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ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK
Questions and Answers from Cathy Wamsley, Executive Director
Question: I have heard a rumor that the
Pendleton and Hermiston school districts are discussing going to a 4 day
week this fall. Have you heard any information on this? If this happens will it have
any effect on how many days our classrooms meet on a weekly basis? Answer: I have not heard that rumor.
We have reports from the School District Board meetings and that has not
been reported. Even if they did choose that option it would not affect
us. Morrow County has a 4 day week and it does not affect our classrooms
in Morrow County other than on make up days on Fridays meal service
becomes an issue.
Question:
I was wondering why we do child observations every other month. I
observe children while completing assessments and doing individual goal
work, so I was wanting to know what the purpose of the child
observations were. I understand the importance of observing children in
the classroom, and I do so every day. I don't, however, utilize the
child observation forms for any other purpose though, so I'm not sure
what they are for. Perhaps if I knew their purpose, I would utilize
them more, and feel that I am doing something worthwhile instead of
busywork. Not knowing what they are for, and just filing them away to
never be seen again however doesn't seem like the best use of my time.
Answer:
I suggest that you read this in the work plan that can be found on our website.
Question:
It seems as though managers or supervisors overwhelmingly win employee
of the month; why is it that other staff such as TA's, cooks, or bus drivers
do not win the prize as often?
Answer:
You are wrong in your statement that managers and supervisors overwhelmingly win employee of the month. Teachers have been selected 20 times; Family Advocates 5 times; Administrative/Clerical 5 times; Program Managers 6 times; WIC Certifiers 2 times; Teacher Assistants 9 times; Health Resource Staff 1 time; Directors 4 times; USDA 1 time; CCR&R Consultant 1 time; WIC Clerk 1 time; Bus Drivers 2 times; Maintenance 2 times; and Information Systems 1 time. That means that 49 non managerial staff have won the award compared to only 11 supervisors, managers and directors.
Another comment was brought up on the staff survey that the award is thought to be for the Main Office only, so some staff don't participate. Since we have started honoring staff, 18 Main Office Staff have been given the award compared to 42 staff members outside of the Main Office. (one staff member won it twice, once out of the Main Office and again in the Main Office).
Question:
Cathy, why is it that we need 3 associate directors? Wouldn't one be
sufficient?
Answer:
You need to remember that we are a non-profit agency with multiple programs. Each Associate Director has expertise in certain areas for all programs. Administrative Services Associate Director expertise is in human resources and oversees personnel issues (Bureau of Labor) for over 150 employees; another Associate Director - Operations oversees all contracts, leases, facilities (21) for all programs in addition to a special assignment of overseeing the building of a new facility in M-F, and Child & Families Services Associate Director oversees health, mental health, education, and family development for HS/EHS/OPK (our largest program), In the Board's estimation this is a job that is larger than one person or two if you include me.
Question:
If the ballot measures 66 and 67 pass or
don't pass, will this impact OPP funds? And if so, how will this impact us?
Answer:
Most information given at community forums I have attended indicate there will be an impact. The Department of Education has given us no information on how this will affect OPK funds. The have indicated that they have been instructed to come up with 5% decreases to their overall budgets.
Question:
I'm just curious if there are
any rules regarding when teachers can take pullout time? It seems that a lot of
pullout time is happening during the times of day when most classroom activities
like circle time are happening.
Answer:
Usually pull out time is taken when floaters can be made available at sites. In addition, pull out time should be taken at full day centers when it is the least disruptive or during the part of the day that is not high activity time. Most appropriate time seems to occur during nap time and other times in the afternoon.
Question:
Does the grandchild have to be living with us for us to bring them (bring your child to work week) if they were say three can they come to a preschool class with there grandparent even if they do not live with that grand parent. I just want to be clear because I know my grandson would love to come to work with me.
Answer:
I would suggest that instead of these series of questions, you call Aaron and talk directly to him about "Bring Your Child to Work Week."
Question:
What are the policies to bring a
grandchild to work with you or were would I find it? Thanks
Answer:
The policy is located in our PDM Workplan (Policies and Procedures) on the website, under Operations.
Question:
Hi Cathy can we bring a
grandchild to work the week of bring your child to work week?
Answer:
Yes, if it meets all of the other criteria listed under the policy.
Question:
Cathy,
Would it be possible to revise the attendance plan? I have sent home reminders to parents about keeping their children home when they are sick using the guidelines from Amy, policies and the Health Department. When the parents do the right thing by calling me each day and keep their child home, I then have to put them on an attendance plan. I believe it sends the parents mixed messages. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Answer:
Attendance plans are written when you don't know why the child is absent or when the parent is always keeping the child home and the attendance of the child is chronic. If the child is sick one week and the parent reports that to you, and then has very regular attendance - there is no reason to write an attendance plan.
Question:
Cathy, will we get feedback about the surveys parents completed during conferences? Most of the questions were about center staff and it would be good to know what we need to improve and or what our strengths are. Thanks.
Answer:
Darcee is compiling those and I am sure everyone will receive feedback. Our experience in the past with parent surveys is that they have always been very positive.
Question:
Hi Cathy - do we have guidelines on when it is too cold to go outside? Is it different for licensed and unlicensed centers?
Thanks.
Answer:
Classroom staff may choose to implement alternative gross motor play opportunities in the following situations:
1. If the temperature falls below 20 degrees
2. If the temperature rises above 100 degrees
3. In cases where the weather conditions may pose a safety risk to children and staff such as high winds, ice, hail, or thunder and lightning.
See Curriculum and Classroom Daily Plans for recommended alternate gross motor activities in inclement weather.
Question:
Just as the agency acknowledges employee of the month, is there a possibility of acknowledging center of the month? The criteria would be similar to employee of the month but would emphasize team work, cleanliness, positive attitudes, excellence, etc.... This might create stronger teams that work together while promoting pride among center teams. The prize could be froggy dollars for each team member and a certificate acknowledging the teams hard work.
Answer:
We currently do a Center Spotlight on the web page, but very few submit their stories to it. We also need to remember that our agency is more than Head Start/Early Head Start. Whatever we decide to do would also have to include how to do teams for WIC, CCR&R, FSC, CASA, and Healthy Start/Healthy Families.
Question:
Cathy, I was wondering what the guidelines are regarding head start children wearing clothing that is inappropriate. For example a shirt with marijuana leaves, shoes with scary skulls that are praying, people smoking, satanic or bloody pictures. I know if a child smells of smoke we can change their clothes. Can we follow the same guideline? Do other centers have this problem? I do not want to offend the parents but other parents have made comments on how it bothers them. Please advise.
Answer:
I will have the admin team discuss this. At present we don't have any guidelines on children's clothing. I believe that you should speak to the parents about the clothes and share with them your concerns. You should share this with your Education Manager so they can directly observe the clothing that you are seeing. Many of the clothes in fashion now do include skulls.
Question:
Cathy, thank you for the gift card. I appreciate all the little extra's we get from the agency with out asking for them!
Answer:
Question:
Last year the agency was very generous and let us have our paychecks the day
after Thanksgiving. This was a great help for holiday shopping, is there any
chance we can do this again this year?
Answer:
The office is closed on the day after Thanksgiving for holiday. I don't believe this happened last year.
Question:
Why is it that if there is a complaint made to a supervisor it is never kept confidential. This has happened in more then just one or two situations. Then all of the coworkers know who said it and instead of solving problems it only creates more.
