Governors must document nominees' performance in the following areas: (A) Work performance; (B) School and community involvement; (C) Leadership and commitment; (D) Local support (from co-workers, school administrators, community members, etc., who speak to the nominee's exemplary work); (E) Enhancement of classified school employees' image in the community and schools. They will submit this information in the Nominee Submission Form provided by ED, and include signatures from the applicable school, school district, and state officials indicated. They may wish to cite testimony from letters of recommendation.

Governors are encouraged to make every effort to ensure that a diverse range of individuals, representative of the different categories of classified employees and serving distinct student populations, are considered for nomination. They are also encouraged to build upon existing state classified school employee recognition programs and to develop new ones, where they do not exist, in order to broaden recognition of classified school employees. In addition, the Department will announce the national honoree and present the individual with an award in the spring.

Contact your governor's office for information on nominations in your state.