Snowline Employee of the Year Program

Snowline Joint Unified School District, in partnership with Snowline Teachers Association and California School Employees Association Chapter 278, are excited to announce their participation in the county- and state-recommended employee-of-the-year programs.

There are two separate employee of the year categories: School Employee of the Year (non-teachers, typically classified staff) and Teacher of the Year.

School Employee of the Year (Non-Teacher/Classified Employees)

Nominations closed 1/31. Winners will be announced 2/21.

Ceremony
Department winners will be honored at the first annual Snowline Employee of the Year Awards Ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 in the Serrano Performing Arts Center. More details on this ceremony will be provided to winners.

Recognition Timeline
January 8- 31, 2024 - Application window open
February 5-9, 2024 - Department/peer voting (online)
February 14, 2024- Winners announced, invited to awards ceremony
February 29, 2024- Winners wishing to move on to the county race, application due
May 14, 2024- Combined awards ceremony with classified staff

Teacher of the Year

Nominations

There are two nomination categories: elementary (Pre-K through 5) and secondary (grades 6-12). A site winner will be selected from each school who will advance to the district-level competition.

In order for nominees to be considered for 2024 School Employee of the Year, a form must be completed for each candidate. Online application recommended. Nominations must be for an individual in the category. Group/department nominations will not be considered.

Who Can Nominate
Nominee Recommendation Forms can be from the superintendent, a school or district administrator, supervisor, colleague, student, parent, employee organization officer, or civic leader.

Candidate Eligibility
1. Current, fully-credentialed Snowline Joint Unified School District teacher.
2. Have completed eight years of teaching at the time of the application submitted.
3. Employed full-time, or as long-term substitute.
4. Applicants may be assigned some administrative duties if teaching is the primary responsibility.
5. Have demonstrated leadership and innovation in and outside of the classroom walls that embodies lifelong learning.
6. In good standing with the district regarding all disciplinary measures
7. Has not won this award within the last four years.

Nomination Forms
The online form can be found here. Hard copies are available by download here.

No additional attachments will be accepted. Only information included on the nominee form will be evaluated by the selection Committee.

Nominee Information Form
The one-page Nominee Information form collects the candidate’s classified staff category, nominee’s contact information, and supervisor’s contact information. This form must be turned in with the Nomination Recommendation Form and must be for an individual, not a group or department.

Nominee Recommendation Form
The essence of the nomination is the Nominee Recommendation Form that should document the qualities and performance that make the nominee an exemplary candidate for Teacher of the Year. This recommendation should demonstrate how the nominee exceeds the basic requirements of their job.

The content of the Nominee Recommendation should focus on the nominee’s work performance, school community involvement, leadership, and commitment. Each nominee recommendation is limited to one page.

Nomination Deadline
Nominations must be received electronically or physically to the Health & Wellness Team (District Office, Student Intervention & Attendance Office) by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 1, 2024. The forms may be mailed to the SIA Office through district mail, or scanned and emailed to Katie Bodell or Mike Baernstein with the subject: 2024 Teacher of the Year Nomination. You can also submit all of the information via Google Forms (available 3/1).

Recognition Timeline
February 14-21, 2024 - Application window open
February 26-March 1, 2024 - Site/peer voting (online)
March 4, 2024- Winners announced, invited to awards ceremony
March 4-6, 2024- Voting committees vote for finalists of the year (elementary & secondary teacher of the year, who will move on to the county race; additional application required)
May 14, 2024- Combined awards ceremony with classified staff

Frequently Asked Questions

Nominations:

Can I nominate myself? Yes, anyone (staff members, community members, administration, board members, yourself, etc...) can nominate a staff member. You don't have to be in their department.

What category do I select for a classified employee? Refer to this sheet to help you select the employee's category. If you are stuck, feel free to email or call, see contact information below.

What if I nominate someone who is not eligible? All nominees will be verified for the correct years of employment, standing (confirmation with manager/administrator), position, category, and any other criteria. Ineligible nominees will not be considered.

What happens if I missed the due date? Unfortunately, all applications received after the deadline (January 31 for classified, April 1 for teachers) will not be considered.

Can I nominate my boss? No, at this time, management staff (excluding social workers) cannot be nominated.

Nomination Form:

What information is needed for the nomination form? General contact information is needed including your nominee name, work site, and supervisor's name. If you don't know these, please contact us (contact information below). You will also answer four questions about your nominee's work performance, community/school involvement, leadership and commitment, and ways they go above and beyond in their work.

Can I submit the form online? Yes, we encourage online applications. Submit the classified application here. Teacher applications will be available 3/1/24.

Can I submit a paper copy of the form? Yes. You can print and fill out the forms (Classified form, Teacher form (coming 3/1)) and send them to the SIA Office at Snowline Joint Unified School District.

What if I lose connection while filling out the application? Unless you receive a confirmation message, we will not receive your application. Please continue or restart the application until you reach the confirmation page.

Voting:

Who votes for the winners? For Non-Teachers/Classified Employees, only active employees in that job category can vote for their peers (for example, clerical workers will only vote for the clerical winner, skilled trade workers will only vote for the skilled trade winner.) All employees will receive a voting link to vote for their department winner. These department winners will advance to the county level.

For Teacher of the Year, only active employees at a school site can vote for their peers (for example, only Baldy Mesa staff can vote for the Baldy Mesa teacher of the year). After a school teacher of the year is voted on by peers, all teachers of the year will compete against each other to be named Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year. These winners will be recommended to advance to the county level. For this narrowed competition, a panel will be selected (including administration, STA rep, CSEA rep, community member, etc...) who will vote on candidates blindly.

How do I get on the select voting panel for Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year? We are actively pursuing members of this panel. If you are interested, please email Katie Bodell or Mike Baernstein.

Do principals/admin have a say in the voting? Yes. All nominees must be approved by their principals/managers to be sure they are in good standing with the district.

Winners:

How many winners are there? For the Classified/Non-Teacher portion, there will be nine winners, one from each job category. All nine winners will have the opportunity to advance to the county round. For the Teacher of the Year, there will be a winner per school site. A panel will narrow down the site teacher of the year winners to two nominees that will move on to the county round; only one secondary teacher and one elementary teacher will advance to the county round.