Answer:
It appears that this have may have happened to you. I can't answer your question because 1) I don't know if complaints have or have not been kept confidential and 2) I don't know the specifics to which you are speaking. If you have an issue with something you thought have been kept confidential then tell the supervisor that or talk to their supervisor.
Question:
Please remind administrative staff that no cell phones, means no cell phones. I should not have to ask my supervisors to follow the policies of our company, or remind them to leave my classroom while on the phone. And I should never have to remind them that walking around the classroom while texting and not watching where they are going is not only unsafe for them and the students they may run over, but completely unprofessional! I have also noticed them on their phones, texting and chatting, when representing us at community events.
Answer:
Thank you
Question:
Cathy, file reviews are invaluable to help us meet performance standards and improve our record keeping skills. As management and directors review our files, could they look for strengths as well? We all could use some positive feedback as well as the input about what needs to be corrected. Thank you.
Answer:
I will remind them to do that.
Question:
Parents filling out the survey with the center staff sitting or standing right by them; or filling it out on paper for the center staff to input; or giving the responses directly to the center staff to type in because they don't know how to use a computer, have made comments to others that they do not feel comfortable enough to tell their true feelings. They are afraid if they say something that the staff don't like they won't treat their children kindly. How can this be a true assessment of how we are doing?
Answer:
Perhaps you should have found a different way to have them do the survey. If they didn't know how to use the computer then they could have done it on paper without you filling it out and then they could have put it in a sealed envelope.
Question:
Cathy I too have a question regarding Team Leader meetings in January and February being so late in the afternoon. How can we ask the Operations Directors when it was they who scheduled these meetings at this time?
Answer:
Simply ask them why they scheduled them at that time - perhaps they had a reason. I'm sure they would be glad to share the reason with you.
Question:
Cathy you are having focus group by email because of expected inclement weather for December. Why then are team leaders expected to go to meetings at 2:30 the worst time of day to drive during winter months? This can be very dangerous for those driving a long distance. Thanks
Answer:
Actually the December meeting is scheduled via email. If you have any further questions, please direct them to your Operations Director.
Question:
Cathy, Thank you for responding so quickly to my question. What is the "Communication system" you mentioned in your reply? Thank you.
Answer:
Below is the link to the PDM Workplan on the communication system. Also remember we have a grievance procedure in our employment policies.
PDM Workplan/Planning & Management/Communications Systems
Question:
Cathy, center staff is evaluated numerous time by many different people throughout the year. Most of the questions on the parent survey are about center staff as well. The input is valuable to improve services and skills. Why are we not asked to evaluate supervisors as well? I think it would provide an opportunity to feel as though we have a voice and allow for communication as well. This may help bridge the gap and eliminate the us and them feelings. I believe we are professional enough to use evaluation tools appropriately.
Answer:
The next step in our self assessment process will be an assessment of our Organizational Effectiveness. At that time you will have an opportunity to provide input. Remember we do have a communication system in place for you to give input. If you feel you are not being heard by your supervisor you can give feedback to their supervisor.
Question:
I am wondering why TA's don't get paid at a higher rate when they work with the teacher translating at home visits and parent meetings. Also, I am wondering why TA's are doing so much of the Teachers Observations, and copying and filing of those observations in the portfolio and children's personal files, when we are obviously not as qualified (as teachers) to make those judgments, nor are we paid at the same rate to take that responsibility.
Answer:
TAs translating don't get paid at a higher rate as that is currently not in our policies. You do not plan the home visit or the parent meetings, but are assisting families in understanding what is being said to them. Teacher Assistants work with children in the classroom and as such observe children as they interact with them. TAs are writing down some of those observations, copying and filing them. I do not know what judgments you would be making on writing down what you observed. If you feel you are doing too many of the observations, you should discuss that with your teacher or the Education Manager assigned to your classroom.
Child observations should not normally be completed by Teacher Assistants. This is typically the teacher’s responsibility and TAs do not necessarily have the necessary training to appropriately complete these. However, if there is a TA who is interested in furthering their professional development, then they should talk with their supervising teacher and their education manager to formulate a suitable professional development plan to incorporate these skills.
Question:
Cathy, I was hoping you could tell me more about being a CASA worker. In order to make a decision that would effect my co-workers and the center I am in need of more in-depth answers. Will there be certain days and times each week that I will be out of class, how much time each week do I need to be involved or does it differ each week. Is there a certain time frame? If I am on a case and missed class time, do I still get paid? Is there a flyer or pamphlet or even website that you can send out. I would appreciate it.
Answer:
Chris Cooper is the person to talk to about CASA. And there is no time every week you would be out of class. There may be a day that you might need to be in court and that would be paid time. Times that you visit a child would be after work hours. Again, Chris would be more able to answer these questions.
Question:
Hi Cathy I was just wondering if there is any way our website could have a search bar put in so that you can find a form or policy I have spent 30 min looking for our
new dress code and never found it and when it’s on your own time that’s fine but as teachers we can’t afford to spend that much time looking for a form. I don’t know if this can be done it was just a thought and real helpful.Answer:
The dress code is in your employment policies - the draft one is not posted anywhere as it has not been approved by the Board or the Policy Council. Please contact Mike Snyder for information on how to access the search function.
Question:
Why do parents and staff fill out these forms?:
Walkability checklist
Cultural survey
Does anybody look at them after they they are done?
Answer:
These are completed to help the family know their neighborhood and identify needs and goals for the family partnership plan and the cultural survey is done to assist the teachers in planning for the classroom based on child's cultural background. These forms are to be used as a tool WITH parents, not just sent home for parents to fill out. That is why these are important to the agency, because it provides our staff with a valuable resource to use with parents.
Question:
When coverage is an issue in a full day center, can a supervisor tell you that you must take your lunch break on site?
Answer:
BOLI states that meal periods of no less than 30 minutes must be provided to employees who work 6 or more hours. The employee must be relieved of all work duties during the meal period. BOLI is silent on whether a supervisor can tell you to take your lunch break on site. So I am assuming that this just happens on rare occasions.
Question:
Why are we charging families such a high co-pay this year? Some of them are having a difficult time paying and are choosing to drop out of the program. Not all families qualify for state aide and now we are taking away their reliable quality childcare.
Answer:
We are required by the State of Oregon to collect the co-pay that is assigned to them by the State. In fact we have capped it at an amount that is lower than the state. We get our HS funding based on part day, so in order to even offer full day services we need to collect the state mandated co-pay. Our families will have to pay a co pay from other providers.
Question:
Would you please tell me where in the dress code that it says no hoods. I tried to find it in our policy book but did not see it. It is very cold in the winter months and to be outside without them could pose a health risk for some of us. A lot of sweaters and dress clothes have hoods also.
Answer:
On page 78 of the employment policies, it states:
B. All employees shall refrain from wearing clothing which could prove disruptive or hazardous.
1. Employees shall not wear clothing which could disrupt the environment of UMCHS, Inc. Types of clothing which may not be worn include, but are not limited to, the following:
d. Clothing worn for recreation, unless so specified by staff memo for a specific occasion (hooded sweatshirts/jackets, sweats, spandex, tank tops, nylon running suits, etc.)
