2025 Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee Award Process

Nominating a candidate for the Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee award begins with each school's awards liaison, who provides information about the nomination process and deadlines. 

Who Is Eligible

Any FCPS employee or community member can nominate a school-based operational employee for this award, but employees may not nominate themselves. The employee being nominated must be aware of and in agreement with the nomination. Eligible employees must currently work as a Schedule-A, Schedule-H, or Classroom Instructional Support (CIS) employee who has completed at least one contracted year of employment working with FCPS in their current position at their current work location, or an hourly employee who has been working regularly in one position for more than one year. 

Award Criteria 

Nominees are school-based operational employees who:

• Provide a unique and exceptional contribution to FCPS through their work.
• Demonstrate commitment and leadership in their field.
• Foster cooperative relationships with colleagues and/or the community. 
• Foster an environment where diversity in all of its forms is valued and appreciated and demonstrate keeping equity at the center of their work.

Who Can Nominate

• Any FCPS employee or community member can nominate an operational employee for an Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee award. 
• All nominations must be submitted through their school's awards liaison.
• Employees may not nominate themselves.

How To Nominate

• Once you have decided you would like to nominate an employee, please contact the awards liaison in your department for information about the nomination process and deadlines. 

The Selection Process

• All schools will conduct a local nomination process to determine their Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee. The Outstanding School-Based Operational Employees from every school then go on to the pyramid level where a Pyramid Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee is selected and put forward to the Region level.  The Region winners will be the finalists for the overall Fairfax County Public Schools Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee.

Awards and Recognition

• All school-level honorees will be recognized. The annual FCPS Outstanding School-Based Operational Employee will be announced at the FCPS Honors event and will receive $4000. In recognition of collaborative teamwork, the FCPS award winners and their colleagues will also receive a celebration at their worksite.

Questions?

• Please contact the school's awards liaison.