Process for Short Term ES Unavailability

School Expectations

If an ES expects to be unavailable for a short period of time during the school year, or an emergency situation arises, and prior to their ES Checkout date, the following process will be followed to ensure that their assigned students are served as needed. No student/parent should feel inconvenienced during this time period, but even better served as the ES prepares to be unavailable.

Employee Procedures

For a planned short term unavailability:

1. If the ES will continue to make regular contact by email or phone daily (within the required 24 hour turnaround time), then the ES is expected to continue to serve their families as usual.

2. The ES must notify their families, their advisor, and the school director of the details of their unavailability and their plan to continue to serve their students. The advisor contact info should be again communicated to the parents for their usage in the ESs unavailability.

3. Any anticipated upcoming needs of the students should be dealt with before the regular unavailability of the ES occurs.

4. If the ES will miss a required ES Meeting, they are still responsible for all of the information they have missed and must meet with their advisor ASAP after they are again available to review the material presented at the meeting missed. This may or may not be deemed an “excused” absence (will be based on normal determinations).

5. If the ES has an AESS student and will miss more than one contracted AESS meeting, the student should be transferred to another ES for continued service until the ES is again available for in-person meetings. (For only 1 missed AESS [non-LR] meeting, contact your advisor for help).

6. If the ES must be gone when Learning Record meetings are scheduled to occur, then an official leave should be requested and the students assigned to another ES until the ES becomes available again.

For an emergency unplanned short term unavailability:

1. Contact your advisor ASAP in case of an emergency. Please inform your close family or friends of their need to contact us ASAP in the case of an emergency and you are not able to do so yourself.

2. Your advisor will then help to cancel/reschedule appointments for you if you are not able to do so.

3. You advisor may fill in for you in an emergency situation for a couple days as needed.

4. ASAP, evaluate your situation to determine if you will need to request an official leave of absence, or lower your student count for a period of time. Consult with your advisor.

Leave of absence

· If you need to think about taking a leave of absence from your position, always start first with the most up to date information available in the Employee Handbook (SSCS; OGCS). After that, inform your advisor of your concerns. They can help you think through your options and will refer you on to the school director if you do need to request a leave. Of course, if you encounter an emergency, go directly to your school director with your request. For official leave requests, there are forms that must be completed and filed with the Personnel Office. A leave can only be approved by your School Director, in accordance with State and Federal laws and school policies and practices. Failure to inform us of your need to be unavailable for a length of time from the first day of school until you have officially “checked out” for the school year may constitute “abandonment of the job”. Please inform your close family or friends of their need to contact us ASAP in the case of an emergency and you are not able to do so yourself.

· The school does not have “substitutes” as in regular public school classrooms. For another ES to take over your position for a period of time, our policy is to transfer the students to the ES who will be serving those students. Check with the personnel office for information as to how this will affect your benefits, should you be taking school benefits. Always be sure you are fully informed before you make a decision.