This does not apply to wearing a coat with a hood outside when it is cold. This refers to inside in the classroom or office
Question:
Dear Cathy,
I Just wanted to say thank you for the chance to work for head start and I enjoyed my time here, second I wanted to Thank everyone at Victory Square for making my transition from Umatilla to victory square awesome they made me feel like a team and family member and I just want to say that when I get some things taken care of that I need to do for my health if you ever need a chef at Victory Square I would love to come back. again thank you for everything Cathy and to all staff take care.
Answer:
We wish you the best of luck!
Question:
I'm not sure why the ear buds are even an issue. This is your job folks, how many people get to listen to their iPods at work? I think its incredibly inappropriate. You are at work to work, not listen to music. IPods are for YOUR time not agency time.
Answer:
I want to thank all of you who responded to the ear bud issue raised at Safety Committee. We will be taking all of this into consideration before any decision is made.
Question:
I would like to know that if I have given a two week notice and my last day is October 5th and I'm working three days in October why would my insurance end the first of October? Why not the 6th of October? Second if you give a two week notice don't you get paid for you time off that you have earned during your working time here?
Answer:
You have to work five working days during the month to have your insurance paid for the month. The insurance company does not pro rate insurance coverage per day. Your annual leave accrued will be paid. Our employment policies state that we do not pay off sick leave or floating leave.
Question:
Is it true that teaching staff can not wear any type of sweatshirts in the classroom? I wear a hooded sweatshirt to work and then take it off during classroom time but have it to wear when we go outside.
Answer:
The current policy allows sweatshirts - hooded sweatshirts have never been allowed
Question:
I am a staff member not management. I come to work to do just that -work! Listening to music, books on tape or lectures are leisure activities. They should be on our own time not the Agency's time. Ear buds give the impression of aloofness and indifference.
Question:
I don't know if this is the appropriate place to respond to the recent discussion on ear buds, but I was not sure how else to. I was just thinking that it is possible to keep music that you would be hearing using ear buds at a volume level in which you could hear and be aware of what is going on around you. A person could also be listening to something besides music, books on tape, lectures, etc. It also brings up issues such as staff members that are hard of hearing, or staff members that are deaf. Those staff members may not be able to hear an argument, view comings and goings of people or an alarm. Aren't there procedures in place to alert all members of our staff, including those that have disabilities, of an emergency? And if there are procedures in place, wouldn't it also alert those that are in a kitchen wearing ear buds? Sorry, just a thought.
Answer:
We will be assessing all of the comments that people have shared before a decision is made.
Question:
I am not on the safety committee, however the issue of ear buds seems like a common sense issue. It makes sense that we should not impair our hearing in the slightest bit during working hours, no matter what your position in the agency is. If it needs to be made a policy, then lets move toward that.
Question:
I am glad you were able to clarify this for me. At the safety meeting it was my feeling that the issue of ear buds/ipods was not open for discussion due to the pressure of the impending Admin meeting and that an employee of UMCHS, "Would have to abide by policy while in the employee of the agency during working hours." I was concerned that Code Pink was brought into the issue as I am unaware of any training or policy as to what is expected of different positions during any emergency. It would certainly seem prudent to pursue such issues rather than that of whether or not someone can hear an argument from another room and how their hearing is impaired while already in a noisy environment. Please know that I would fully support and be onboard with any true safety issues.
Question:
As the person who brought the safety concern of staff wearing ear buds to the safety committee, I would like to clarify that it was a discussion, nothing more. A discussion around staff safety and the concerns I had around observing staff wearing ear buds. This is what the safety committee is for. No decisions were made at the safety committee meeting around this concern. If you remember, it was a discussion, where all members of the committee had input, and a recommendation is going to be made by the committee to the Administrative Team.
I would also like to clarify that it was not a personal attack on anyone. In fact, names were never mentioned, only positions of staff observed using ear buds. Please note that I did say POSITIONS, as I mentioned more than one staff position that has been seen wearing ear buds.
I understand that staff like to be able to listen to the radio or to music while they work. However, staff safety is a top priority for me and should be to all the members of the safety committee. It is all of our "place" to monitor the "comings and goings" of our centers or offices. We all need to be aware of our surroundings and what is happening outside of our task at hand. A staff member MAY hear an alarm sounding while wearing ear buds, but would they hear an argument in the next room? Or a Code Pink if a child is missing? Or a strange person coming into the classroom or center?
So...YES...it really is a safety concern and NOT a means to another end.
Question:
I just want to say how much I enjoy working for head start and that I know how hard many of you try to make this a good place for the children and a good place to work. That said, I want to bring up a recent issue discussed at the Safety Meeting. Ear buds. At the time I thought it was only a discussion and wondered if it wasn't perhaps a personal attack on a certain person and a back door way of hurting them. I do not use ear buds but can certainly see why one would. The question was about safety and the inability of said cook/janitor to monitor who was entering or leaving the center and to respond to an alarm. I have never felt it was my place to monitor the comings and goings and can't see how one would miss an alarm even with ear buds in place. I do know that the noise level in a kitchen is high and its hard to hear a radio and can certainly understand why one would want to block all the extra non-essential noises. Please ask this question, is it really a safety concern or a means to another end?
Answer:
I was not at the safety meeting. The feedback I have gotten is that indeed they feel that there is a safety concern. I heard it wasn't the ear buds, but iPods and the music.
Question:
I am shocked at the constant whining about our dress code. You are a professional so please just read your dress code policy and follow it.
Question:
Cathy, are jean capris okay for classroom teaching staff?
Answer:
At this time jean capris are under discussion, so please follow the current policy in place which is that they are not allowed.
Question:
Yes Cathy I have a question I would love to have answered, ok the question I have shouldn't managers/directors lead by example when they ask the staff to do something then shouldn't they also do what they ask us to do or are they in a special rank where they don't have to?
Answer:
Yes, they should lead by example
Question:
I have a question in regards to health care coverage. If a staff member chose to not return to the agency after the end of the school year, how long would they be covered under our agency's health care insurance. What about a staff member who chooses to resign at the end of the summer/beginning of the new school year?
Answer:
If you resign at the end of the program year (May) you would be covered for May and then it would end.
Question:
I understand the need for a dress code, but I don't understand some of the requirements/standards. why can we wear jeans, but not jean capris? why can we not wear sandals that go between our toes? And finally, why are tattoos not addressed. I find them to be slightly unprofessional and almost always unattractive.
Answer:
When we made the decision to allow shorts and capris, we wanted to at least make clothes that casual somewhat professional - hence no jeans ones. The reason for no sandals between toes is a safety issue and a professional appearance issue of professionalism. Tattoos, you are right, we have not addressed or body piercing. Perhaps they are next on the list to address.
Question:
Is it possible to incorporate some guidelines for etiquette at staff meetings? Such as, not opening bags of candy when a speaker is talking, rattling and wadding up candy wrappers and having conversations with co-workers while a speaker is presenting. It's rude and others who want to hear the speaker can't due to the background noises. Thank you for considering my suggestion.
Answer:
Maybe just posting this on the web site will give some people hints about being a better staff participant. Thank you for your suggestion and comments - I also noticed it at the staff meeting. Perhaps we should all take it upon ourselves to turn around and ask people to be quiet.
Question:
I would just like to say thank you Cathy and all the staff that put their hard work into writing grants and keeping UMCHS going and growing! Not only does it provide jobs but services in our community that are very much needed.
