Challenges Substitute Teachers have Faced this Year

Let’s face it, without healthy teachers our schools are forced to shut down. When substitutes walk through our school buildings they do not go unnoticed and often are the reason why we can continue to provide a solid instructional format while teachers are not always able to be present due the current times that we are facing.

Let’s think of the big picture. In a small school of five hundred students, if three teachers are forced to quarantine due to contact with a positive COVID case, regardless if it is school related or contact during their outside of school activities, they still have to quarantine. This leaves a small school with three less teachers for 14 days. This is two solid weeks of instruction that must be covered by three different substitutes. The three teachers that must quarantine are in addition to the routine daily call-offs of appointments that teachers may have already had scheduled or possibly a sick child, or for some it could be something so needed such as a mental health day.

Whatever the reason, life happens, and we cannot control the number of call-offs that there is each day. What we must truly tend to are our substitutes who are so highly thought of as they are deep in the trenches with our schools and help provide the instruction to our students when their teacher is not able to do so.

It is important to also be mindful of the fear the goes along with entering into a school that has hundreds, sometimes thousands of students and staff within the walls of the building. This in itself can be unsettling as we face the pandemic. Thanks to our substitutes, they are right alongside our teachers, safely doing their best and following the district’s health and safety plans.

Helpful Support and Resources

Just as educators have never faced any of the guidelines that have been placed on schools this year, our substitutes are new to this too. To ensure that our substitutes are provided with the best information to help keep our schools safe, a COVID checklist should be provided to them just as each teacher is aware of the guidelines and health requirements. Substitutes should also be aware of how to speak to the students about COVID.

This often is a checklist of possible symptoms, as well as having students’ temperatures checked every morning before they enter their classroom. It also can give a detailed outline of what to do if you are feeling ill. While this seems like something so minor, it actually is a true concern as staying healthy is the focus for everyone that enters the school.

An additional resource that should be provided to our substitute teachers is the layout of the classroom. This would include a seating chart, as well as reminders of face coverings being worn, when and how to take mask breaks, where the sanitizer is located and what the schedule will look like with all of the COVID safety precautions and guidelines being followed.

Recess and lunch at most schools often look different than in the past, and this is something schools will want to provide the substitutes with a protocol of how this is handled this year. Dismissal also looks very different, and even something as basic as walking in the hallways is completely different than in years past, and substitutes will need a clear description of how all of this “looks” throughout the course of the day.

Naturally, detailed lesson plans should be available for the substitutes, but this is a standard requirement that all teachers and substitutes are familiar with. Overall, much of the day is dedicated to following new and updated guidelines, monitoring safety, being mindful of the challenges students are facing, as well as delivering instruction.

Often, substitutes are facing the obstacle of delivering instruction in a completely different format than ever before. With so many models in each district, a substitute teacher must be familiar with what platform of instruction is being used. This can at times be challenging, as there are some districts that use different platforms even within their own schools. One can only imagine just how confusing, and at times overwhelming, this may be for a substitute teacher who is in multiple schools.

By providing a solid training of the platform that is being used within the building for the substitute who works in the schools daily, this will best prepare them for a platform that they may not be familiar with. Asynchronous, synchronous, blended, hybrid, 100% virtual, or while you may be sitting in a completely empty classroom in front of a computer, these are all challenges and differences that come along with each substitute assignment that is filled.

At the end of each day, we must not forget that your substitute teachers are heroes too! Not only are they heroes, but they are human as well. They deserve the same grace that all teachers deserve during this very challenging and uncertain time. Our students need them more now than ever, just as our school systems rely on them to show up each day, help conquer another day that we are able to provide instruction to our students, and make it a success. Without our substitutes, schools that are able to stay open would not be able to do so. They truly are our forgotten heroes that need the most support during these challenging times.

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The allegory above represents the simplest form of the situation educators have been facing since the spring of 2020. COVID-19 showed up to haunt us by negatively affecting individuals, families, and organizations around the world. With the upset that began eight months ago came the looming question that we are still searching to answer, “How can we safely educate children?”

How do we plan for school safety during the spread of COVID-19? 

We first must answer a two-part question:  What are the knowns and unknowns?

Let’s address the unknowns first. We don’t know answers to the following:

• When will we have a vaccine for the virus?
• Who will be asymptomatic yet contagious?
• Will the next infected person experience mild, severe, or life-threatening symptoms?
• Why does the virus infect some exposed individuals but not others?

