OPINION: Custodians are Anchorage schools’ unsung heroes

Back-to-school means back to clean and safe classrooms. Our custodians are the unsung heroes who make this possible.

If one good thing came out of the COVID-19 days that we are all glad to put behind us, it was the spotlight shone on the work that is done every day to support our communities by the dedicated custodial staff upon whom we readily rely and rarely notice.

Our schools are in the news every day. We hear about teachers, funding, class sizes, facilities maintenance, curriculum, library books, story time and students. Let’s not forget our custodians.

The COVID crisis required speedy adjustments to sanitization protocols and compliance just to keep the doors open for our children. These workers stepped up fast to learn new techniques, teach each other, and get the job done, even with a reduced workforce. Many of these folks are working more than one job and covering shifts at multiple facilities just to keep up with the workload.

In addition to continuously staying up to date with cleaning and sanitization techniques, our custodians supplement the work of our teachers, coaches and administrators. The Oxford Dictionary defines a custodian as “a person who has responsibility for or looks after something.”

Our custodians look after our classrooms and facilities. They also look after our students. Always in the background, these are the people who notice students who may be struggling, those who are being bullied, and those who may need extra support. They notice things that happen outside of the classroom in the hallways and on the playgrounds. Sometimes they are the only ones who do. They wear the hats of safety, security, counselor, therapist, role model, and encourager when certain kids will only respond to them.

Never underestimate who is working in your school. Many of our custodial staff have earned degrees and professional certifications from other countries that simply aren’t recognized in the U.S. They are army doctors, counselors, therapists, engineers, college-level instructors, teachers, principals, and more.

It is a privilege to represent these workers because I see every day how hard they work and how they all pull together to support their mission.

Custodial legend Dennis Schell retired with 50 years of service to our schools and students taking only one day off — to go to his own high school graduation.

Around 80% of our custodial jobs are filled by direct recruitment from existing workers. That’s another supplement to the school administration.

And there’s a lot of loyalty here. These workers assume leadership and train the next wave. Pha Xiong and Joshua Smith moved from working as a building plant operator and operations to supervisory positions. Crew chiefs like Jaybe Delara and Xeng Her moved to crew chief and then supervisor. Xeng’s family is also using family benefits and union member scholarships to go to college.

Custodians deserve our appreciation every day. For those who haven’t thought about this in a while, this week you have a great opportunity — Oct. 2 is National Custodian Appreciation Day. Please join me in appreciating our underappreciated workforce who look after our future every day!

If you are interested in joining one of these amazing crews, visit www.local71.com/jobs today.

William A. Meers serves as the business representative for Public Employees LIUNA Local 71, representing custodians in the greater Anchorage area, and always remembers his roots. He is a former Anchorage School District custodian serving from Feb. 1989 to Dec. 2003.

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