Guidelines

For

Substitutes

201 E. 12th Street, Durango, Colorado 81301

www.durangoschools.org

Voice (970) 247-5411 Ext. 1430

Fax (970) 385-3643

Aesop (970) 247-4324

Revised December 2015

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WELCOME TO DURANGO SCHOOL DISTRICT 9-R!

Welcome to our school community and thank you for being a very important part of our students’ success!

You play a critical role in their success as a substitute for a classroom teacher, aide or school

administrative assistant.

This booklet contains general information to assist you in your mission. Each school will provide specific

instructions when you report to its office for an assignment.

We want each day to be a great experience both for you and for the students you will be interacting with.

Should you have any questions, please talk with the building’s administrative assistant or principal.

Cordially,

Human Resources Department

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome Letter 2

Table of Contents 3

Durango School District 9-R Staff 4

District 9-R Schools Directory 5

Directions to Durango School District 9-R Schools 6

Map of District 9-R Schools - Durango no number

Map of District 9-R Schools – La Plata County 8

Guest Teaching in Durango School District 9-R 9

Payroll Information 9

Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) 10

Colorado Teaching Certification/Licensure 10

Student Teachers/Interns as Guest Teachers 10

Expectations for Substitutes 10

Substitute Appraisal 11

Discipline Strategies for Substitutes 11

Cooperative Learning 12

Active Learning Process 12

DURANGO SCHOOL DISTRICT 9-R

Central Administration Offices 201 East 12

th Street

Durango, Colorado 81301 (970) 247-5411

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BOARD OF EDUCATION President……………………………………………..…………………….Andy Burns

Vice President……………………………………………………………..Nancy Stubbs

Treasurer……………………………….…………………………………..Stephanie Moran

Member…………………………………………….……………………....Kim Martin

Member................................................................................................Matt Sheldon

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Dan Snowberger………………………….……….Superintendent

Victor Figueroa…………………………………….Director of Operations

Jackie Oros……..…………………………….........Director of Student Services

Mike Hoyt…………………………………………...Coord of Student Information Svcs.

Krista Garand………………………….…………...Supervisor of Student Nutrition

Jason Austin……………………………………….Director of Finance

Ryan Robley..……………………………………...Transportation Manager

Lynn Mather …………..…………………………..Direct of Curriculum, Instruction, Asses.

Christy Bloomquist………………………………...Direct of Curriculum, Instruction, Asses.

Deborah Gidney …………………………………..Payroll and Benefits Manager

Laura Galido……………………………………….Director of Human Resources

Christy Morgan……………………………..……...Employment Coordinator

Isabel Viana………………………………...……...Substitute Coordinator

John Marchino...…………………………………...Principal of Shared School

Julie Snider-Popp………………………………….Public Information Officer

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DIRECTORY OF DISTRICT 9-R SCHOOLS

School/ Address/ Principal/ Bell Times Telephone Administrative Assistant Durango High School:

8:20 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. 2390 Main Ave. Leanne Garcia Monday Release 2:30 p.m. 259-1630 Ronda Higby

Escalante Middle School

8:10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 141 Baker Lane Jeremy Voss Monday Release 2:20 p.m. 247-9490 Tami Jantz

Miller Middle School

8:10 a.m. - 3:10 p.m. 2626 Junction St. Robert Nuhn Monday Release 2:20p.m. 247-1418 Gail Cartwright Animas Valley Elementary

7:45 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 373 Hermosa Meadows Rd. Michol Brammer Monday Release 1:20 p.m. 247-0124 Leslie Van Lindt

Florida Mesa Elementary

7:50 a.m. - 2:50 p.m. 216 Hwy. 172 Vanessa Fisher Monday Release 1:20 p.m. 247-4250 Lynd Jeter

Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary

7:30 a.m. - 2:35 p.m. 11274 Hwy. 140, Hesperus, CO Karen Gray Monday Release 1:05 p.m. 588-3366 Denise Herrera

Needham Elementary

7:50 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 2425 West 3rd

Ave. David Tanaka Monday Release 1:30 p.m. 247-4791 Rhonda LaVenture

Park Elementary

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 623 East 5th

St. Kathleen Lau Monday Release 1:30 p.m. 247-3718 Debi Lorenz

Riverview Elementary

7:55 a.m. - 2:55 p.m. 2900 Mesa Ave. Doug Geygan Monday Release 1:30 p.m. 247-3862 Mary Logan

