State organization honors Superintendent Frazier

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Christine Lizardi Frazier was honored (today) March 9 as California Educational Administrator of the Year by the California Association of Educational Office Professionals (CAEOP) during lunchtime ceremonies at the Marriott Bakersfield at the Convention Center. The award was announced during the 62nd Annual CAEOP Conference held this year by the statewide organization in Bakersfield.

Frazier was nominated by the Kern Association of Educational Office Professionals (KAEOP) for her more than 30 years in education. Nominators praised her efforts to “better educational opportunities for children and adults in Kern County by creating ‘u-PLAN-it’ — a web-based program covering classes high school students need to take for college admission, help finding a college, financial aid and career options.”

Still others, lauded her for caring about all employees, certificated and classified, during tough budgetary times. As a nominator put it, “Christine goes well above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to assuring employees have what they need to be successful in each employee’s vital role in their service to public education.”

Frazier’s support of Special Education programs was also highlighted with one nominator saying, “Dr. Frazier has shown a genuine interest in the well being of our children and their education and enjoys being with the students and interacting in their programs.”

It was also noted that Frazier is the first woman to be elected Superintendent in the 146 year history of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.

“I am so honored to receive this award from CAEOP / KAEOP, especially because it comes from the professionals who work tirelessly every single day throughout California to make sure children receive a quality public education,” Frazier said. “Any leader knows that they are only as good as the people they work with, and I am fortunate to work with the very best.”

CAEOP was established in 1950 and is a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing professional growth training programs for non-certificated office personnel, and encourages its members to grow professionally to better understand their role in serving public and private educational institutions. The organization also serves as a “clearinghouse for administrators and employees for ideas and methods which will result in finer and more efficient services to the schools and the community.”