All PPS job offers are contingent on the satisfactory completion of a background check, including fingerprinting and criminal records; Child Abuse Prevention/Sexual Conduct Training; sexual conduct verification (HB2062); and professional references.

The goal of the “No Child Left Behind” law is to raise the standards of teaching and learning in all Title I schools. All districts receiving Title I funds must comply or they risk the loss of funding. All paraprofessionals must have a high school diploma or GED.  In addition, PPS requires paraprofessionals to meet one of the options listed below: 

1. An Associate degree or higher degree 

2. Two years of full-time college level coursework (72 quarter-hours or 48 semester-hours)

3. ETS ParaPro test – minimum score of 460

Substitute Paraeducators are asked to submit documentation to reflect they meet ESEA so that they may continue to substitute beyond 30 days or be hired on as a regular paraprofessional.  

The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training is a required paid training which prepares Paraeducators to handle crisis situations proactively and reinforces the skills needed to prevent crises from escalating to the point where physical intervention is necessary. This training must be taken upon initial hire and renewed annually to meet the minimum qualifications of the position. Failure to complete the training could result in termination.

The District requires all employees to receive Child Abuse Prevention & Sexual Conduct Training yearly at the start of each school year.  The Substitute Office will notify all substitutes of when training must be completed in order to remain in compliance.  

Media announcements may not be the most reliable source of school closure information.  For the most accurate and up-to-date school closure information, go to http://www.pps.net/. When there is a delay or closure, the District will update the website and the PPS Social Media Accounts, as well as send out an all PPS e-mail with the most current and accurate information available. You may also sign-up for text message alerts by texting YES to 68453.

• Delays – Substitutes scheduled to work when there is a delay in opening school are required to be at work, prepared, and available 15 minutes before the first scheduled classes (on the delay bell schedule).

• Closures – Substitutes are hourly employees that were scheduled to work at a school that closes for the day due to weather or unforeseen circumstances are not paid.

Make sure you plan enough time to report into the school office, sign in upon your arrival, and sign out at the end of the day.

Substitutes should have a clear understanding of whether they are substituting for a whole day or a half-day assignment before accepting jobs.  When accepting two half-day jobs, it is the substitute’s responsibility to ensure they will be able to finish the morning job and reach the afternoon job before the start time. If you are unable to work the scheduled time of the assignment, do not accept the assignment.

When accepting an assignment, it is your responsibility to be aware of the end time of the job.  You must work the scheduled day you have agreed to accept, as listed in Absence Management.  If you are unable to work the scheduled time, do not accept the assignment.  The school’s expectation is that you will be able to fulfill the whole assignment once you have accepted.

The District expects that you will arrive on time to every assignment you accept. If there is an emergency, please contact the school directly. If you are accepting a same day job, you must arrive within one hour of accepting it.

Cell phones are not to be used for personal use during class instructional times: this includes texting, e-mailing, playing games, internet/data use, and Bluetooth.  Please follow the building rules for appropriate usage while on assignment.

PPS maintains a workplace environment that is conducive to our students continued education. As part of that effort, PPS requires employees to maintain a neat and clean appearance that is appropriate for the workplace setting and for the work being performed, such as the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 50 lbs.; the ability to potentially restrain 50 to 100 lbs.; the ability to continuously reach, bend, crouch, twist, and kneel; and the ability to use arms, hands, wrists, and legs in repetitive motions.

Although substitutes may work in other districts, have commitments, etc., this District expects a balancing of work availability. Substitute Paraeducators who fail to work the contractual minimum of 20 full days per school year when work is available may be removed from the list. Two half days equal one full day towards the minimum workday requirement.

In July of each year, if you are eligible to renew for the next school year, you will receive renewal information in which you are responsible for completing renewal requirements by the communicated deadline.

If you have a break in service (e.g., failure to renew annually, a resignation, deactivation, or removal due to excessive unavailability) you will have to reapply with the District. This means starting with a new hire date in the event that the application for substitute teaching is received and accepted by the District.

Substitute Paraeducators are paid hourly and receive a 30-minute unpaid lunch when working an assignment that is 6 hours or more in length.

The substitute is responsible for updating any personal information with the District. This includes legal name change and address changes. To update your information, you will use PeopleSoft HRMS Employee Self Service: selfservice.pps.net/ (you must be on the District’s Wi-Fi to access or have set up Two-Step Authentication to access from home)

Portland Public Schools is on Frontline Education’s Insights Platform which has a more secure login (FERPA-compliant), common view and navigation experience. Once activated within Absence Management, you will receive an invitation to create a Frontline ID. If you work for other school districts who are also on the Insights Platform, you will need to select the “Sign In with your Frontline ID” within the email and enter the Frontline ID account you previously created with the other school District. After creating a Frontline ID, you will access Absence Management to view/accept jobs going forward.