Question:
Cathy
I just have a question regarding our meetings/trainings why can’t we either start our day at the meeting/training and end it at our centers or start at centers and end at the meeting/training. It just seems we could get more done at our center and making that time more productive giving us time to actually be able to do something that is productive. It’s hard to really get into anything in such a short amount of time. Thanks
Answer:
Talk to your supervisors and Team Leaders about that issues.
Question:
Cathy
I was just wondering if after a training when we only have like a half hour left in our day and the time it takes to get back to our center would take that time or would only allow us to be at center for ten or fifteen minutes and we would be done with our day are we required to return or can we use annual time for that last little bit of time instead of driving to our centers just to turn around and come home again?
Thanks
Answer:
You would need to discuss that with your supervisor about using floating leave.
Question:
This message goes out to all the wonderful staff members who helped developed the new lesson plan forms, portfolio's and goals. It's great that they all work together so well. I am looking forward to using these new forms.
Answer:
Thank you for your comments.
Question:
Cathy, I would like to say that I appreciate all the effort that Aaron puts into trying to keep our ins. as good as it is. It is not easy in this economy to provide ins. and other benefits, and our agency is doing a good job. thanks!
Answer:
Thank you!
Question:
Hi Cathy,
I was just wondering why it is that we can't afford decent health care anymore? It seems that year after year it is getting worse for us and now it looks as if the newest changes are down right impossible to live with. I think that employee health care should be a priority especially in the field of childcare where we are exposed to every known germ and sickness.
Answer:
When insurance rates climb at a rate of 20% annually, and we only get a 3% cost of living adjustment if that, we have to either change the coverage, have staff pay for part of the premium, or terminate staff to pay for the additional costs. At this time we have decided to change coverage.
Question:
Hello Cathy,
I would like to thank you and everyone involved in finding Milton-Freewater I and II a new home! Please extend my gratitude for those that moved us as well. It was a huge task that added a lot of extra work for the staff that participated. It will be very exciting to set up our new classroom and office! Because of the hard work everyone did, our team will not have the burden of packing and moving when we return next week.
I appreciate the efforts greatly.
Answer:
Thank you - I know the staff who moved the center will appreciate your thanks!!
Question:
Cathy,
I remember in the past that we had an educational forum on the website that we had access to. I used it a couple of times sharing ideas ect. Is it still available?
Answer:
We are looking into some new options for an online forum for staff. The old one was taken down because it posed a security risk.
Question:
I find suggestions and ideas from staff very helpful, and often utilize the ideas in my classroom. I was just wondering if there is a way we can have a discussion board, similar to the questions and answers, for staff to post questions or request info from other staff. Looking forward to the new school year!
Answer:
This is something we will look into.
Question:
I want to say thank you for finding the funds to pay for the last class I took. You frequently express your appreciation for the staff's hard work serving children and families. I want to say a big thank you to all the staff who work so hard to keep this program funded, especially during the tough times.
Answer:
Thank you
Question:
I would like to know why we have to take a 1 hour lunch break? In our hire letter it said just a 1/2 hour break, it would be especially nice to be able to take just a 1/2 in the summer months when numbers are lower anyway.
Answer:
This question has been asked 3 times please talk to your Education manager about this
Question:
I would like to know why we have to take a 1 hour break, because in our hired letter it said just a 1/2 hour break?
Answer:
Has to do with the schedule at your center. Please ask your education manager for the specifics.
Question:
I would like to know why we have to take a 1 hour break, because in our hired letter it said just a 1/2 hour break, and also in summer time we don't have very many children attending school, and we have to go home early. We are not getting our 8 hours, that would be better to take just 1/2 hour break and get more time to work.
Answer:
If we don't have children, we don't get child care dollars. If we don't have child care dollars, we don't have enough money to pay your salary. Full day staff's salary is made up of Head Start and Early Head Start funding and money we get from child care. So if we don't have children in attendance to generate child care funds, we have to send you home and that is why you do not work 8 hours.
Question:
When will we start to hear about any changes for next year? We heard that it was a strong possibility that people would be moved around.
Answer:
Everyone has been notified if they were moved. If you have a question, please call Cade
Question:
About the late fee when children have been picked up late($10.00) does that go directly to staff or do we turn it in then we receive it on our pay stub? I am a closer and have had to stay late many times and have never been told that the $10.00 goes to the staff staying who stay l late. This is good to know because it’s frustrating having to stay it would defiantly make it seem better. It’s always been just turned in along with the co pay money.
Answer:
It does not go to staff - you turn it in with the rest of the co-pay money. All money turned in becomes agency money and is budgeted as part of your salary you receive. It is not additional compensation
Question:
What happens with the $10.00 late fees the parents pay? I think it should be given to the staff that has to stay late to wait for these parents. I think this would also make the closing shift in times when you have to stay late not so bad after all its them that have to stay that extra time.
Answer:
Any late fees collected - and - am not aware of any - go to pay the salary of the staff who stay late.
Question:
I thought that was just the COLA increase I thought we were going to get an extra amount that we would get like ever other month because it wasn't a set amount and might go away after this year.
Answer:
What you got was your step increase and the COLA money from the stimulus money and the regular COLA increase given to us this year. The stimulus money is for one year, but we are hoping that it will become permanent. In your July pay check you will get information on what part is the stimulus COLA - about 2%. If you have further questions Aaron can answer all of them as they pertain directly to you.
Question:
Cathy when will we see the extra increase that was thought to come every other month?
Answer:
It you are talking about the increase in salary, it became effective with the June 1 - 15 payroll or the anniversary date of your hire.
Question:
Hi Cathy
I am just wondering if there is any way at our next staff meeting that we could talk about the possibility of centers and the teams rotating the shifts so that not just one person is responsible for the closing shift. Everyone at our site has had to work the closing shift and knows how much that shift is disliked and all think it would be fair to rotate shifts so that closing is not put off onto one person to do. We have talked to our Ed Manager and were told that we couldn’t because of the inconsistency for the children and we understand that but the children would still have the same teachers each day the daily schedule would be the same the only thing that would change is the time the staff come in. Our center has not had any consistency at all this year with staff, our schedule or even the children in our room and the children have adjusted fine. The schedule change was more of an issue then staff changes. If we were rotating they would still have the same staff throughout the day they would just be coming in at different times. At the end of each rotation we could talk it over with the children about the upcoming changes.
Answer:
This is an issue with your Education manager and the Education Director. It is not an issue for staff meeting. This question has been answered several times.
Question:
Hi Cathy
I was just wondering if there is any way that something could be done about being able to get time off for our staff who are out there working in the centers. I realize that coverage is hard to come by, but our staff still needs time off. As someone that works in a center it can be very stressful and sometimes you just need a break. If we knew that if we gave a notice and it would be approved there would be less stress but when you know chance of getting time off are about as good as winning the lottery it tends to make you very unhappy, stressed, tired and irritable. The part that is maddening is that if someone is ill or has to be off for serious medical issues (say a car accident) and there is no time to give notice we have coverage but when we give adequate amount of time trying to help out are fellow team we are told no. Sometimes things come up in our lives that are very important. I think that employee morale would improve if getting time off wasn’t next to impossible. I was just hoping you could look into this I know that anyone who has had trouble would greatly appreciate it. I do realize that subs are hard to come by but there has to be something that can be done. We are all suppose to be a team I am sure there are centers that don’t have a lot of kids are certain days maybe they could cover. Thank you
Answer:
I will look in to it. As you know we give a two week break at Winter and another week at Spring. You are also given two personal days that you should be able to schedule with your supervisor. I do not know your individual circumstance, but I do know that at other centers people have been accessing time off and we have been hiring substitutes.