Each unknown answer represents missing information that would otherwise be helpful in planning to safely educate students in schools. Regardless, we must use the information we know, which leads to the second part of the question. Following are the things we know and must use to create safety plans:

• The virus is contagious.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages the use of: face masks, social distancing, hand washing/sanitizing, disinfecting of surfaces, temperature checks, and quarantining (once an individual has tested positive for the virus).
• The definition of “exposure” is to be within six feet of an infected individual for 15 minutes or more.
• Some people are afraid of COVID-19 and some people are not.

How do we use what we know to create a school safety plan?

It’s always wise to consider the advice of professionals. With that being said, considering the advice of medical professionals and applying their suggestions is smart and will contribute to healthier, safer outcomes. For example, the CDC recommends social distancing; thus, a preventive action to include in a school safety plan is to re-write existing arrival and dismissal procedures to ensure the social distancing of students during the beginning and end of each school day.

Chances of exposure and the rate of transmission can be decreased when we consider both the infectious element of the virus and the definition of exposure. Exposure means being within six feet of an infected individual for at least 15 minutes; so, a way to use this fact to promote safety is to establish an accommodating environmental set-up that allows for at least six feet of separation between individuals.

Additionally, important parts of a school safety plan that should be addressed based on the known facts about COVID-19 include:

• Visitor policies and procedures
• Disinfectant procedures and schedules
• Scheduling of student transitions, arrivals, and dismissals
• Use of signs and other visuals to communicate
• Class sizes
• Furniture arrangement
• Safety supplies needed
• Communication with staff, parents, and students
• Assignments of extra duties such as temperature checks
• Student and staff dress codes – will they include masks?
• Instructional arrangement – virtual, hybrid, or face-to-face

How do you mitigate confusion and fears of community members?

Many times, fear comes from the unknown. If school safety plans are unknown to the community and families, people may be afraid. To mitigate fears, people need to be reassured that the school prioritizes their and their children’s well-being and has a plan for their health and safety, and people need to know specifics about what the plan includes. Family wellness efforts should also be implemented.

Suggestions on communicating safety plans with others include social media, school and district websites, newsletters, emails, articles in the local newspaper, phone calls from individuals at the school, safety brochures outlining the safety plan, and community meetings (which may have to be virtual).

How do you respond to and help staff who are uncomfortable returning to school?

Like community members, staff members can fear the unknown as well. Communication of facts decreases the unknowns and therefore mitigates fear, so share the facts. Clearly communicate the school safety plan with staff and share the reasons for the procedures and expectations in the plan.

Other ways to decrease the fears and discomfort of staff include:

• Assign them to a safety committee that reviews and revises the safety plan when necessary.
• Hold frequent conversations with them to allow staff to express their concerns, opinions, and emotions.
• Express empathy to fearful staff. Tell them you understand and share some of your thoughts and feelings as well.
• Remind staff that “we are in this together” and be available to them when they need to share or express their thoughts.
• Establish a period for staff to visit the school counselor and/or the school nurse for additional support. Encourage self-care outside of school.
• Show staff members schedules for disinfecting.
• Provide staff with personal protection supplies such as masks and hand sanitizer.

Fears and stress can impact health, and we already know the health issues that arise from COVID-19, so we must have a plan that decreases the impact of both.

I’ll conclude with the ending to the “Tale of the COVID-19 Monster” we discussed at the start of the article. “Years and years later, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and students looked back to reminisce on the time of terror and the beastly COVID-19. They talked about life’s changes that occurred and the eventual defeat of the beast. All involved in the conversation made it safely out of the grips of terror and were stronger because of their perseverance, planning, positive attitudes, and collective efforts.”

With proper planning based on the facts, precautions and preventive measures can be taken to help safely educate children and increase overall school safety in the COVID-19 era.

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Many people begin their post-college lives with goals related to ways in which they hope to improve their careers and further their educations. However, the business of daily life often reduces the clarity of these goals as individuals settle into routines and adapt to changing personal and familial circumstances.  The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a virtual pause button for countless people around the world. As a result, those who may have fallen out of touch with their earlier goals have been granted an opportunity to step back and revisit the direction of their lives and reflect upon their progress toward their goals.