The Substitute Office can confirm the address of a school if you are uncertain; however, it is your responsibility to locate the school to which you are assigned. The list of schools and their addresses is available on the Human Resources Substitute webpage. Additional resources available: Absence Management, Google Maps, City Map of Portland, etc.

PPS has provided all Substitute Paraeducators with a District email account. It is imperative that all Substitutes regularly check their PPS email account. All communication from the Substitute Office will be to your official PPS email account. If you are unsure of your e-mail address or login, please contact the IT department at 503-916-3375. It is necessary to log in to your email account to ensure you receive PPS communications. Your PPS login will be used for accessing district computers, the Staff Portion of the PPS Website, Employee Self Service, and Pepper. The same login and password are used to login to PPS email and PPS computers. 

Portland Public Schools has specific callout times during which time Absence Management will call you to offer assignments. This ensures we have the greatest probability of filling all available assignments within a reasonable time frame.  Any adjustments you make to the callout times will indicate you are not fully available as a substitute with PPS.  Limiting your availability to accept calls from our district will be considered a declaration of not accepting work and may be considered a non-work day for the purposes of employment verification.

Employment with the District calls for several customary vacation or recess periods (winter break, spring break, summer break, etc.) during the academic year. Following each of these periods, as established by the current school calendar, we expect that you will continue to perform job duties in the same or similar capacity as you did prior to any vacation or recess period.

The Pioneer Program serves Portland’s special-education students, K-12, who are unable to be successful in less restrictive school placements. The program helps students with social/emotional and behavior needs, fragile mental health, developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disabilities.

All PPS Employees are expected to review and comply with PPS Board Policies and Administrative Directives. They can be viewed at https://www.pps.net/policies.

Accepting and Canceling Jobs

Whenever possible, you should accept the job you are offered through Absence Management. Once you have done so, you should write down the confirmation number, date, time, location, Paraeducator, and any other information pertinent to the assignment. If you need to cancel a job after accepting it, you should do so at the earliest possible opportunity. This can be done by logging into Absence Management and canceling the job or by calling Absence Management and following the prompts to cancel a job. If you are canceling a job within one (1) hour of the start time or canceling one day of a multiple-day assignment, you must call the Substitute Office Help Desk. The system will not let you cancel the job.

Paraeducator Requests

If a Paraeducator asks you to substitute for them, always check the Absence Management system to make sure that you have been assigned to the job. If you arrive at a school and find a double booking for the job that you have accepted, please call the Substitute Office at 503-916-3330. The job will go to the substitute that accepted the job through the Absence Management system.

Absence Management Calling Times

The system will call in the morning only for jobs that day. The system will not leave a message on an answering machine. It will start to call out for future jobs in the afternoon.  

Current Jobs                           Future Jobs 

Late Cancelations

A cancelation is considered late when it is called in less than 12-hours before the job starts.  We understand that some late cancelations are unavoidable. However, in order to give the system adequate time to find a replacement for you, cancelations should be made as early as possible. On high call-out days, a late cancelation increases the odds that a job may go unfilled, placing undue stress on students and faculty.

Time Off/ Unavailability

If you know you will not be available to work a specific date, please enter in a non-work day in Absence Management. When Absence Management is calling you to offer an assignment on the day of and you indicate you are unavailable, the system will only make you unavailable for that job and you will continue to receive calls.  You will need to call or log-in to the Absence Management system to say you are unavailable for the whole day to stop the system from calling you. This will alleviate the receipt of multiple calls on your phone and the District believing you are available.

Emergency Calls

When emergency needs arise due to a heavy demand for substitutes, all substitutes may be called for any assignment.

Intellectual Disability Definition

A student, whose intelligence test score is two or more deviations below the norm on a standardized individual intelligence test, existing with deficits in adaptive behavior and academic skills, manifested during the developmental period.

Hearing Impairment Definition

Hearing Impairment includes both “hard of hearing” and “deaf.” “Hard of Hearing” means a hearing condition which is functional with or without amplified sound and adversely affects the student’s educational performance. “Deaf” means hearing impairment which is so severe that the student’s hearing, with amplified sound, is nonfunctional for the purposes of educational performance.

Vision Impairment Definition:

“Vision Impairment” means a visual impairment which, even with correction, adversely affects a student’s educational performance. This term includes those students who are partially sighted or blind.