Question:
Is there a specific outside temperature that is too hot to take the children outside? Is there a certain amount of time that the children can stay outside when it is hot? And what should the air conditioner temp be set at in our classrooms? Thanks!
Answer:
It is located in the work plan under Facilities, Materials and Equipment and then under the heading Choosing and Maintaining Appropriate, Safe Facilities.
Question:
Thank you for the gift cards, they were very unexpected and a nice surprise. We also appreciate the honesty in the note that came with it about the possibility of cuts, its nice to be informed about what is happening in the agency.
Answer:
Thank you!
Question:
Thank you for the gift cards. I really appreciated the recognition. I know that times are tough now financially but I believe we will adapt and continue to do great work with young children and their families! Thank you for your leadership, Grateful to have a great job.
Answer:
Thank you!
Question:
I was wondering if our sign in and out forms could be reviewed. I think that for safety issues when the child is picked up they should have to sign their name instead of just initialing the form. Thanks
Answer:
If you feel you need to have your parents sign their full name that would be fine. The minimum we want is their initials
Question:
Due to the fact that there have now been confirmed cases of Swine flu in Umatilla county can we send children home if they have symptoms but no fever? We normally don't send children home for coughs and respiratory congestion without a fever but it seems like maybe we need to be more cautious.
Answer:
You need to talk to our Health Services Director, Amy Hendrix, if you have concerns about children.
Question:
Hi Cathy Our team is wondering if it is possible for us to take turns month to month closing. We have all had to close and know that it is not a shift that is very pleasant especially with summer just around the corner. Plus we could better schedule our time we need off for a time we are not the closer because this seems to be the shift that is the hardest to cover. The children would still have the same staff it would just be different times through the days we have staff leave and the children adjust.
Answer:
I don't know which center you are at to make that decision. Also I don't know if you have discussed this with your supervisor or Education Manager.
Question:
WELLNESS DAY WAS AWESOME. SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO. THANK YOU
Answer:
Thanks to the Wellness committee!
Question:
Cathy,
I would like to thank you and the technology staff for providing class pictures! The staff member that came was wonderful with the children. Our center now has the opportunity to provide our parents with a quality keepsake of their child's year in Head Start.
Answer:
Thanks Technology Staff!!
Question:
This is an idea for recycled frogs at Wellness Day. Why not donate them to a children's ward at a hospital or to other children in specific area. Just a thought. Thanks.
Answer:
That is a great idea if people want to give up their frogs.
Question:
What are the rules for Biblical references and stuff in the classroom?
Answer:
We don't allow any.
Question:
Cathy, I have been a closer and I must say that if you work that shift and you work in full day you can’t have a life and if you have kids you never get to see them. You spend more time raising others kids and don’t get me wrong I love watching them grow, but I missed out on lot with my own kids. As a closer you pretty much don’t get time off and I realize coverage is scarce but something needs to be done. There is a reason no one wants to close and it's because we don’t get fair treatment when asking for time off. No one cares because they don’t have to deal with it. The closers only alternative is to call in because they will not get the time off. So what I am getting at is something needs to be done, if not they will just call in and then you don’t have time to plan ahead.
Answer:
You should be able to schedule your personal days off by working with your supervisor. If it becomes an issue you should discuss it with the education manager and if necessary HR. Half of part day staff work until 5, full day until 6. That is only 1 hour later, so I don' think that you never have time with your own children.
Question:
I am taking a class. I know that Head Start requires a grade of C or above to get reimbursed. I also know the fiscal year ends June 1. The final grade won't come out until June 5. I was told through a prior e-mail that this would be reimbursed - but is the time frame going to allow that?
Answer:
As long as the class started prior to June 1 - you are okay.
Question:
How do the OPK cuts effect the Stanfield center we were looking into?...or does it.
Answer?
The OPK cuts that we know about are this year? We don't have any information on OPK cuts for next year.
Question:
I have heard both from within and outside the agency that because of OPP cuts we won't be serving as many children overall. Is this true? And does this mean we will be cutting a classroom?
Answer:
We have no idea what budget cuts we will have next year. The legislature will make that decision. If we have cuts and if they are substantial it may result in fewer children and the loss of a classroom.
Question:
I just wanted to say that I disagree with the comment saying that closing an hour earlier would only be to convenience the person who wants to go home earlier. Most centers have very few children after 5 pm. Usually just 1 or 2 and you are paying an employee to be there with that 1 child. Also the electric bill is not just lights, it is also heat. Lowering the number of hours we are open would also help with coverage, the teachers would be at the centers for more of the time that the center is open. If anything it should be based on that specific centers needs. If there are centers who are always very very low in children during certain times of the day or week then those centers should have there hours looked at.
Answer:
I guess the bottom line is we get funding to serve children and families. We also are to use that money to develop programs that meet their needs, which includes full day. We live in an area where jobs do not follow the normal 8 - 5 time frame. We need to be available as best we can to reasonably meet their needs.
Question:
I don't think closing an hour early would save that much money on electricity...at least not enough to notice. The centers have fluorescent lighting which is cheap to use. Also, I think it would cause the parents to be inconvenienced if they had to find child care for the last hour of the day. Ultimately, the only person it would help is the one who wants to go home an hour earlier.
Answer:
Thanks for your input
Question:
I am with the person who said closing at 5:00 would be a good idea. I think it would cut back on the electric which across the board would save us money. This money could be used elsewhere. Possibly then the floater could work 32 hours if we were only open from 6:30 to 5:00 This would also help get our parents ready for the school system were they are not going to have the option of leaving there kids until 6:00.
Answer:
Yes I suppose a small amount of money could be saved in electricity use by closing earlier and money could be saved by less time for floaters. But unfortunately I'm not sure it would assist in getting our parents ready for the school system - they would either find after school care until 6:00 or children would be home alone. A lot of work schedules in our area are later than 5:00 pm.
Question:
There is a lot of gossiping that Ed Managers that are team leaders at centers are getting paid extra, i know that is not true, if you could make that clear to everybody
Answer:
Any managers that act as team leaders at centers do not get paid extra to fulfill that role.
Question:
It seems that we finally have some good news regarding the funding for Head Start do you know how this will affect our program?
Answer:
Nothing in writing about us specifically. We understand that there will be cost of living monies, quality improvement money, and expansion for Early Head Start.
Question:
This is just a thought, but wouldn’t it save money if we closed our full day centers at 5:00 instead of 6:00? It would save on electricity and every bit helps. Why stay open for just a few kids? Even if it comes out of another budget it would be less money you would need in that budget which would leave money for somewhere else. More staff could take half hour breaks which would help coverage for breaks. This would also mean maybe we could use floaters for teachers pull out time, and not mainly for time for breaks. I would also like to say that the training on Friday was awesome, I definitely have a better outlook and feel anything is possible with the determination.
Answer:
Thank you for your ideas. Input is always helpful!
Question:
How does the chain of command work when there are issues at a center? Isn’t it that they go to that person are people that the issue is about to try and solve the issue first then go to the next person above them if not fixed. Also does it matter if the person is ranked lower then you or above you shouldn’t it still try and be solved between the ones directly with the issue?
