FCS Exemption by

Criteria

readerlady1960 — 2025-01-10 00:36:40 UTC

Besides size of district I think location to an ESD or neighboring district/cohort should be considered.

Availability of a mentor for the para who does not receive the in person training? I think that could be a requirement to get the exemption.

2025-01-10 00:36:40 UTC

What assumptions about large and small districts are being used to determine that exemptions are only available for smaller districts?

2025-01-10 00:38:44 UTC

If in person is the exemption, then I think that a live zoom meeting should be the requirement. If you just tell them to watch a video that isn't being very inclusive for all learning styles. I am a kinesthetic learner so I need to see/touch/hear/taste all of the information to properly learn.

Information for application

readerlady1960 — 2025-01-10 00:39:35 UTC

Size of district, number of paras exemption would impact, distance to a possible neighboring district/cohort, distance to an ESD. Availability to offer quality training via synchronous or asynchronous training. A plan to offer the training as well. I think there needs to be an explanation as to "why" they can't do the training in person.

What are we missing?

readerlady1960 — 2025-01-10 00:41:39 UTC

I think some things, like communication, should be required to be in person.

Be clear which courses can be provided online/asynch - and state which ones should/must be provided in person

anonymous014109 — 2025-01-10 00:42:15 UTC

Potentially proximity to the end of the school year.

2025-01-10 00:42:25 UTC

2025-01-10 00:42:30 UTC

District size and develop the ability to offer a mentorship either through ESD’s or collaboratively in a region for minimally the first year of employment.

2025-01-10 00:43:42 UTC

how many in-person opportunities are being offered throughout the year? If exception is offered can they do the training via zoom to make up for not doing the in person hours? C

Terminlogy

2025-01-10 00:43:50 UTC

Extension vs. Exemption. Looking for way to provide training not avoid providing instruction.

2025-01-10 00:44:55 UTC

Collaborate with other smaller districts would be a great way to make it equitable and cost effective for either in person (if that were to stay around) or even if live trainings, they could still bundle the smaller districts (which could be trained solely from a specific traininng group WEA or PLUS, etc... and make it unavailable to larger districts, but also could offer single exemptions haha)

What does in-person mean

2025-01-10 00:46:03 UTC

Should we think about synchronous versus asynchronous. Does in-person mean "butts in seats" or participating in instructor-led.

2025-01-10 00:47:02 UTC

number of paras hired that will be impacted by this exemption? What will be done during the exemption process to have paras get their hours? how much extra time is needed to provide the hours for the trainings

Timeline, board approval and notification

readerlady1960 — 2025-01-10 00:47:24 UTC

I don't know enough about the process to answer this. I would leave the approval process and notification up to the people who do it. I think a district would struggle with applying each time they hire a para. We know they are hired throughout the year as needs arise. Is the exemptions a blanket exemption for the entire year and every para?

2025-01-10 00:47:56 UTC

Why does there have to be an application process at all?? Why can't it just be equitable to have a standard. For example, If your district is under 2000, you will join with these other districts to pick dates and then here are the offers for the the zoom trainings (and they could be offered every quarter of what ever) Does that make sense?

Timeline

2025-01-10 00:48:42 UTC

This can be problematic if it is not done early enough, especially if an application is denied and the work has already been done/planned. It would seem that request would need to be in by the beginning of the school year.

2025-01-10 00:51:48 UTC

what if instead of exemption, what if we said application of exemption, with criteria to meet. A tiny vetting process. Could be done ever 5 years...?

Based on dialogue - and lack of information a blind spot really is why would there truly need to be a need for exemption, given the various alternatives available.

2025-01-10 00:52:15 UTC

2025-01-10 00:52:56 UTC

When ever the final numbers are due at the beginning of the school year/ I would say with in the first month of school (and with a +/- 100 students to the 2000 requirement?)

2025-01-10 00:52:58 UTC

I think they should have a deadline to apply like in Oct/Nov so they have time to train within that school year just like most districts expect paras to have extra credit for that year by August before the start of the next year.

Virtual Synchronous Requirements

2025-01-10 00:53:13 UTC

We need guidelines/criteria for synchronous online (Zoom/Teams/etc) to count for in-person training. Cameras on, engagement parameters, etc.

2025-01-10 00:53:35 UTC

If there will be a rubric/application process for small districts to get a plan approved, perhaps it's open to large districts as well. If there's a way to judge if a plan is "good enough" it doesn't seem to me to matter the size of the district? - Candice McGregor

2025-01-10 00:54:40 UTC

3 months before the end of the school year.

2025-01-10 00:55:00 UTC

To stay within the timeline, it would need to be done before the school year starts, with an application that includes plan and content for how the training will be complete. Also, early enough so they know if the exemption was approved so they have time to complete training if the exemption is not granted. There would need to be specific cutoff to allow time for approval.

Fiscal information

readerlady1960 — 2025-01-10 00:55:56 UTC

A district ops to file and gets the exemption and they chose to do zoom trainings instead. The reason has to be clear. I want some way to ensure they are not doing it just for the savings so they can get the reimbursement and then use it elsewhere.

Knowledge Acquisition

2025-01-10 00:56:02 UTC

Currently this is all attendance/completion compliance. There is no collection of data about what people have learned.

Exemption

2025-01-10 00:57:39 UTC

If is an exemption/extension, ask whether is during work hours or outside of work hours.

Clarification about learning time expectation

2025-01-10 00:58:23 UTC

Should learning be during work time or outside of work time.

2025-01-10 01:00:41 UTC

Limit of excemptions

provide criteria of what makes something an "in-person" training.

If trainings are happening on out of contracted hours make sure that the paras are getting paid for their time

2025-01-10 01:06:31 UTC

Why can't every district offer certain exemptions? Just because I live and work in a bigger district doesn't mean that I don't have things going on in my life that make inperson learning very difficult and I think it should be an option for some folks (maybe on a case by case basis)

Funding Needs for Trainers

CandiceMcGregor — 2025-01-10 01:24:27 UTC

In our large district that hires paras every week throughout the year, we will likely need to hire at least 2 full time paras to be trainers, as well as tracking the completion and preparing materials. Without trainers hired, we would need to train less often and outside the work day, which we all know is a hardship for paras. We do not have full non-student days through out the year, and we cannot afford to release 175 paras, nor do we have the capacity to have that many subs on the job, our system would shut down. This exemption process should be open to all districts. if we can prove our paras are being trained, the method should not matter. Let's create a rubric/reporting system that allows professionals judgment and creativity.