The Caesar Rodney School District is proud to recognize paraprofessional Jossette Threatts, of Major George S. Welch Elementary School, as the District’s 2022-2023 Educational Support Professional of the Year (ESPY). This award is coordinated by the Department of Education (DOE), and the state-wide winner will be announced in fall 2022.

The ESPY program is designed to recognize outstanding service by school employees who provide direct or indirect services to students and their families. Employees considered for the award include: paraprofessionals, custodial staff, secretaries, nutritional staff, school and district-employed bus drivers, school and district-employed bus aides, as well as IT support staff.

“Paraprofessionals are an integral part of our schools success.  Mrs. Threatts does so many things for our school and the district.  She provides classroom support, she co-sponsors our Eco Team and she is president of CREA.  She is a great employee and a wonderful example of how beneficial support personal are to the success of schools”, explained Jason Payne, Major George S. Welch Elementary School principal. 

As the Caesar Rodney district winner, Jossette receives a $1,000 personal award from the district.  The state program then chooses one person annually to serve as Delaware’s Educational Support Professional of the Year. State winners receive an additional $1,500 personal award from DOE as well as $2,500 to be used for the educational benefit of his or her students.

Jossette has been working with the Caesar Rodney School District her entire career, over 27 years, all of which have been at the Maj. George S. Welch Elementary School. For the last 12 years she has served as a service paraprofessional at the school for a visually impaired teacher.  She is currently the president of the Caesar Rodney Education Association (CREA) and improves her students’ environmental literacy as the school sponsor of the “EcoTeam”.   

The Caesar Rodney Community, educators and students all congratulate Jossette for her selection as Educational Support Professional of the Year.