Answer:
We would hope that people could resolve their differences between each other. Sometimes that doesn't work - for whatever reason- and people feel they need to go the next level. Depending on the severity of the issue - for example harassment, they need to go to a supervisor.
Question:
Cathy the training on Friday was excellent, thank you. Now with that said, will there really be an attempt to cut classrooms to balance the budget? We are undeserving children as it is, why leave even more out? It seems that there might be some areas in the admin where cuts could be made.
Answer:
If the state cuts our budget next year, they will be the ones to tell us how many children to drop.
Question:
Just wanted to know how is it legal for you to take away 5% of pay that we earn by working?
Answer:
Actually a wage reduction is legal. We have informed you ahead of time and it is due to budget shortfall and our funding being cut. This is not something we want to do, but feel it is the most equitable. We are still hopeful that it may not happen.
Question:
I have a question about the unpaid day off during Spring Break. I started last year and I believe that I will not have enough annual leave to cover the entire spring break this year. So I would have one unpaid spring break day anyway. So because of the OPK budget cut, would I also have the 5% salary cut as well? I am not the only person in my center that will have this issue, and I also believe that other employees that were hired last year will have this problem as well. Is there some way that staff can choose whether to have the 5% salary reduction, or take a day off of spring break unpaid? I had to use my two floating leave days for a family medical issue.
Dr. Beegle's training at the Staff Meeting on Friday was great. Just wanted to say thanks for that as well!
Answer:
There will not be an unpaid day during Spring Break for the OPK budget cuts. We have went to a 5% pay reduction in lieu of the day without pay. If you specifically don't have enough days to cover Spring Break you will have a day/days without pay.
Question:
When we have a snow day and are sent home, why are we told that we will have to make up missed days at the end of the year and the agency isn't able to pay us twice, then we make up the missed days on Fridays? If the agency has not made up days at the end of the year for the past 20 years why are we being told this year after year, to me I feel lied to. Thanks
Answer:
I am sorry you feel that way. We never know how many snow days we will be impacted by. There are just so many free Fridays to make up days. So far this year there have been enough to cover without tacking on days at the end of the year. In addition, when we have 2 -3 or more snow days in a row, we also send people home because there is no work.
Question:
Cathy, I just wanted to say that the training we had on Friday was excellent. It really made me think of poverty with a different perspective. It will help in working with our families.
Answer:
I agree
Question:
Just wanted to comment on the staff meeting. I think that was by far the best training we have ever had! The trainer was wonderful, the subject was very useful and interesting, and the way it was setup was just great. We should really look into more training like that one in the future!
Answer:
Thank you - she is great and very inspiring!
Question:
Hi Cathy. I would like to know, when was the last year that the agency extended the school year to accommodate (make up) school closures or snow days? Thank you for your time.
Answer:
Wow, you are really testing my memory! I remember when we had to cut a week off of our school year due to a budget reduction when we were under BMEDC - which would be about 20 years ago. Let's hope that doesn't happen this year with the OPK cuts.
Question:
Hello Cathy,
I would like to suggest a phone list of all the centers. The list could emailed to everyone. There are management people at different sites now and it would be helpful to have those numbers. Thank you.
Answer:
That is sent out to all staff. We will send it again.
Question:
Hello Cathy, I would like to respond to the post suggesting that the Team Leader position should be a volunteer job. Has the author of the post read the job description for Team Leaders? Although it is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills, Team Leaders have many responsibilities in addition to their primary jobs. They are exempt which means they are not allowed to flex extra hours for meetings, finishing their primary responsibilities and parent meetings. Thank you for the forum which allows us to communicate and ask questions.
Answer:
Thank you for sharing - It is a large job that we appreciate and does have higher level tasks to perform.
Question:
Cathy, I would just like to say that keeping the staff informed of the potential budget cut in itself can be construed as an immeasurable benefit - so many companies keep their employees in the dark about potential budget cuts or layoffs and even shutdowns, and employees don't know a thing until they are handed a pink slip. We are very fortunate to know about these situations beforehand. Thank you for your regards toward UMCHS employees.
Answer:
Thank you
Question:
Dear Cathy-
I want you to know some of us appreciate the efforts of the admin staff to prepare for this potential budget cut! We feel fortunate to work for an organization that provides its employees with great benefits. We are more than willing to contribute a day (or more) to help ensure we don't have to take other (more drastic) measures.
Answer:
Thank you!
Question:
Cathy, when we meet our annual hiring date do we get a raise and step increase? How does that work? I have been told different things so I figured I would ask you.
Answer:
When your annual performance evaluation is completed (which usually coincides with your hire date) you receive a step/merit increase. We refer to step increases as merit increases - they are the same. Step/merit increases are subject to availability of funds each year. For the past 3 years Head Start funding has only increased 1 - 1 1/2 percent and this current year we did not get any additional funding. This year, however, we did give people their step increase. Once you reach the top of the scale, increase in salary is given only if the Board approves.
Question:
Why is WIC not included in the day without pay?
Answer:
Their budget was not cut.
Question:
Will all the up coming changes in the budget be addressed at the next all staff meeting?
Answer:
No we will not. Our entire day will be in training with Donna Beegle.
Question:
Cathy, in order to save the agency money, has Admin. taken a look at this area?
"Supplemental pay rates for Team Leaders
1-5 staff=150.00 per month
6+ staff=250.00 per month
Education staff who supervise will be eligible for an additional 50.00 per month"
I understand that people who supervise are in a position of authority, but do they really have to be paid extra for it? Shouldn't it be part of their job?
Answer:
Thank you - we haven't looked at that.
Question:
I understand the need to take a day off without pay but I am wondering if this means admin staff also?
Answer:
Yes all staff with the exception of WIC staff.
Question:
What if you gave staff the option to donate a day of pay? I would consider it and see how I can budget it...and I'd bet I'm not the only one. This would be in addition to the day off without pay, just an extra chance to save the agency $$$. If it was possible to spread it out over several pay periods I'd consider even looking at more than one day.
Answer:
That is another option that was discussed, and is one we are looking into.
Question:
I have a question about the e-mail sent out, what I would like to know is during the spring break are you making us take a day off without pay or is that a worst case scenario? And if so how can that happen if we have leave saved up to cover the spring break because from what I understand is we can't take leave without pay if we have the time to cover it by company polices.
Answer:
If we need to make a $108,000 budget cut then yes we will make you take a day without pay during spring break. We consider it a lay off for lack of funds - luckily we predict it will only be 1 day.
Question:
In an effort to save money, could we just eliminate wellness day altogether? The thought of loosing a days pay right before the year ends is kind of harsh for some of us.
Answer:
Unfortunately, canceling wellness day would not make up the money. Since 85% of our budget is personnel and fringe, the cost savings must come from that area.
Question:
Thank you for making all the Review Tips available.
Answer:
You're welcome. We hope they are helpful!
Question:
I appreciate all the tips for the review. However, I missed #4. Could it please be sent out again? Thank you.
Answer:
All of the Review Tips can be found by clicking here, the are now listed on our agency website.
Question:
I want to say thanks for the "Review Tips". Most of us know these things, but might go blank when the question is sprung. It will help a lot to have looked at it in writing recently. Great idea.
Answer:
Thanks for the feedback - we were hoping it would assist all of you during the review!