Sunnyside Elementary

7:50 a.m. - 2:50 p.m. 75 C.R. 218 Dylan Connell Monday Release 1:20 p.m. 259-5249 Jamie Yarbrough

Big Picture High School

8:20 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 215 East 12th

Street Alain Henry Monday Release 2:30 p.m. 259-0203 Trudy Colford

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DIRECTIONS TO DURANGO SCHOOL DISTRICT 9-R SCHOOLS

Durango High School: Adjacent to the Fairgrounds at 2390 Main Ave. (259-1630)

Escalante Middle School: On Camino del Rio (Hwy 550/160 East), turn at Wal-Mart light, at first stop

sign make a left, then first right to school. 141 Baker Lane (247-9490)

Miller Middle School: North on Main Avenue to 25th St. (Junction St.), turn west and the school is on the

right. 2626 Junction St. (247-1418)

Animas Valley Elementary: Main Avenue to Hwy 550 North. From 32nd

St. go approximately 7.5 miles

to Hermosa Meadows Rd. 373 Hermosa Meadows Rd. (247-0124)

Florida Mesa Elementary: Leave Durango via Hwy 160 East, go to light at intersection of Highways 160

and 172, turn south. (Elmore’s Corner) School is about .1 mile on the left. 216 Hwy 172 (247-4250)

Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary: Allow a minimum of 30 minutes from the Double Tree Hotel at Hwy 160

West & Hwy 550 intersection. Main Ave. to Hwy. 160 West, left on Hwy 141 (Wildcat Canyon Rd.). Go

approximately 12 miles, left on Hwy 140 to school on left. 11274 Hwy 140, Hesperus (588-3331)

Needham Elementary: Main Ave. to 24th St. (High School light) and turn left. 2425 West 3

rd Ave. (247-

4791)

Park Elementary: From College Dr. to East 6th Ave, south to school on left. 623 East 5

th St. (247-3718)

Riverview Elementary: Florida Rd. to left on Riverview Dr., turn right on Mesa Ave. to school. 2900

Mesa Ave. (247-3862)

Sunnyside Elementary: Hwy 160 East to Farmington Hill (Hwy 550 South toward Farmington). Stay on

highway (approximately 9 mi.) until school on left at County Road 218. 75 C.R. 218 (259-5249)

DeNier Youth Detention Center: South on Camino Del Rio to 2nd

light after the Double Tree Hotel. Turn

west at Bodo Dr., go to end and turn right on Turner Dr. Center is on right. 720 Turner Dr. (375-2781)

Big Picture High School: Main Ave. to 12th Street, and turn East. School is directly east of the Durango

School District Administration Building. 215 E 12th Street (259-0203)

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Miller Middle

School

Needham

Elementary

Riverview Elementary

Durango High School

DeNier

Youth

Center

Park Elementary

District 9-R Schools - Durango

Big Picture High School

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Durango School District 9-R Schools La Plata County

Animas Valley

Elementary

Sunnyside

Elementary

Fort Lewis Mesa

Elementary

Escalante

Middle School

Florida Mesa

Elementary

District 9-R Schools - La Plata County

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SUBSTITUTING IN THE DURANGO SCHOOL DISTRICT 9-R Our automated Aesop system interacts with our substitutes by telephone and online. Either way allows you to choose your jobs and schedule your available days and hours. The phone system starts calling substitutes at 5:00 in the morning for jobs for the current day. The system calls substitutes between 5:00 p.m. and 9 p.m. for jobs the following day and later. If jobs for the current day are still unfilled at 6:30 a.m., the substitute coordinator, principals and administrative assistants my also manually call all substitutes available. You can log into Aesop at www.aesoponline.com. You may also call the automated system at 800-942-3767 at any time during the day or night to review available jobs, accept and cancel assignments. If for any reason you are unable to fulfill an assignment, please cancel through Aesop as soon as you know. It is also helpful to schedule non-work days in Aesop if you will be out of town or not available on specific days. If you are in a long-term assignment and need a sick day, please contact the school principal or administrator supervising your work immediately. If you arrive at your assignment and are no longer needed, you will receive a half-day’s pay. You may also be asked to substitute in other areas of the school during that half day. If the building has no need for your help and there is a position available elsewhere, you may be placed at another building. If the Durango 9-R District asks you to travel to a new location, it will reimburse you the mileage for the one-way trip from the original site to the new.

