Duval County School-Related Employee of
the Year
Finalist for State Title
JACKSONVILLE – Wilma Castaņeda, the media school office assistant at
Abess Park Elementary who was named Duval County’s 2009 School-Related
Employee of the Year, has been selected as a finalist for the Florida
School-Related Employee of the Year.
The Florida School-Related Employee of the Year program recognizes
outstanding education support personnel for their contributions to their
schools and communities. The program honors one state representative and
four finalists who have demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in the
performance of their jobs, thereby earning them the respect and admiration
of students, teachers, administrators, coworkers and parents.
“Mrs. Castaņeda never hesitates to go above and beyond the call of duty at
our school by taking on additional responsibilities,” said Principal
Caroline Wells. “Her colleagues often use phrases such as ‘team player,’
‘works countless extra hours,’ ‘always has a positive attitude’ and ‘is here
for all’ to describe her.”
Castaņeda and the other finalists will be recognized, and the Florida
School-Related Employee of the Year will be announced, at the upcoming State
Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 19 in Tampa.
Castaņeda has been an employee of Duval County Public Schools for 12 years.
In addition to her daily responsibilities as the school’s media office
assistant, she teaches lessons to students and assists other teachers with
their lessons, serves on several committees, trains volunteers on how to
locate materials in the media center and frequently attends after-school
events.
The Florida School-Related Employee of the Year program is administered
through the Florida Department of Education. The Florida School-Related
Employee of the Year receives an award check of $1,000 from the Department
of Education. Each regional finalist receives an award check of $500, and
each district nominee receives $200.
Duval County Public Schools operates more than 160 schools and serves
approximately 123,000 students. The school district is committed to
providing high quality educational opportunities that will inspire all
students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a
global economy, and culturally diverse world.
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