Question:
Cathy, it would be nice if at one of our meetings we discussed the agency's philosophies and agency wide rules so that we are all on board with them. It seems no one center goes by the same set of rules and we are all getting different feedback from our upper management down the chain of command.
Answer:
A discussion would be good at a staff meeting. Your question is very hard to answer with out specifics.
Question:
Is it ok for a TA to be cleaning when they are the only one in classroom with children? I thought we are to be engaged with the children.
Answer:
Yes you are to be engaged with the children. If a child is reading a book or playing with puzzles - then you could sweep under the tables to clean up. I really can't answer your question unless you give me more specifics. I would need to know if there was a group of children present or only one.
Question:
So if you are not married but have kids together and say something happened to your boyfriend/girlfriend because you have kids you would be allowed to attend say their funeral with your child that you share with that person.
Answer:
Yes, you could use your floating leave or your vacation leave. You just would not have bereavement leave to use.
Question:
I have a question about our policies. I understand that we are now viewing same sex partner like a spouse or a child they may have together you are able to use leave. My question is about people who live together but are not married and have kids together. Are we able to use bereavement leave and other leave for that reason. I was told we couldn’t but if you still have a kid together.
Answer:
Same sex partner is Oregon law now - we have to follow it. They have to show legal papers proving that. The law for opposite sex people living together and who have children together is called marriage. If you are not married, you do not fall under our bereavement leave and other leave for purposes of using them for spouse.
Question:
What is the rule about staff being the only staff in center with kids? I was told that a staff member couldn't be left alone with kids for more then a half hour.
Answer:
Any time there are children in care, There shall be a staff person and one other adult on site. The other adult shall be enrolled in the criminal history registry and shall be physically available to be called on by staff, if needed; or There shall be a written plan, approved by CCD, for a second caregiver to be available within 5 minutes for emergencies.
Question:
What are the hours needed to be left a lone with infant toddlers?
Answer:
One year of qualifying teaching experience in a certified child care center or comparable group care program, in the care of Infants and/or toddlers So 40 hours x 52 weeks would equal 2,080 hours. If you had 15 quarter credits in early childhood education you would only need 6 months of qualifying teaching experience.
Question:
Regarding bad weather/roads and full day centers. Would it be possible for centers to work together for coverage. For example, if a staff person from Boardman works in Hermiston and feels unsafe driving on the roads, could she switch with someone who lives in Hermiston and works in Boardman? This would ensure coverage for two full day centers during bad weather. I know we can work with Norma to get a sub, however, I doubt subs would want to drive to Boardman in bad weather.
Answer:
One of the other concerns we always have is continuity of care with children. We would have to look at all different scenarios on a case by case basis.
Question:
Thank you so much for the gift cards from Wal-Mart. I was beyond myself to see such a wonderful gift. This is truly a wonderful agency to work for!
Answer:
We appreciate all of you! Thanks for the good words!
Question:
Hello Cathy, When people from the main office come to observe, would it be possible to ask them to let teachers know when they leave? Often, I have questions or want feedback and I when I look around the room some of them are gone without a word. Thank you vey much.
Answer:
I will let them know.
Question:
Cathy, I see the auction is over at 12:00 noon. I am working at that time and would like a chance to win. Can we make the auction close at 3:00 or 3:30?
Answer:
Some people are still working at 3:00 or 3:30 also - so Mike just picked a time. If you are interested in bidding higher on an item, give your top bid to someone not working at that time and have them bid for you.
Question:
When will the admin team complete the yearly field trips?
Answer:
We will have them complete prior to January 15
Question:
Thanks so much for the gift cards - it's always so much fun - why do they come from Wal-Mart always - do we get a break of any kind?
Answer:
Wal-Mart is the store that is most universal for people to shop at and get a variety of items to purchase. You also have the option to purchase other gift cards from a large number of vendors from Wal-Mart as well, such as Red Lobster, Bed Bath & Beyond, and iTunes.
Question:
How are classrooms chosen for the federal reviewers to observe?
Answer:
Last time they let us choose, we aren't sure this time. They may try to visit all.
Question:
I am interested in applying for a job in your company I have worked with preschool kids for many years. What are the qualifications to be left alone with kids so you can open? What degree would I need? Thanks
Answer:
State licensing qualifications to work in a full day center and to be left alone include an CDA or one year state or nationally recognized credential or AA degree or higher in Early Childhood or 1500 hours qualifying teaching experience with the age group served. Or you can have a combination of ECE credits and hours of experience. In order to be a teacher in our program you would need to have a Bachelor degree in Early Childhood or a related field.
Question:
Is there any way we can get paid Friday the 28th instead of waiting until Monday? It is my understanding the payroll will be done on Wednesday anyway, and a lot of people go shopping for Christmas that weekend and that would really help to get the good deals. Thanks for the consideration.
Answer:
Checks done by automatic deposit will probably be in accounts on Friday - but that is a process done by banks, we have no control. We will mail checks on Wednesday and the post office should deliver on Friday - again out of our control. Our office is closed on Thursday and Friday - so it will not be open for people to pick up.
Question:
Thank you for the response, our concern though is that we are being told that since the mother enrolled the child and has herself listed as the only parent that we cannot check on the fathers employment even though he is the one dropping off and picking up. Is this true or have we been misinformed?
Answer:
Your Family Advocate needs to check with his/her supervisor. I don't believe this is true.
Question:
Why is it that we cannot request a parents schedule and that they pick there child up according to that schedule if they are not listed on the paperwork, BUT they are the ones that pick up and drop off every day. The mother is the only parent listed on the paperwork but the dad picks the child up and drops the child off, and we believe he is not working or is working very limited hours.
Answer:
That is a question that you should ask your Family Services Coordinator and they should investigate to see if indeed one parent is not working. If that is the case, the child would not be eligible for full day services.
Question:
So will you be looking into what the bus drivers, supervisors policy is on this, so everyone is on the same page, and bus drivers are not being talked to for answering the phone? Also if the bus monitor is to answer the phone should he/she take responsibility for the phone while on the bus, instead of the bus driving giving them the phone once it rings? Thanks for looking into this.
Answer:
I have already talked to the Operations Director over transportation about this. We are in agreement. And there is no reason why the bus monitor cannot be the one with the phone.
Question:
How are we to get a hold of the bus if there is an emergency. Currently bus monitors are not allowed to answer the phone. Last year there was a incident of a death in the family of staff, at that time phones could be answered, so not a problem, this year phones are not to be answered. We have several restraining orders currently in place for different families as well. How do we get a hold of the bus if the parent calls with a bad situation at the house, and it is not safe for the child to be dropped off there. I do not feel safe riding the bus knowing that if my family had an emergency it could be an hour and a half before I could deal with it. I think we need to put a plan in place for contacting the bus. If staff abuse the reason for calling, Ed managers should deal with those incidents individually. A phone on vibrate is not going to disrupt the driver, if you have ever been on the bus route, you know children are louder than a phone on vibrate. As far as cell phones cost, you can not put a price on the safety of families we employee or serve. I hope this receives an answer, and doesn't get edited, because it is a safety issue.
Answer:
I don't know anything about not answering the agency phone while on the bus. I would assume that a bus monitor could answer the agency phone if it is the center calling. I would also assume that the center would not call unless it was a true emergency.