PAYROLL INFORMATION

The daily rate of pay for certified substitutes is $95.00 for full days and $47.50 for half days.

The long-term certified substitute’s daily rate of pay is $170/day effective the sixth day of a continuing assignment. Long-term pay must be preapproved by the school principal.

Long-term certified substitutes are not eligible for sick leave or personal leave. All leave they take is without pay. Please obtain the principal’s preapproval when arranging any unpaid personal days. If the break in service is for only one day, the pay will not revert back to the regular daily rate but will resume at the long-term rate upon return to duty. If the break in service is longer than one day, except for illness, the pay reverts back to the regular substitute teacher daily pay for five days. If you are in a long-term assignment for more than 90 days, there will be a two-day break without pay, but you will not revert back to regular pay. You will be able to substitute in other positions during these two days at the short-term rate, then return to the long-term assignment.

Any substitute who is filling in for a classified position will be paid at Step1 on the salary schedule for the specific position that they are substituting for, with the following exception: All substitutes for clerical positions will be paid at Step 1 of the School Secretary salary schedule. Please refer to the district website for current Salary Schedules at http://humanresources.durangoschools.org/salary-schedules.

There is no long-term substitute pay rate for classified substitutes.

If you have a change of address, name or telephone number, you must go to Human Resources to fill out the appropriate form. Name changes also require additional documentation. Call extension 1438 if you would like additional information.

Payroll closes on the 15th day of each month and timesheets are due in the Payroll Office at that

time. Please, do not send timesheets to the substitute coordinator. For payroll questions, call extension 1432 or 1435.

Substitutes are paid on the 26th of every month unless this date falls on a weekend. You may choose

to receive your check by direct deposit or by mail. Paychecks are not available for pickup. Pay stubs are emailed to the substitute’s email address.

When reporting to assignments, substitutes are required to wear the district’s photo ID badge and to check in at the office. A building administrator must sign your timesheet after you have worked each day. Your timesheet must include your printed name, the position in which you worked, the last four digits of your social security number and your signature.

To resign from substituting, please submit a written resignation letter to the substitute coordinator at subfinder@durango.k12.co.us.

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If you don’t work at least one assignment during fall and spring semesters, we will consider it your intention to no longer substitute in the District 9-R and your employment status will be updated to “resigned” without written notification. To return to substituting, you will need to fill out a new employment application.

Attending a 2-hour substitute orientation is mandatory before you can accept your first assignment. The District pays substitutes $25 minus the appropriate payroll taxes for attending orientation.

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION (PERA) All substitutes are required to have PERA deductions withheld from their pay. PERA contributions replace

contributions to Social Security. Please contact PERA at www.copera.org/ for more information. You

may also call 9-R’s benefits manager at extension 1435.

COLORADO TEACHING LICENSE and SUBSTITUTE AUTHORIZATION The Durango School District 9-R requires certified substitutes to have a valid Colorado teaching license. The District also considers candidates with a 3- or 5-year Colorado substitute authorization for employment as certified substitutes. It is the responsibility of substitutes to keep their license current. Please, send your renewal application to the Colorado Department of Education six months prior to the expiration of your license or authorization. Direct all licensure questions to the Colorado Department of Education. The Durango School District 9-R does not participate in the licensing process.

STUDENT TEACHERS AS SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

Student teachers may be used as paid substitute teachers only when the following conditions are met:

1. The student teacher has obtained a Substitute Authorization from the Colorado Department of Education.

2. The student teacher has completed a certified substitute employment application at www.durangoschools.org.

3. The student teacher has completed 75 days of student teaching and has the approval of the supervising teacher, principal, college supervisor and human resources to start substituting. Student teachers may only substitute for their supervising teachers. Student teachers do not have permission to substitute throughout the building for other teachers.

EXPECTATIONS FOR SUBSTITUTES

1. Do not leave the class unattended at any time.

2. Observe the dress code and wear your badge.

3. Arrive and sign in at the office at least 15 minutes before the start time.

4. Follow the school’s schedule.

5. Review the day’s lesson plans thoroughly.

6. Familiarize yourself with directions for fire drills and lockdowns. Locate the district’s emergency

response chart in the room. Schools hold one emergency drill monthly.