One common goal among college graduates is the pursuit of a graduate-level degree. Given the lack of ability to attend public events and travel to an established workplace, many individuals have enrolled in graduate programs in order to maximize their time afforded by the pandemic.

There are several items that should be considered when deciding whether to pursue a graduate degree during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Review your Goals

As you consider whether to enroll in a graduate program or not, an important step is to review your original goals in order to determine if they still fit with your current circumstances. For example, if your long-term career goals will not necessarily be furthered by earning a graduate degree, it is important to compare the cost of the degree to your future earning potential once the degree is earned. Then, determine whether you still wish to pursue the degree for personal edification or focus on other areas that may lead to career advancement.

Although career advancement is important to many, earning a graduate degree has intrinsic value beyond future earning potential. The pursuit of an advanced degree often shapes and modifies one’s perspective related not only to his or her career field but also to life in general. Ultimately, the decision comes down to you. If you have the passion and time to commit yourself to the process, completing a graduate program is an outstanding venture in intellectual growth.

Consider High-Demand Areas

If you are not fully satisfied within your current career field, take the time to research the current areas that are in high demand for qualified individuals. Many people do not realize that it is possible to pursue a graduate-level degree in a different area from their undergraduate degrees in many instances. This factor allows an individual to have the potential to embark on an entirely different career path if they so choose. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has generated numerous career paths that did not exist previously, particularly within the areas of technology and communication. As a result, if you find yourself with extra time as a result of the pandemic, you might consider exploring and pursuing an advanced degree that will assist you in becoming highly marketable in the new economy.

Unique Benefits to Earning a Graduate Degree

Beyond the career benefits of holding a graduate degree, many people do not consider their added potential for teaching at the collegiate level. A number of community colleges and smaller institutions are willing to hire individuals who hold a graduate degree (without a doctoral degree) to serve as adjunct faculty members and even as full-time professors in some cases. Beyond the potential for working as an instructor at the post-secondary level, holding a graduate degree demonstrates your commitment to being the best in your field to future employers.

Potential Challenges

Naturally, the process of earning a graduate degree can be challenging. Even though you may find yourself with extra time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you will need to be disciplined in study habits and assignment completion; you should be prepared for the rigors of your selected program. Additionally, if you share your home with others, you should establish a work space in which you can be as free from distractions as possible in order to be able to focus as you will need a location and time to devote your full attention to your course work.

Should I?

As long as you have the time and commitment necessary to succeed in a graduate program, you should do it. The abundance of online degree programs has streamlined the graduate degree process to an extent that was unimaginable only a few years ago. As you consider your options, be sure to select the program that is best for you in terms of format, completion time, and long-term benefit. Hopefully, several years from now, you will look back and reflect upon the positive outcomes from earning your graduate degree.

The post Should I Go to Grad School During COVID-19? appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

To that end, the Department of Education has announced a number of different relief efforts for students who are either currently enrolled in school or who are in loan repayment to help mitigate some of the effects that we may be all feeling.

COVID-19 Financial Aid Relief Efforts

As of today, here are some of the approved relief efforts that are underway for those impacted by COVID-19:

On March 13, 2020, it was announced that that all loans owned by the US Department of Education will have interest waived for the foreseeable duration of the COVID-19 outbreak (a minimum of 60 days). If you have loans in repayment, as long as they are owned by the US Department of Education, they will be eliminating all interest that would normally accrue. This includes Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct Subsidized Loans in repayment (they are already interest free while you are enrolled), as well as Federal Perkins Loans and FFEL Loans.

If your loans are not currently held by the US Department of Education, you do have the option to consolidate your currently-held loans by the US Department of Education (ED) so your interest will be waived. However, it is possible that once the 0% interest waiver period ends that you could have a higher interest rate under ED than you did with your previous servicer, so it’s important to ask that question prior to consolidation. Your current servicer will be able to provide you with the terms that your loans are under (loan balance, interest rate and total amount paid) and how it would compare if you consolidated them under ED.

To find out who your servicer is and whether or not you currently qualify to have your interest waived, use your current FSA ID and password. If you do not know your FSA ID or password, or need to create one, you can do that from the same webpage under ‘manage my FSA ID’ or ‘Create an FSA ID’ tabs. You can also contact ED at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243 or 1-800-730-8913 for the deaf or hearing impaired) for assistance.