Communication Disorder Definition 

“Communication Disorder” means the impairment of speech articulation, voice, or fluency; the impairment of development of language comprehension and/or expression; or the impairment of the use of a spoken or other symbol system that adversely affects educational performance. The language impairment may be manifested by one or more of the following components of language: morphology, syntax, semantics, phonology, and pragmatics.

Emotional Disturbance Definition 

“Emotional disturbance” is a condition exhibiting one or more of the following over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (1) an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors, (2) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and educators, (3) inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances, (4) a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression, or (5) a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. The term includes schizophrenia but does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.

Orthopedic Impairment Definition 

“Orthopedic Impairment” involves a motor disability caused by an anomaly, disease, or impairment by other conditions (e.g., cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or traumatic injury) where the child requires specialized and integrated services in order to benefit from an educational program.

Traumatic Brain Injury Definition 

“Traumatic brain injury” (TBI) means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a student’s educational performance. The term includes open or closed head injury resulting in impairments in one or more areas, including cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not include brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

Other Health Impairment Definition 

“Other Health Impairment” means having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, due to chronic or acute health problems. Such health problems could include, but are not limited to: a heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, diabetes, Tourette’s syndrome, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. 

Specific Learning Disability Definition

A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of mental retardation; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Definition 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an umbrella category over the following areas of disability: Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, PDD-NOS and Rhett’s Syndrome. All are developmental disabilities typically affecting the processing, integrating, and organizing of information that significantly impacts communication, social interaction, functional skills and educational performance. Essential features, generally appearing during the first three years of life, will include exhibited impairments in: 

• Communication 

• Social Interaction 

• Patterns of behaviors, interests, and/or activities that are restricted, repetitive, or stereotypic 

• Unusual response to sensory experiences 

Under each classification is a description of the required things a Paraeducator must be able to do in order to successfully substitute for that classification. In addition, the following is a brief description of what the classroom may be like.

Every Classification Requires a Para to:

Communication Behavior classroom       

Social Emotional – Behavior 

Behavior HS

Intensive Skills Classroom   

Medically Fragile – Nursing 

Recognizing appropriate boundaries is an integral part of your assignment.  Staff are not to share personal information with students, which would include: staff’s life experience with drugs, alcohol, and/or any other behaviors that would be deemed inappropriate for students.  Additionally, staff may not sell students items, nor borrow items from students.  Staff is also discouraged from giving out personal contact information to students.  Remember, you are the professional and must model appropriate behavior for our students.

Some of our students come from histories of physical/sexual abuse and can be quite sensitive to even the slightest touch.  Hugs, although harmless, can be a trigger for some and are strongly discouraged. Clearly age and developmental level of student will play a vital role in determining appropriate response. Acceptable forms of touching include: high fives, handshakes, and fist bumps.   

Important Things to Remember While in Class:

Substitute Paraeducators have a responsibility to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times when carrying out their duties.

1. Confidentiality – Substitute Paraeducators must treat student information confidentially.  Student behavior, performance, and achievement levels should not be the subject of general conversation and should not be discussed outside of the school setting.  When working with special needs students, substitutes should exercise an even greater degree of caution.

2. Substitute/Student Relationship – Substitute Paraeducators should exercise extreme caution and good judgment in verbal and physical relationships with students.  Substitutes should establish a position of authority with the students; they may “be friendly” without “befriending” the students.   Substitute Paraeducators should not search students’ personal belongings. Berating students, calling students derogatory names, and using insults or other threatening verbal attacks is not acceptable practice.

3. Firm, Fair, and Consistent – Most literature indicates that to be successful in their treatment of students, the substitute needs to treat students in a firm, fair, and consistent manner. Fairness and consistency are key issues with students.  The substitute must be impartial when dealing with student behavior or performance.

4. Discipline – The discipline policy and procedures for the school district and each school should be followed.  If the regular classroom educator does not leave a copy of the discipline policy and/or procedures, check with the office for a copy or find a copy of the School Climate Handbook on the school’s webpage.  

5. Remain alert and engaged while with students.

6. Leaving the Campus – The care and supervision of the students assigned to the substitute should be of paramount importance.  At no time during the day other than duty free lunch should the substitute leave campus unless authorized to do so.  Substitutes should check out through the school office before leaving at the end of the school day.

7. At the End of the Day – After students have been dismissed for the day or placed safely on the correct school bus, the room should be checked to ensure that it is restored to the way the substitute found it.  Books, supplies, and instructional materials should be returned, desks placed in their original positions, etc.  

