If you have a question you would like me to respond to, that isn’t covered in the districts FAQ pages on the Covid 19 webpage, please send me a separate email rather than hitting reply.
It would seem that some paras misinterpreted why the RMB update was sent to you.
I received the previously sent update from our attorneys, it did not come from the district. The update they prepared was meant for all 20 of the different unions/associations that they represent, it was not sent specifically for AHPA. I shared this update because I thought it provided information and resources that you may not otherwise be aware of. Information that may or may not pertain to yourself or a loved one. That is why I prefaced the update with: Some of the information included doesn’t pertain to us but I left it in as it may provide you with information that helps other family members or loved ones. This was not meant to cause anxiety but to provide resources.
There should be no need for any paras to access unemployment as there has been no indication from the district that there will be layoffs or terminations related to the crisis we are in.
I have been asked why I have not sent out frequent updates. I hesitate to give consistent updates to AHPA members (and non-members) as information changes so quickly, I don’t want to be responsible for giving out inaccurate information. I also felt that the district has been doing a tremendous job of providing information through emails, e-newsletters, starting a Covid 19 website and updating the FAQ pages as new information is available.
There may be information about upcoming changes that is only shared with paras who are affected by the change. Principals/Supervisors will share this information with their staff.
Following are some of the things that may have been shared if they affect you.
Shift in Childcare Staffing/Coordination
Starting Monday, A+ staff will assume the primary role in our Tier 1 and Tier 2 childcare. This will be a shift from elementary paraeducators being the primary providers to A+ employees. Note that we will still need to support distance learning during child care with some elementary paraeducators. There will also be a need for some SPED paras to work with SPED students.
Increasing Utilization of Secondary Paraeducators
We are hoping to start training our secondary paraeducators next week on how to support distance learning using technology. This will likely include providing the technology and teaching them how to participate in Google virtual environments. We will need their support to meet the needs of our struggling students and students on IEP’s. More information will come next week on this topic.
Please access the webpage that the district has provided to answer your questions. You can click on the following link and it will bring you to that page.