If you find that your loans are currently owned by ED, there is nothing else that you need to do, and the interest will be waived automatically as of March 13, 2020.

It’s important to note, though, that if your interest is being waived, your monthly payment will not go down. During this time when the interest is waived, your loan payment will remain the same, but the entire amount that you pay will be applied to principle, which means that you are likely to pay your balance down much more quickly during this time period.

During this period of time you also have the option of suspending your payments under a specific type of forbearance called administrative forbearance, which has been enacted as a result of COVID-19. An administrative forbearance allows the borrower to temporarily stop making payments to their federal student loans without becoming delinquent. Because the interest is already being waived, interest will not accrue during this time. Your loan servicer will cancel any scheduled auto-debit payments and your payments will not resume until after the approved period ends. If you are current on your loan payments and you wish to request an administrative forbearance, you should contact your loan servicer.

If you are already 31 days or more behind on your current loan payments as of March 13, 2020, your servicer will automatically place you in an administrative forbearance to give you a safety net during the COVID-19 national emergency.

If you are pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or Income-Driven Forbearance (IDR Forgiveness), you may not want to go into an administrative forbearance unless absolutely required for your current financial status. The time that you are in the administrative forbearance does not count towards your required number of minimum payments that both forgiveness programs have, so the time you are under administrative forbearance would extend the amount of time before your loan balances are forgiven. However, if your income has changed as a result of COVID-19, you may qualify for a lower monthly payment under an IDR plan, and your payments could be adjusted to as low as $5, and this would count towards the forgiveness period. If you are on an IDR Plan and your income has changed, you can update your information and get a new payment amount anytime online. To do so, visit here and click on ‘Apply Now’ and then start an application by clicking the button next to ‘Recalculate my monthly payment.’

If you can afford to make your monthly loan payments during this time, I strongly encourage you to do so, as the full amount of your payment will go towards your principle, thus reducing the amount of interest accrued and shortening your payment terms drastically. However, if this is not possible for you, know that you are not alone and that there are many new resources available to support you during this time.

Update as of 03/31/2020 – New Changes

As of the signing of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) on March 27, 2020, there are now new benefits for students currently in repayment on their Federal Student Loans. The CARES Act seeks to provide many financial incentives to help stabilize the economy and provide relief to taxpayers during this unprecedented time. A summary of some of the new changes are below:

Federal Student Loan Payments will be automatically stopped and the interest rates set to 0% on all eligible loans from March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2020. If your loans qualify, your servicer is required to contact you prior to April 14^th to inform you that your loan payments are automatically being deferred and will not require a payment until on or after October 1, 2020.

If your loans are automatically deferred and payments postponed, the servicer is also required to reach out to you in August to remind you when your payments will resume. Loans that qualify include all Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS Loans) and FFEL and Perkins loans owned by the Department of Education regardless of their current standing (default, delinquency or good standing).

FFEL Loans and Perkins Loans that are still owned by private commercial lenders or your previous institution do not qualify. If you have loans in these categories and wish to qualify for the 0% interest rate period that is in effect until September 30, 2020, you can still choose to consolidate them with the Department of Education.

Additionally, the CARES Act now allows the suspended payments from March-September to still count towards Income Driven Repayment Forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness as though you were still making on time payments. Additionally, if you are in the process of rehabilitating your defaulted loans, the suspended payments will also count towards your rehabilitation period.

If you wish to continue making payments during this time you are free to do so by contacting your servicer. Any payments made during this time will go directly to principle, so it’s a great time to make the payments if you can afford to do so. During this time, you can choose to pay any amount, regardless if it is more or less than your previously scheduled monthly payment.

Finally, if you are currently defaulted on your federal student loans, the Department of Education will temporarily suspend collections penalties, such as confiscation of your federal tax refunds, reduction in social security benefits, or wage garnishments. This will also remain in effect until September 30, 2020.

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There is a recent shift in Washington that is now allowing and encouraging bills focused on providing key financial relief strategies to the American population to emerge. There are currently dozens of bills with a variety of relief strategies under debate, and these are set to continue for the foreseeable future.

Undoubtedly you are experiencing some of the effects of COVID-19. Whether it’s in your personal classroom as an educator or as a student yourself who is now likely transitioning to an online format, we have all felt it. This article is geared towards students who are currently enrolled in a college or university and what financial aid options and new laws have been put into effect as of March 22, 2020 to provide support to you.

