,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #def  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #e1 #bjac    
,mrs4 ,murray 7for herself1 ,mrs4       
,boxer1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,franken1  
,ms4 ,klobuchar1 and ,mr4 ,grassley7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
direct the ,secretary of ,education to  
establish an award program recognizing  
excellence exhibited by public school   
system employees providing services to  
students in prekindergarten through     
higher education4  #a4 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the ,the     
,annual ,national ,classified ,school   
,employee of the ,year ,award ,act4  #b4
 ,findings ,congress finds the          
following3  7#a7 ,classified school     
employees provide valuable service to   
public schools in the ,united ,states4  
7#b7 ,classified school employees       
provide essential services1 such as     

transportation1 facilities maintenance  
and operations1 food service1 safety1   
and health care4  7#c7 ,classified      
school employees play a vital role in   
providing for the welfare and safety of 
students4  7#d7 ,classified school      
employees strive for excellence in all  
areas of service to the education       
community4  7#e7 ,exemplary classified  
school employees should be recognized   
for their outstanding contributions to  
quality education in the ,united        
,states4  #c4 ,definition of classified 
school employee ,in this ,act3  7#a7    
,classified school employee ,the term   
classified school employee means a      
public employee of a ,state or of any   
political subdivision of a ,state1 who  
works in any grade from prekindergarten 
through higher education in any of the  
following #i occupational specialties3  
7,a7 ,paraprofessional services4  7,b7  
,clerical and administrative services4  
7,c7 ,transportation services4  7,d7    
,food and nutrition services4  7,e7     

,custodial and maintenance services4    
7,f7 ,security services4  7,g7 ,health  
and student services4  7,h7 ,technical  
services4  7,i7 ,skilled trades4  7#b7  
,other definitions ,the terms used in   
this ,act have the meaning given the    
terms in section #iaja of the           
,elementary and ,secondary ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74    
#d4 ,recognition program established    
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      
,education shall establish a national   
recognition program to be known as the  
,national ,classified ,school ,employee 
of the ,year ,award program4 ,the       
purpose of the program shall be to      
recognize and promote the commitment and
 excellence exhibited by classified     
school employees in public schools who  
provide exemplary service to students in
 prekindergarten through higher         
education4  7b7 ,award ,prior to ,march 
#ca of each year 7beginning with the    
second calendar year that begins after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act71

 the ,national ,classified ,school      
,employee ,award program shall recommend
 to the ,secretary a classified school  
employee to receive the ,national       
,classified ,school ,employee ,award for
 the year4  7c7 ,selection process  7#a7
 ,nomination process  7,a7 ,in general  
,not later than ,november #a of each    
year 7beginning with the first calendar 
year that begins after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act71 the ,secretary 
shall solicit nominations of classified 
school employees in public schools from 
the occupational specialties described  
in section #c7a7 from the chief ,state  
school officer of each ,state4  7,b7    
,nomination submissions ,in order for   
individuals in a ,state to be eligible  
to receive recognition under this       
section1 the chief ,state school officer
 shall consider nominations submitted by
 the following3  7i7 ,local educational 
agencies4  7ii7 ,school administrators4 
7iii7 ,professional associations4  7iv7 
,labor organizations4  7v7 ,educational 

service agencies4  7vi7 ,any other group
 determined appropriate by the ,national
 ,classified ,school ,employee ,award   
program4  7#b7 ,demonstration ,each     
chief ,state school officer of a ,state 
who desires individuals in the ,state to
 receive recognition under this section 
shall submit the nominations described  
in paragraph 7#a7 to the ,secretary in  
such manner as may be required by the   
,national ,classified ,school ,employee 
,award program4 ,each such nomination   
shall contain1 at a minimum1            
demonstrations of excellence in the     
following areas3  7,a7 ,work            
performance4  7,b7 ,school and community
 involvement4  7,c7 ,leadership and     
commitment4  7,d7 ,local support4  7,e7 
,enhancement of classified school       
employees' image in the community and   
schools4  7,f7 ,any other area of       
superior performance1 such as health and
 safety promotion or efficient use of   
energy or other resources4  7#c7        
,selection ,the ,national ,classified   

,school ,employee ,award program shall  
develop uniform national guidelines for 
evaluating nominations submitted under  
paragraph 7#b7 in order to select the   
most deserving nominees based on the    
demonstrations made in the areas        
described in such paragraph4