8. Transporting Students - Reasonable care requires that field trips be planned and conducted in a manner so that students will not be exposed to situations inherently dangerous and that activities will be avoided in which it is reasonably foreseeable that an accident or injury may occur.  The School/Program Administrator’s approval is required.

Classroom management and behavior management are interconnected.  Behavior management refers to educator activities designed to promote positive behaviors in students.  The objective of behavior management is to prevent disruptive behaviors and to promote positive social behaviors. Classroom management refers to all of the things educators do to organize students, space, time, and materials to maximize effective teaching and student learning. (Wong & Wong, 1998)

Behavior and classroom management begin with having expectations for the student, the learning environment, instruction, and procedures.  Your ability to effectively manage the classroom environment and student behavior is essential for student learning and participation. Examples and explanations of each of these expectations:

1. Classroom Expectations: the rules that are used to help the students remain focused; they are the standards that guide student behavior.  It is imperative for the Substitute Paraeducator to uphold these standards or classroom expectations. 

2. Instructional Expectations: the tasks and assignments that the students need to complete according to the lesson plans.

3. Procedural Expectations: the methods and ways the student must complete the tasks and assignments. 

Here are some examples of behavior management strategies that can be used in the classroom:

• Set limits for behavior by telling students your tolerance level. 

• Ignore behaviors that might increase if given attention. 

• Develop a signal to let students know behavior is unacceptable. 

• Reinforce students for appropriate behavior. 

• Provide students with breaks from work when they become agitated or bored. 

• Redirect bored students back to task by offering to help, discussing the assignment, or complimenting the student's accomplishment on the completed part of the task.

• Always treat students with respect. 

• Always do what is best for the student and have the student’s best interests in mind. 

• Seek solutions, not blame.

• Model respectful behavior.

• Use the least intrusive intervention possible.

• Make a connection with the students.

• Instill hope for success. 

• Never display behavior that is disrespectful, illegal, immoral, ineffective, and/or bad for health/safety.

• Never give up on a student, be perturbed with the actions of a student, but continue to believe in his/her ability to change for the better.

• Model the behaviors you want your students to engage in.

• Make your initial contact with each student a positive one. Each day say "Good morning!" or "How are you?"

Use these strategies to improve your classroom management:

• Circulate through the room. Physical proximity to students can stop inappropriate behavior before it starts. 

• Say please and thank you every chance you get. 

• Follow the educators lead.

• Make sure the students know what to do in the classroom.

• Use positive praise.  Tell students you appreciate their efforts and class contributions.

• Use cooperative learning strategies. 

• Catch students being good and reinforce that behavior. 

• Keep students attention on educator when instruction is happening

Emergency Plans and Procedures

Each school shall establish procedures and programs to assure the safety of all personnel in the school.  

First Aid, Safety, and Confidentiality

Follow the normal school procedures when handling emergencies. You should not send a seriously injured student to the office alone; contact the office for assistance.

As a substitute you are responsible for the safety of the students’ learning environment. You should not put students in a dangerous situation. Always use caution and due care.

Students’ should never be released or be allowed to leave the school without express consent from the office.

State and federal law prohibits the release or disclosure of confidential information about students.  Having a casual conversation that includes confidential information about a student (especially medical or learning disability and/or behavior) is prohibited.

All accidents in which injury occurs must be reported on the appropriate accident report form.  See the building administrator to obtain and submit such a form.

Illness of Students 

Substitutes should not dispense medication of any kind (over the counter or prescription) to a student.  Students should be sent to the office or health office.  The office or health office will have written documentations containing information about administering medications to the student. NO MEDICATION SHOULD BE DISPENSED IN THE CLASSROOM!!

If a student is required to take medication while attending school, the parent may request the school nurse or clinic aide to assume the responsibility of dispensing the medication to the child at the scheduled time.  All such requests should be reviewed with the school nurse before they are honored.  This service may be given only upon written request by the attending physician stating dosage, type of medication, possible side effects, and how it is to be administered.  Whenever possible, parents are requested to administer medication at home

Disabilities and Special Education 

In compliance with the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there will be students with mild, moderate, and/or severe disabilities in general education classrooms for varying times during the school day.  The IDEA requires that all students with disabilities be served in the least restrictive environment.  This means that students with disabilities should when possible be educated in general education classes with their peers.  Students with disabilities will have either an IEP or 504 Plan.  These plans are designed to provide structure for the students' learning.  

