New Year - New Update for the Begining of the Year

New School Year - New Information 

I wanted to review a few items that have been creeping up: 

1. Training - There are several training videos to view this year, but the time of the viewing has lessened due to Risk Management streamlining the content. Your site administration should be giving you two hours for training, but they do have until October to give that time to you. Some of the videos listed are optional for non first year teachers in the district. 

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   2. If you completed the training after July 1, but before August 4th, then don’t worry about when you completed the training. Enjoy the extra two hours of prep while the other staff members complete their training. 

   3. If you start after August 4, then you are supposed to do it during work hours. But whatever you did last year; it should be fine. The district believes that’s what you did last year, during work hours. It was confirmed today that you can complete your training after hours. 

   4. There is a longer list of required videos for New Hires. Pay attention to the due dates. 

   5. If you don’t finish the training by the deadline, you are out of compliance (State and District) and the district can take discipline action. 

2. K- 3 Testing Window - 

   1. Per FCEA Sideletter (posted on our website in full)

      1. Window 1: 

         1. August 7 - 14, grades 2 - 3 assessment window

         2. August 7 - 21 for grades K - 1 

            1. K is not required by the district to test during this window. 

         3. August 6 is a regular early release. 

A gentle reminder to all K-3 teachers: this time is for testing, collaboration with teams once the testing is done, so you can create your MTSS grouping, and also give yourself prep if you miss your 60 a week prep period because of early student dismissal. Please don’t leave campus early or use the time to copy unless it is your “prep time”. 

Elementary grades 4 - 5  have wondered why they can’t have this time as well. Three reasons: (1) 1-3 has more tests, and it is difficult to test 1-1 with the littles, (2) grades 4-5 are already maxed out for instructional minutes for the year and aren’t able to add early release days. (3) Kindergartens are trying to be eased into full day since TK was only ½ day. 

Please note: the MTSS/invention coaches should be helping out in grades 4-5. They are NOT to assist K-3 until all of 4 - 5 teachers have finished their testing per MOU. 

Pregnancy Disability Leave 

This is a very exciting landmark State law for educational staff. However, policies and interpretations are changing at a rapid pace. I have linked what I have received from the CTA here. This is a moving target and some of the information I was given is open to interpretation by our district. It is something we will be bringing to the table in the next few months as the district considers their new policies surrounding this law. 

One detail I wanted to bring to your attention is that in order to advance on the district pay scale you must complete 75% of your work year at your site (butts in seats) that includes leaves. So, if you take the fourteen weeks of leave, you will NOT make the required amount of days (approx. 139 out of 185). For STRS, this will NOT affect your service credit since you are being paid in full. Once you are on differential, then your year is prorated (that is for all leaves). 

The Standard (Open Enrollment) 

Open Enrollment will start September 15. So if you don’t have The Standard, now is the time to enroll. There is no medical verification needed for open enrollment, just sign up! Once you sign up, you must work ten days and the coverage starts the next month for a planned absence. If it is an emergency, like a car accident, then your coverage is started immediately. The Standard requires that you use your sick days, but they only use up to  100 days. The coverage is up to two years. 

To ALL, let’s give each other and ourselves grace for the start of the year. Everyone makes errors in this life, no one is perfect, and no one should expect perfection as well, including yourself. 

FCEA is here for you should you need assistance.