Johnson ext 216 or Chris Jarrettext 247.

updated 5/20/08 cj

"A Tradition of Excellence"
Help us recognize hard working staff and derserving teachers.

Press Invitation to Cover
Press Release

The nomination period will open in February 2009! Please nominate a deserving employee and be a part of our continuing "Tradition of Excellence"!

Our thoughts go out to all friends and family in active military duty!

Cancer Prevention, Education and Support...and SEE what our employees are doing to volunteer!
ACS and AVUHSD

Emergency Plans for Your Home...
Employees are familiar with fire and emergency drills at school, but are you prepared at home? 
FEMA has suggestions....

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