Editor, OBSERVER:

In 2007, the New York State Legislature officially established the third Tuesday of November as “School-Related Professionals Recognition Day.” This Recognition Day is today, Nov. 19. We would like to publicly acknowledge the hard work that these men and women do every day, working side-by-side with other educational professionals that often go unrecognized within the school community as a whole.

Who are School-Related Professionals and what do they do? Around New York state, more than 90,000 individuals are teaching assistants, school nurses, health office aides, teacher aides, school bus drivers and bus aides, secretarial staff, food service workers, and custodians just to name a few of the dozens of roles. School-Related Professionals are a key component in the education of the whole child, keeping them safe, healthy, and providing much needed support in the classroom and throughout the school.

To all School-Related Professionals in Chautauqua County and beyond, particularly those with whom we work every day at Brocton Central School: Thank you for all of your hard work every day and the difference you make within our school.

MARIEANNE FABIANO and RACHEL OFFENBACH SMITH,

co-presidents,

Brocton Teachers’ Association