The IEP is an individual educational plan for students with special educational needs.  This plan is written in collaboration with the general education and special education educators at the school. The plan contains the services to be given to the student, and the students' learning goals and objectives for a specific time period. The 504 Plan provides classroom accommodations for students. 

Substitutes are required to follow the information that is outlined in the regular Paraeducator’s lesson plans regarding IEP or 504 Plan. Follow the directions and information provided by the educator and in the lesson plan will help the student with continuity and keep behavior issues at a minimum.  In a classroom where there is an additional Paraeducator, the Substitute Paraeducator is responsible for the duties of the Paraeducator for whom they are subbing.  In some classes, Paraeducators are assigned to students according to the needs of the student. 

Substitute Paraeducator are now entitled to earn sick leave based on hours worked.  They will accrue paid sick leave at a rate of one (1) hour per thirty (30) hours worked, excluding overtime.  Each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) up to 40 hours of accrued sick time may be used. Sick leave shall not accrue for time not worked (paid or unpaid). 

All employees are expected to responsibly use Sick Time.  Employees are to make reasonable efforts to schedule Sick Time, in the event of foreseeable circumstances, and to provide prompt notification, in the event of unforeseeable circumstances.  Attendance at work is an essential function for all District employees.  And, providing the courtesy of advance notice for and communication about absences, unless advance notice is not possible, is expected.  Proper planning for absences is key to maintaining continuity of student instruction and supports.  

We recognize two types of sick leave usage foreseeable and unforeseeable:

Foreseeable absence requires a minimum of 12-hour notice and is for pre-scheduled medical appointments

Unforeseeable absences require a minimum of 2-hour notice or as soon as practicable and is for sudden illness, emergency or accident

Process:

If you have already been assigned to a job and need to be absent due to illness:

1. As soon as you know you are unable to work the assignment, you must immediately login to Absence Management and cancel the assignment to ensure adequate time to fill the absence.  If you are cancelling half of your shift, canceling less than an hour before the start time, or canceling while on assignment you must call the Substitute Office to cancel your assignment after you have emailed.

2. You must submit a google form to the Substitute Office at https://tinyurl.com/PPSsubsick  to inform us you are requesting use of your accrued sick leave by 11:59pm on the day you are requesting.
   
   

If you are not assigned to a job but would like to request use of your accrued sick leave:

1. You must submit a google form to the Substitute Office at https://tinyurl.com/PPSsubsick  to inform us you are requesting use of your accrued sick leave by 11:59pm on the day you are requesting. 

If you have questions, please email ppssub@pps.net

Employees hired on or after August 29, 2003 are eligible for the Oregon OPSRP retirement program.  Membership in the OPSRP Pension Program is established by meeting the following:

• Be an eligible employee of a PERS employer; 

• Complete a “waiting time” of six full calendar months, which requires that the eligible employee:

• be employed for six months in a qualifying position with the same PERs-covered employer;

• have no break in employment greater than 30 consecutive working days;

• Be employed with the same employer on the last calendar day of the waiting time; and

• Be employed with the same employer on the first calendar day of the month following completion of the waiting period.

All requirements must be met to establish OPSRP membership.  If any of the requirements are not completed, the waiting time starts over on the first day of the calendar month the employee is hired into a qualifying position by a different PERS-covered employer, or upon returning from a break in employment of greater than 30 consecutive working days with the same PERS-covered employer.

Eligible employees hired into a qualifying position between December 2 and December 31, 2017, or eligible employees hired into non-qualifying positions, who have worked 600 hours or more with all PERS employers in 2018, establish OPSRP pension Program membership on July 1, 2018, if all membership requirements are met.

All contributions for employees establishing OPSRP membership on or after January 1, 2016, begin with the first full pay period following the six-month waiting time.  At that time an employee contribution of 6% of gross salary on a pre-tax basis will be collected with each paycheck received, which is deposited into a 100% vested IAP retirement account in your name. This contribution is not subject to Federal and State taxes until it is withdrawn from the retirement system.

Additionally, the District contributes an amount to OPSRP for each covered employee to cover a monthly annuity benefit at retirement. Vesting occurs after working five calendar years for a PERS employer.  Members automatically vest at age 65, even if they have worked fewer than five years. More information is available by calling 503-598-7377 or going to http://www.oregon.gov/PERS/ .

If you are currently a PERS Tier I or Tier II employee when beginning work at PPS, please inform PPS Payroll at (503) 916-3302, as soon as possible after beginning employment.

Your hours as a substitute will be reported to PERS/OPSRP as four hours for each half-day or eight hours for each full day worked.