Nov. 14, 2024
Pinellas County Schools recognized 95 support employees at the district’s annual Certificate of Distinction celebration on Tuesday evening.
The COD program gives support employees a chance to expand their knowledge and earn bonuses. The event celebrates those employees who have committed extra hours to professional development.
“Here we are, sitting together tonight, celebrating not only our certificates, but the fact that we’ve pushed past many roadblocks to get here,” said keynote speaker Nicole Martone, who was the district’s 2022-2023 Support Employee of the Year and has earned her COD I. “We chose to not let those difficulties stop us from working toward our goals. We got up every day, put two feet on the floor and continues to learn and grow for our families, for our careers, but most importantly, for ourselves.”
There are two levels of distinction: COD I and COD II. The COD I program requires 65 hours of professional development, including program essentials, diversity essentials and electives. The COD II program requires 150 hours of professional development, including program essentials, electives and volunteer/outreach. Employees who complete Level I receive an annual bonus of $275 and those who complete Level II earn an additional $300.
Tuesday’s honorees included school-based staff, administration staff, and employees who work in maintenance, health and safety, food service, and transportation. All areas of the district were represented.
Additional speakers included School Board Member Carol Cook, Superintendent Kevin Hendrick and Director of Professional Development, Jolene Jackson.
The Certificate of Distinction program began in 1998 with a pilot group of 36 recipients. Since the program started, there have been 4,395 COD 1 and 2 recipients.
