Elementary Preparation and Enrichment Program FAQ

Elementary Preparation and Enrichment Program

The Elementary Preparation and Enrichment Teachers have two primary responsibilities – delivering specialized enrichment lessons to students while the classroom teachers are provided preparation time. While their schedule and day may look different from a regular classroom teacher, Elementary Preparation and Enrichment Teachers are part of the credentialed teaching staff and have the same rights and responsibilities (Section 8.6.5.2). The intent of this language is to ensure that supervisory duties are on par with those required of other credentialed staff, that they have access to necessary teaching equipment and supplies, have an equitable amount of preparation time (including minimum days), and that they are given priority consideration for workspace needs for the enrichment focus to be offered. [See Sections 8.6.5.2., 8.6.5.3., 8.6.5.5.] 

Are Enrichment Teachers part of the shared decision-making process?  

The Elementary Preparation and Enrichment Program is governed by a site’s Preparation Time and Enrichment Advisory Committee (PTEAC). The purpose of this committee is to assist with the operation of the program. This is a shared decision-making body with the Administrator, Association Representative, and Enrichment Teacher(s) as equal stakeholders. Additional members can participate, but are not required, and should act as one shared voice.

 It is recommended that the PTEAC should not be “stacked” to outweigh the voice of the Enrichment Teacher(s), and decisions should be made as a cooperative team. The Enrichment Teacher(s) (both full and part time) should have an equal voice in the decisions made, including the creation of the schedule, how to handle shortened weeks, or how to utilize additional blocks. It is an acceptable practice for the Enrichment Teacher to create the schedule, and the Committee then makes adjustments and suggestions for revising the schedule with input from the Enrichment Teacher. 

IF the Enrichment Teacher is handed a prewritten schedule by the Administrator, this is NOT a shared decision and a violation on our union contract. Additionally, the Association Representative should be on the Committee to equally protect the rights of the Enrichment Teacher(s) as well as the Classroom Teachers. [Section 8.6.4.4.] 

Don’t have a site Advisory Committee? Contact your Association Representative to form one.

Enrichment Teachers are not Visiting Teachers nor Noon Duty personnel!

Elementary Enrichment teachers have historically been utilized as the go-to solution for coverage – whether for additional supervisory duties or emergency classroom coverage. Both are violations of the contract. Elementary Enrichment teachers can ONLY be asked to engage in emergency class coverage during their own prep time. This is the same as all other SDEA unit members [Section 8.9.1.]. 

If the Enrichment Teacher has been pulled to cover a class for the day, or part of the day, and it is not during their prep time, this is a violation of the union contract. A grievance should be filed not only on behalf of the Enrichment Teacher, but also on behalf of the teachers who did not receive their preparation time during the coverage. It is recommended that grievances filed by regular Classroom Teachers on their missed preparation time in this situation should NOT include remedies provided by the Enrichment Teacher. 

Additionally, if this exceeds more than one hour in one year, the teacher (Enrichment OR regular Classroom Teacher) shall be compensated for the additional time. Lack of subs or COVID does not negate this contract language.

Visiting Teachers shall be provided during an Enrichment Teacher’s absence

Enrichment teachers have the same rights and opportunities as Classroom Teachers to use their sick and personal leave as needed. Often, Enrichment Teachers are pressured to not take their leave because Classroom Teachers will lose their preparation time if there is no Visiting Teacher. The contract language is clear that an Enrichment Teacher’s absence will be covered by a Visiting Teacher [Section 8.6.4.3.]. It is NOT the Enrichment Teacher’s responsibility to “makeup” lost preparation time for Classroom Teachers if a Visiting Teacher does not pick up the job or is pulled to cover another classroom. 

Consider this: If an Enrichment Teacher were to have an illness that kept them out for a week or more and no Visiting Teacher covered their assignment, are they expected to “makeup” the entire week of preparation time for Classroom Teachers? A possible remedy would be for the Resident Visiting Teacher to cover the lost preparation time, or to bring in a Visiting Teacher on another day to provide the missed preparation time. Other possible remedies can be decided on a case-by-case basis as part of the shared-decision making process of the Enrichment and Preparation Time Advisory Committee, but should not require the Enrichment Teacher to perform this task.

