Florida’s School-Related Employee of the Year Named
April 27, 2016
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Florida’s School-Related Employee of the Year Named
~ Marion County paraprofessional named the state’s top support employee ~
Tallahassee, Fla., April 27, 2016 – Today, Abel Garcia, an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Paraprofessional at Reddick-Collier Elementary School in Marion County, was named the 2016 School-Related Employee of the Year. K-12 Public Schools Chancellor Hershel Lyons awarded Garcia with the distinguished honor at an awards breakfast in Orlando.
“Florida’s school-related employees are vital to school operations, and Mr. Garcia is a great example of the hard-working individuals who go above and beyond for our state’s students every day,” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. “I applaud Mr. Garcia for taking the time to ensure that all Reddick-Collier Elementary students, especially English Language Learners and their families, have access to the information they need to build an education foundation that will help them succeed now and in the future.”
“Mr. Garcia shares his gift with our students and staff on a daily basis,” said Marion County Public Schools Superintendent George Tomyn. “He is our bridge to better communicate with students struggling to learn the English language and with their families who normally know little English at all. His professional efforts make a huge difference on the personal level for so many people at Reddick-Collier Elementary. We know how important Mr. Garcia is in our community, and we appreciate the state of Florida recognizing his impact, too, with this award.”
According to his principal, Mr. Garcia’s dedication to students, families and school staff is unparalleled. In addition to his regular duties related to instruction, he puts in extra time after school tutoring students who need extra assistance; writes grants for resources to extend English language learning for students and families; and translates communications for parents into Spanish. He also co-sponsors the Chess Club that teaches students about chess, strategy planning and problem solving.
As the 2016 School-Related Employee of the Year, Mr. Garcia will receive a cash award of $1,000, free admission tickets to Universal Studios and Crayola Experience and a trophy.
More information about the School-Related Employee of the Year Program can be found at http://www.fldoe.org/teaching/recognition-recruitment/fl-school-related-employee-of-the-year/.
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