A veteran paraeducator in the San Lorenzo Unified School District, Julie Glenn-Juuko, has been awarded a statewide Member of the Year Award by the California School Employees Association, one of only five individuals honored by the organization for 2023.
Glenn-Juuko, who has worked for SLZUSD since 2006 and been president of its CSEA Chapter 692 for about eight years, received her award on July 25 before a crowd of thousands during the group’s 97th annual conference at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno. Each year, CSEA recognizes a handful of its 230,000 members for their commitment and dedication to students, community involvement and activism in the organization.
Fellow San Lorenzo school employees, including those who nominated her for the award, appeared in a tribute video that highlighted Glenn-Juuko’s tireless commitment to the district’s students and to the classified employees who are represented by the CSEA.
Among the CSEA’s accomplishments of the past year was joining with other district professional associations to negotiate a 20%, two-year salary increase that took full effect on July 1.
In accepting the award, Glenn-Juuko honored her late mother, Mary Glenn, who she said set an example of public service and committed leadership while serving on a fire board in Hayward and a personnel commission in San Ramon.
“I’ve had the privilege to support and interact with some of the most amazing students,” she said. “I work with fabulous, talented, caring and compassionate staff and incredible families and community. I leave at the end of a hard day’s work with joy and a full heart, knowing I have made a difference.”
She also credited the CSEA with helping to ensure that classified employees work in a “safe, fair and respectful environment” that empowers them to create the “best possible learning environment for our scholars.”
Daryl Camp, superintendent of SLZUSD, helped present the award to Glenn-Juuko, joined by school board president Kyla Sinegal.
“I can’t say thank you enough to Ms. Glenn-Juuko for advocating continuously for systems improvement,” Camp said. “She encourages us to do better by saying, ‘This is not OK.” And we can concur. We’re all striving to do better every time we come to work.”