With the start of school, the biggest focus was ensuring our certificated staff have certificates and following through on the requirements they have. Teachers using a substitute certificate due to needing more time to pass tests must have a plan of support to ensure they are fully able to teach the students. The principals work with the building coach and write up a plan which becomes part of their file. We also have a new teacher on a conditional certificate who needs to complete 60 clock hours in the first 60 work days of the school year. Again the principal works with the coach to create a plan to support the teacher and come up with a plan for the clock hour classes that will meet that teachers individual needs.
Another part of the beginning of the year is to report on the evaluations completed in the 2017-2018 school year. This report is submitted to OSPI and ensures we have met the requirements surrounding evaluations for both our certificated and classified staff as well as our administrators. I submitted the report this week. I also work to maintain evaluation schedules for our current employees which allows the administrators to plan for the evaluations that must be completed this year.
The beginning of the school year also brings many applicants for substitute work in our district. My first question in interviews is why do you want to work in Woodland Public Schools. I have seen an increase in applicants that answer the question that they have heard very positive things about the district and what we are accomplishing which is very encouraging. So far this year our substitute coverage has been great so I work hard to interview, do references and process substitutes quickly so that when our need is greater our substitute availability is ready.
Next week I will do the first of two teaching opportunities at Washington State University. At this teaching, I focus on the legal basics for new teachers. I go over the Code of Conduct and introduce them to policies as well as a collective bargaining agreement. The class allows me to educate the soon to be educators as they are beginning their student teaching which helps them to make wise decisions and ask informed questions. It also puts the name of Woodland Public Schools in the forefront of their minds since many of them have only heard about the bigger districts. I will do a second teaching before the job fairs where I teach them the basics of interviewing and making a good first impression.