7. Introduce yourself to surrounding teachers.

8. Write your name on the board and greet the students as they enter the room.

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9. Start the class on time and be sure to follow lesson plans for the day. Take attendance early in the day and send it to the office promptly. Have students complete all lessons assigned.

10. Maintain order and set the tone for the class within the first five minutes. Set reasonable limits,

without issuing threats or using physical contact.

11. Do not dismiss students early from class; observe the school’s policy for restroom breaks.

12. Cover the classroom teacher’s extra duties.

13. Be prepared to cover another class or duty for a teacher other than the one you are substituting if the school principal or administrative assistant asks.

14. Do not leave the building during your shift, except during your 30-minute lunch break.

15. Leave the classroom in a clean and orderly manner. Close windows and turn the lights off when

leaving for the day.

16. Check out at the office and pick up your time sheet with an authorized signature. Last-minute cancellations -- within fewer than 24 hours of the start of an assignment -- are only acceptable in an emergency. If you must cancel a job that starts in fewer than 24 hours, please leave a message at 970-247-5411, ext. 1430, or send a note to subfinder@durango.k12.co.us to let us know the reason. Repeated last-minute cancellations may result in the termination of your substitute position with the Durango School District 9-R.

SUBSTITUTE APPRAISAL

Following an assignment, an Appraisal of Substitute form may be completed by the teacher that you substituted for or by building administrators. These forms are used to provide feedback and recommendations for a substitute as well as to document the substitute’s overall performance. If a substitute receives three documented negative appraisals, the substitute will no longer be permitted to work in that capacity in the Durango School District 9-R. Building administrators will follow up with substitutes regarding negative appraisals.

DISCIPLINE STRATEGIES FOR SUBSTITUTES Characteristics of Good Discipline:

It should be immediate and it should be handled unemotionally.

It should be handled unobtrusively.

It should lay out alternatives.

It should result in a clear and mutually understood plan for future behavior.

It should leave the students involved feeling that they are okay, but their choice of behavior is unacceptable.

To Be Emphasized:

Discipline is a mutual responsibility.

Students must be aware of your expectations and should expect your intervention when behavior is poor.

Students choose their behavior.

Document misbehavior for the regular teacher.

Have students work on other tasks or read a book if they finish the assigned work early. Planning for students who finish early helps to eliminate problems.

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Helpful Pointers:

Maintain respect.Have an orderly room.

Get to know your students and let students know that you care.

Be enthusiastic and keep your sense of humor.

Make the class interesting and relevant.

Don’t use schoolwork as a punishment.

Never use threats or humiliate a student.

Never argue with your pupils.

Have as few rules as possible and keep it simple.

Seek help with problems when you need it. The school’s administrative assistant is available by phone.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Cooperative learning occurs when a group of students work together toward a common goal. Responsibilities are shared so that each member contributes to the success of the group. Teachers move about the classroom, monitoring the activity and progress of each group, then work with students as needed.

THE ACTIVE LEARNING PROCESS Students should find school to be an exciting, lively place that engenders enthusiasm for , and engagement in, learning.

Students become engaged in their learning when the concepts being taught have a personal

connection to them, when they see the relevance of applying these concepts in their own life.

Inspiring Active Learning: A Handbook for Teachers by Merrill Harmin offers basic instructional s trategies for the following areas:

• Developing high-involvement lessons

• Expanding student confidence

• Encouraging beyond praise and rewards

• Raising standards of excellence

• Beginning a class

• Concluding a class

• Cooperative group work

• Efficiently using class time

• Handling homework, testing and grading

• Producing meaningful learning

• Stimulating thinking

• Teaching beyond facts and details

The collections of strategies in this handbook have all been tested by many teachers at all levels of

instruction, from kindergarten through college, and have been found to be both workable and

effective. Using such strategies as those shared in this handbook helps teachers inspire students to

take charge of their learning.

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Employee Acknowledgement Form

Guidelines for Substitutes

I have received a copy of the Durango School District 9-R Guidelines for Substitutes

and have reviewed it. I understand the contents of the Guidelines for Substitutes and expectations outlined in it.

___________________________________ Substitute’s Printed Name ___________________________________ Substitute’s Signature ___________________________________ Date