Some of these relief measures may or may not apply to you directly based on your current enrollment status (a.k.a. how many credits you are taking), your personal financial status, and what types of aid you are receiving. Additionally, there is some flexibility for each school on how these relief efforts are administered, so it is possible that your school may implement some of these slightly differently than below. However, this is a starting point for you as a recipient of Federal Student Aid to know that there are options and relief in sight, even if the world feels a bit chaotic right now.

COVID-19 Relief Efforts

On March 5, 2020, the US Department of Education (ED) announced the first of a series of efforts for schools and students impacted by COVID-19. These first relief efforts are summarized below:

Students Living On Campus or in Residential Housing at a School that Closes the Physical Campus

For students who have been forced to relocate from their university or college-sponsored housing as a result of campus closures, schools will be refunding students an appropriate amount (to be determined by each school independently) for unused room and board charges. Since your financial aid eligibility is based on a set of charges that you are scheduled to accrue, under normal circumstances your financial aid would be reduced prior to the refund of housing and board charges. In essence, under ‘normal’ times, if you were scheduled to pay $5,000 in housing and board charges, but then it changed, we would also have to reduce your financial aid by up to $5,000.

So while your total charges and amount owed would be reduced, you also would not be eligible for a refund or check in your pocketbook. However, under the new guidance, ED is allowing schools that are reducing housing and board charges as a result of campus closures to not adjust your financial aid, thus enabling all reduced charges to essentially be refunded back to you in the form of a check or payment. The goal of this is to give cash on hand to students who may now need to secure new housing arrangements.

Students Currently Employed at their College or University Under Federal Work Study

Federal Work Study allows students to work on campus and earn a paycheck for doing so just like any other employee. That means that if the college or university campus closes, you would not be able to work, therefore not earn a paycheck. ED has announced that it will allow a one-time change to the regulations, which allows schools to choose to pay Federal Work Study students their wages even if they are not able to work as a result of COVID-19 closures. This one-time change is optional for schools to partake in, so each school is likely to vary in whether or not or how they choose to implement this.

While the allowance is only for students who are working a Federal Work Study job, many schools are expanding this to all student workers, regardless of their funding source. So it is highly possible that if you are working on your college or university and it is forced to close that you may still be eligible for your earnings for the rest of the semester. Check with your campus supervisor or student employment office to see how your school is planning to handle student work earnings.

Veterans Benefits under the GI Bill Program

If you are a recipient of VA Benefits, these benefits cannot typically be used for online courses unless your school is approved to do so. Since many schools have been forced to adopt online courses unexpectedly, the Veterans Association has temporarily allowed an expansion to their rules and will not take away GI Bill Funding for students whose courses are moved to an online format beyond their control.

There are also several more bills pending on Capitol Hill that are focused specifically on financial resources for enrolled students; while they are not yet approved, we have every reason to expect that they will be in the coming days. So please stay tuned for more information as this continues to evolve. And also, always know that each financial aid office understands how challenging this time is for students. So while many of us are simultaneously adapting to our new remote working realities and challenges, we also are here to serve you as best we can. If you ever feel overwhelmed, unsure, or need financial support during this time, always reach out to your financial aid department as you never know what options they may have for you.

Update as of 03/31/2020 – New Changes

While the idea of either going back to graduate school or starting graduate school during a global pandemic may sound daunting, it is actually the best time in recent years to attend school as a result of the CARES Act. The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) was signed into legislation on March 27, 2020, and committed over 14 billion dollars in funding for colleges and universities across the country, a minimum of 50% of which must be given out to both undergraduate and graduate students in the form of relief grants.

This is free money that will not need to be paid back to help offset lost wages and provide financial incentives for students. This emergency funding will be awarded by the financial aid department and can be used for any expenses that a student may incur such as tuition, fees, room, board, transportation, or childcare costs. This funding is to be used for both graduate and undergraduate students, but how the school chooses to allocate it is the individual decision of each institution. Additionally, schools that participate in the Federal Campus Based Programs are temporarily allowed to use Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG Grant) funding for graduate students as well as undergraduate students.

For more information on these relief grants, and other additional financial incentives for students during the months ahead, you should contact the financial aid office at your school. However, please be advised that it is likely to be a month or more before schools know how much funding they will receive and how they are going to allocate it.

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