| August 5, 2020
On July 15, the Paraeducator Board heard presentations and took action on several policies, including:
- Consideration of WAC regarding the in-person requirement of the Fundamental Course of Study (FCS)
- Representatives from Highline and Peninsula school districts shared their approaches to implementing FCS training
- Outreach efforts and district feedback from online share fairs and interviews
- Informational overview on Recruiting Washington Teachers (RWT) and alternative routes to certification
For a complete review of the board meeting, including summaries for each agenda item, please visit the meeting material folder.
To support districts as they navigate traditional and virtual classroom options, the Paraeducator Board has issued an emergency rule providing greater flexibility to meet training requirements for paraeducators on the Fundamental Course of Study (FCS). The emergency rule allows districts to meet the in-person requirement if they provide training to paraeducators through a virtual format with an instructor that uses synchronous learning. Synchronous online learning that took place with an instructor beginning on March 1, 2020 will count towards meeting the in-person requirement of the FCS. This rule is in effect until September 1, 2021.
The final iGrants quarterly report for training reimbursement for the 2019-20 school year is due September 1, 2020. No claims submitted after September 1 will be reimbursed. After reports have been submitted, the budget page will open in the following days. Districts will then complete the budget page and reimbursement will be distributed mid-September.
School districts are required to provide two days (14 hours) of training on the Fundamental Course of Study to their paraeducators.
Paraeducators who received two days (14 hours) of training in the 2019-20 school year, and two days (14 hours) of training in the 2020-21 school year will complete the FCS requirement. Training for the 2020-21 school year may begin July 1, 2020.
Districts will request reimbursement through iGrants form package 918; the same from the 2019-20 school year. Districts will submit reports on December 15, 2020, June 30, 2021, and September 1, 2021. Districts will receive reimbursement for the 2020-21 school year in September 2021.
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) is offering grants of up to $15,000 to support educator retention through learning communities using professional growth plans (PGPs). Applications are due Wednesday, August 19. Priority will be given to grantees who are:
- Supporting educators from underrepresented groups
- Equipping educators to provide trauma-sensitive support to students from marginalized communities
- Creating learning communities that include paraeducators
Who should apply?
- Washington State school districts, ESDs, approved clock hour providers, and higher education institutions. If individual educators are interested in participating in this grant, they should communicate their interest to one of these organizations.
Visit our website to learn more and apply.
In July 2019, members from both the Paraeducator Board and the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) began working on their 2021-25 strategic plan. Our four year strategic plan helps us determine long-term goals, actions we will take to reach them, and key performance indicators to help monitor progress.
Over the last several months, we’ve been meeting with a variety of partner organizations to share our strategic planning efforts and gather their input and insights. Building off of these meetings, our next step is to further engage our stakeholders and community members in a broader context.
Attend a virtual community forum
- We are convening a series of virtual forums on September 2 to collect your feedback on the strategic plan’s draft components. During these sessions, you will engage with PESB staff, board members, and community members in both small and large group settings to help inform PESB’s focus areas, goals, identify barriers, and guide future policy work as it relates to the career continuum area. Visit our website to learn more.
Take our online survey
- It is important we hear from and engage with you about how we can strengthen Washington’s educator workforce, and better support student success. Your experiences and unique perspective will help us to identify opportunities for improvement, where gaps may exist, and where clarity is needed. Take the survey to provide us your feedback.
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