Enrichment Teachers only Teach within their emphasis area

The purpose of the Enrichment Teacher, beyond providing preparation time, is to offer enrichment in a specific subject area that is selected through the Site Governance Team. They cannot be required to provide any support or instruction other than in the selected emphasis area. For example, if you are a PE Enrichment Teacher, you can not be required to provide literacy instruction. 

This contract language is also relevant when attempts are made to pull the Enrichment Teacher to cover a regular classroom – which would include teaching outside of their emphasis. It does not matter if the Elementary Enrichment teacher possesses the appropriate credential or certificate in addition to their assigned emphasis, the Elementary Enrichment teacher cannot be required to teach anything outside of the site’s emphasis area. [Section 8.6.5.6.] 

Preparation emphasis changes must follow a protocol

Any change in emphasis at the school site must be decided through the Site Governance Team. Proposals for changes must be presented through this process, and the current Elementary Enrichment teacher(s) MUST be notified and allowed an opportunity to participate and present their views.  Any emphasis changes that occur must be turned in to the district-level Elementary Preparation Time and Enrichment Committee by February 1st, in the year prior to the change taking effect. Emphasis allocations should be kept whole (1.0). If the allocation is a whole AND a partial, then the emphasis area can be split, as long as one of them remains whole (example: 1.2 allocation can be split 1.0 science + 0.2 PE). 

Classroom Teacher preparation time scheduling and coverage

The contract specifies that 45 minutes will be provided to TK – 3rd grade teachers, and 55 minutes to 4th – 6th grade teachers. These times are a minimum requirement. If there is enough room in the schedule, classes can be expanded to go beyond the minimums, or a plan made for providing additional enrichment in an equitable and fair manner. Additional enrichment may be a remedy for combination, oversized, IEP-heavy classes, or as part of the upper grade support plan, or can be distributed equally. Some preparation schedules have a block for flexibility, makeups, etc.. How to use additional time should be part of the shared decision-making process of the PTEAC. 

That being said, it is acceptable to allow transition time between classes in order for the enrichment teacher to break down or set up equipment and supplies. Gaps may also occur because of recess and lunch schedules. This does not mean that each gap needs to be filled – as long as teachers are receiving an equitable amount of preparation time. Teaching enrichment with multiple classes a day with a minimum amount of space has unique requirements that do not match or align with the regular elementary classroom teaching. 

Enrichment Teacher schedules should only be providing preparation time to a total of 23 teachers. The limit of 23 includes the Enrichment Teacher – 22 classroom teachers + themselves. [Section 8.6.5.1.]  

How do Enrichment Teachers handle scheduling complications such as holidays and parent teacher conferences?

There are many options for ensuring that all teachers are provided with an equitable amount of preparation time for holidays and parent-teacher conference weeks. The most common and acceptable methods are: (1) creating an alternative, reduced-block schedule for the shortened weeks, (2) including a block within the schedule to do  “makeups”, or (3) a combination of both methods. Other creative options might be acceptable as long as other contractual language is followed. The Enrichment Teacher’s voice should be heard on how to make this work for themselves and other teachers. 

Elementary Enrichment teachers are not the Teacher of Record

Enrichment teachers provide an equitable amount of preparation time to Classroom Teachers at the school site, according to the contractual guidelines, in the emphasis selected by the site. Enrichment Teachers are not assigned a roster and are, therefore, not required to provide report card grades. Since Enrichment programs vary so vastly across the district, there is no specific curriculum, set of outcomes, or protocol for each emphasis area. The subject matter taught by the Elementary Enrichment teacher should enhance, enrich, or heighten interest in the students’ experience in that area and not stand in for or replace the role of the Classroom Teacher in teaching that subject.  The Enrichment Teacher should not be teaching the district-adopted curriculum that is meant to be taught to the students by the Classroom Teacher. It is not reasonable to expect the enrichment teacher to be able to cover all standards and adequately evaluate students to provide grades based on one session a week. Lessons and activities do not have to be grade-level specific, can be taught to multiple grade levels (e.g., K-2, 3-5; or K-1, 2-3, 4-5), and can focus on building skills, stamina, and/or interest in the subject.

Source: Collective Negotiations Contract, July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2022 (Sections 8.6, 8.9, 8.15)