Emergency Training

TitleEmergency, First Aid and Germ Training for Substitute or Guest Teachers

Problem:   Even though Substitute or Guest Teachers (SGTs) must adhere to a variety of strict school rules and policies (including the Keenan Act), they are not provided with any direct training to help them maintain any level of professional standards in:

  • Their graduation subject matter field; or
  • Classroom management; or
  • Emergency preparedness and first aid; and
  • First Aid and Germ Training.

Example:  Note: This document was written and prepared for legislative review before the Pandemic. This becomes even more important during and after the Pandemic. The problem is felt as follows:  

  • First, school districts do not provide SGTs with any type of “in-house training days” that helps them enhanced subject matter proficiency like they do with full-time educators. In many instances, that means that even the most experienced SGT lags behind  professional growth patterns, and as such, often provide students with subpar educational experiences and opportunities. SGTs can (should) receive training that enhances their skills on a variety of subjects ranging from A to Z. Suggested topics include, but should not be limited to: classroom management, enhanced subject proficiency, school operations and emergency safety training and first aid;
  • Second, school districts do not provide SGTs with any type of emergency training, including emergency drills and first aid. In this day and age of unprepared schools, and at least 2 subs being on every campus every day, this will pay off by saving lives;
  • Third, Germ, First Aid and the importance in knowing CPR, First Aid, The Heimlich Maneuver are vital, especially after the Pandemic.   

Solution

  1. Require school districts to provide SGTs with minimal subject proficiency training and enhancements tools like other teachers receive once per semester or quarter;
  2. Require districts to provide first aid, emergency and crisis management training for substitute or guest teachers;
  3. Provide SGTs with specific training to identify illnesses worth of sending to the Health Officer;
  4. Award Substitute/Guest Teachers who complete various levels of training with higher pay.

Support

  1. Substitutes
  2. School Districts
  3. Parents
  4. Students
  5. Law Enforcement

Opposition

  1. School Districts

Arguments in support

  1. With state of the world, we should be training everyone who is in a classroom, especially those that play a vital cog in school operations;

Arguments in opposition

  1. Why pay more?
  2. Too expensive
  3. No curriculum has been created

PUBLICITY:

  • National publicity as a training program is put together;
  • Theme: Enhancing school safety, one teacher at a time;

HISTORY:

Fiscal Effect:  Unknown fiscal effect per district. Overall costs are expected to be minimal. Expenses will come in one of three fashions.

  1. Training SGTs in emergency first aid training (the course can be offered by the district, with the SGTs paying for the course);
  2. Like other educational professionals that have ‘working days’ at their county office of education, substitute teachers will be trained, and paid for the day they are trained on; 
  3. SGTs that are trained, upon certification and submission of credentials, will receive higher pay. 

Code Section affected:  As per legislative Council

Language Attached:  Yes

Language

  1. Intent: The intent of the California Legislature is to train substitute or guest teachers so that they can perform in the classroom as professionally as possible, especially in an emergency situation;
  2. All Substitute/Guest Teachers are to receive training 3 times a year by representatives of the district that they are employed in. The training shall be conceptualized as follows:
    1. Emergency & CPR Training; and
    1. First Aid Specifics; and
    1. Basic Germ identification and eradication concepts; and
    1. Education Skills.
  3. The Fees associated with the Emergency Training course, depending on the district, can be paid completely by the Substitute/Guest Teacher or some other financial arrangement in the form of a subsidy or grant can be awarded by the district;  
  4. If a Substitute/Guest Teacher works in multiple districts, upon completion and verification of the certificate of completion, one training day can be accepted and used as credit in other districts by simply showing proof of course completion.
  5. This proposal will start on Jan. 1, 20—— .  
  6. Teachers who have complied with the provisions of this law, namely safety training, will earn $25 more per day.
  7. Classes taken in one jurisdiction are transferable to other jurisdictions within the same county, as long as they are taken in the same year.
  8. In order for Guest Teachers to earn the $25 more per day every year, they must present to the District proof of graduation from an accredited institution.

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