Replacement Staff Training Initiative

1. Replacement Staff Training Initiative Presentation prepared for OESC-CSEO Support Staff Training and Development Project Doris Hood & Jane Zwep

2. History of Repl. Support Staff Hiring • Submit Resume • Attend Interview • Receive Offer of Employment • “Fill Out the Forms” • Wait for the Phone Call • This process proposed many challenges for “new hires” as well as the permanent staff being replaced. • It’s lonely out there …. can we do better?

3. Why Do We Need Change? Because … it’s lonely out there … • Basic processes and instructions provided - varied greatly from school to school. • On arrival, replacement staff are not fully equipped to fulfill duties of job. • Who can replacement staff call for help? • Places undue stress on the replacement as well as the permanent staff member.

4. What Do We Want to Achieve? • “One stop shop” for all essential school site information that anyone coming in for one day would need to know. • Continuity from site-to-site, re: use of template for organization of the information (and provide colour-coded binder for each site). • Provide contact information for local expertise (neighbouring school Secretary). • Hold Information centrally - where School Support Trainer is able to access in case of need/emergency.

5. How Will We Achieve This? • Implement Replacement Manual (based on standard template) • Mandatory Orientation/Training Day for New Hires • Provide Voluntary OTJ Coaching Opportunity

6. Implement Replacement Manual How did we come up with the template? -borrowed “good idea” from another Board -customized for our needs How did we know it would work? -tested template in two elementary schools -tweaked based on feedback of replacement staff How did we implement Board-wide? -system memo -permanent staff were provided additional time (3.5 hrs) – paid upon submission of completed template -timeline: one month (May, w/ goal of September launch)

7. Training Day for New Hires

8. On the Job (Site) Orientation Opportunity - half day (voluntary, unpaid) Enrolment - at training day, participants fill in form indicating three schools, in order of preference (one selection will be chosen, based on availability) Scheduling -Jane collates information, contacts permanent secretaries at listed schools – who make their own arrangements with the replacement Evaluation -checklist is completed during the visit -both participants an evaluation – return to Jane

9. Success – You Bet! How Do We Know? • monitoring and evaluation (formal and informal) at every step (for both permanent and replacement staff) • random school office checks during Support Trainer visits • unsolicited email/feedback from replacement staff members who have completed process • involve “front line” permanent Secretaries in process

10. The Model & the Future The future’s so bright … I gotta wear shades … • Training Day to happen twice yearly in coordination with HR replacement list hiring/interviews • Mandatory participation in training day for new hires (unpaid, must be completed to get your name on the list) • Voluntary opportunity for On-the-Job Orientation • Connection established with School Office Support Trainer • Re-model of HR’s support staff employee hire package (paper version) • Revision of permanent secretary - school office reference manual • Roll out to remaining support staff groups • Exploration of secondary replacement manual

11. Presenter Information Doris Hood – Distance Education Officer dorihood@fc.amdsb.ca Jane Zwep – School Office Support Trainerjanezwep@fc.amdsb.ca