Lisa Lopez was named the California Classified School Employee of the Year in the Clerical and Administrative Services category today.
The school community advisor at César Chávez Middle School in Oceanside Unified School District is a respectful, passionate advocate for families. She tries to see the request behind every complaint, truly looking for ways to improve systems in such a way as to benefit families.
During the 2023–24 school year, Lopez partnered with the new César Chávez assistant principal to increase family engagement and trust on issues related to student support and discipline. They heard families voice concerns about the lack of communication on these topics and worked together to call every family when a student was in the office for any reason.
Lopez provides consistent, high-quality support and service and whether she is speaking to families in front of supervisors or from her office out of earshot, she treats all of them with dignity, respect, and care.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will honor Lopez as one of nine classified school employees at a luncheon in Sacramento on May 22.