Question:
Our new employment policy recognizes same sex domestic partnerships. Many agencies - including the state - recognize opposite sex domestic partnerships. Why doesn't our agency?
Answer:
We are following the state law and have written our policy as recommended by our attorney.
Question:
Cathy,
I noticed that someone had asked you what conflict of interest means to the company and its policies, I was wondering what the answer was to that question.
Answer:
If I give an example I am afraid people would interpret it to be the only reason. The Human Resources Department when informed of a second job would make that determination.
Question:
If I have already informed my supervisor that I have a second job, is that not good enough? I informed my supervisor at the beginning of the school year about my second job. so if informing the supervisor isn't good enough then who do I inform?
Answer:
Human Resources Department - Aaron Treadwell
Question:
If I'm always on time to work, my attendance is no problem and I don't have meetings or home visits do I have to inform you of my second job?
Please clarify what is a conflict of interest. I'm always on time to work, I perform my job with no problems or complaints, I rarely miss work and when I do its because I'm home sick in bed. I don't ask for time off to go work at the other job. The other job is on my time off and has not or never will interfere with my duties to Head Start. I feel I have the right to work another job and not have to tell you unless it becomes a problem and so far in a year it hasn't.
Answer:
Since informing us of a second job is currently part of our employment policies, yes you need to inform us. A conflict of interests can be defined as any situation in which an individual or corporation (either private or governmental) is in a position to exploit a professional or official capacity in some way for their personal or corporate benefit. Basically if what an employee does at a second job conflicts with the interests of his/her primary employer.
Question:
Why does the agency require employee's to inform you that they have a second job? I don't understand how a company can require an employee to provide this information when its against the law to request an employee to inform you what they do when they are off the clock and away from the work centers on their own time. I could understand if it was interfering with their performance at work of causing problems with their working but if it does not interfere with them coming to work on time and doing their required job (with no complaints from staff or parents), how can you require them to let you know about what they do on their own time away from work and off the clock for non-salary personnel.
Answer:
We have the right to ask employees about a second job for exactly the reasons you gave. To insure that it does not affect their employment at Head Start - attendance, punctuality, conflict of interest, and flexibility of work time (evening home visits or parent meetings/education).
Question:
Cathy, I was wondering if their are other options to where the staff meetings are to be held. This new location is too small for the number of staff. I was unable to move around the room due to how many tables were set up. The speakers had trouble with the microphone which did not allow them to move from one spot, and the video projector did not work well.
Answer:
We have tried almost all possibilities. We contacted the church to see if we can use a wireless mic the next time, which would solve that problem. We also had too many tables set up, especially back in the corner, and that added to the space being so crowded. I am not sure what you are referring to about the video, that worked just fine. There was a small issue but that had to do with the trainer's laptop not the equipment at the church. As far as audio/video goes, that facility is set up to serve us the best. The only thing larger is back to the conference center and it costs twice as much, and isn't set up for VHS/DVD which we show at almost every staff meeting.
Question:
What is done with the money that is made from the auction?
Answer:
It goes to the Head Start Foundation.
Question:
Cathy, I am from MCCC HS and my question is for clarification for our group socializations. Our parents come to our group socials with any and/or all of their children, depending on time of day/evening. With that in mind, in essence are we out of ratio? Previously, within our grant we were provided a 3rd person to help with groups and was also the extra person for the combo. We would like to know how to still accommodate our parents and children so that we are not over ratio.
Thank you.
Answer:
Socializations were originally meant for the parent and the child enrolled to come together in a group. With parents accompanying their child - they are responsible for their child. A group size in EHS must be 8 children - and with parents present you can count them in the adult/child ratio. If you have your parents bringing all of their children with them - your group sizes may big too large for EHS.
Question:
At the staff meeting; I saw several people wearing blue jeans------Is that allowed now?
Answer: We would hope that people would come to staff meeting professionally dressed. However, we did state last year that we will follow our professional appearance policy. So what you can wear at centers/main office on Friday you can wear to staff meetings.
Question:
Hi Cathy - since it is okay to have a parent be included in the count for adult to child ratios, would it be okay to have a parent be the second monitor on the bus when we have over 20 children? This would include one bus monitor and the bus driver.
Answer:
Parents can be bus monitors if they are trained. We are only required to have one bus monitor and the driver on the bus regardless of number of children.
Question:
Cathy, I was just wondering, if the requirements for ed. staff are to achieve higher education, then is this going to be agency wide, including managers and directors?
Answer:
The new Head Start regulations require Education supervisors to also have Bachelor degrees by 2013. In the standards there is also requirements for certain component managers - and we follow those also. At this time we are concentrating on the federal requirements currently in place. We anticipate that more requirements for different positions will be coming and we will comply with those also.
Question:
I want to say thanks to Cathy for letting the teachers come back early to do home visits. This has been a big help especially since I work in the full day program. Thanks Cathy!
Answer:
Thank you for your hard work and dedication to Head Start!
Question:
I was just wondering if you could tell me why certain centers get filtered bottled water jugs for drinking and some don't. I know that most of our sites have water that is pretty disgusting.
Answer:
One site gets it because of the fluoride content in the water in the community. At the Main Office it is paid for by staff who utilize it.
Cathy-
Re the most recent letter to Cathy-
Some sites pay for their own bottled water like the main office does. Umatilla was that way when Dan was there and when I was team leader. Victory Square just got some, too.
April
Question:
I think that people were not treated fair this year people were moved that didn't want to and the one that did a lot of them didn't. I also don't think its fair that because of who you know that you get moved when someone else asked to be moved before that person did.
Answer:
Unfortunately, you do not know all of the reasons that people were moved. There were two criteria for being moved - bilingual (to make sure that centers had bilingual support for children and families) and in full day if they met the qualifications to be left alone with children. Being moved to another center had nothing to do with who you knew - that's not how we make decisions.
Question:
Just an anonymous comment on Pre-service - the trainings last week were great, much needed and very supportive. Trainers were respectful of our time and commitment - I felt valued. The trainings this week were outstanding - I felt energized. Thanks for the hard work that went into this and for the response to our input.
Answer:
Thank you for your positive comments! Very appreciated!
Question:
Please let Cade know that the 2 days of trainings for the education staff were excellent. Thank him for all of his hard work!
Answer:
Good job Cade!
Question:
Cathy, what is the status of the educational standards for Head Start nationally? Is our agency requirements for teachers changing? If all teachers are all required to have a B.A, are there funds available to assist us? Sorry about the multiple questions in one post but I am concerned about not meeting the future requirements because of my financial situation and time restraints.
Answer:
By September 2013 50% of all teachers must have a Bachelor degree and all other have to have an Associate degree. Our agency is moving towards 100% of all teachers must have a Bachelor degree by the deadline. We have training dollars available to assist teachers in paying for all coursework that is early childhood education. Financial aid is available at colleges.
We as an agency will have a requirement that all teachers have a bachelor degree because it is equitable to require it of all not some. And when you receive your bachelor degree you will get a large increase in salary.
Question:
I (and several others) have been asked to volunteer this summer a couple of times. First question - are we covered by SAIF when we are working "off the clock?" (I've always heard there was a liability issue if we come in on our own time). Second question - are there repercussions if we say no?
Answer:
I am at a loss to answer your question when I don't know what things you have been asked to volunteer for? We hire subs in the summer for work we need done. If you volunteer you are not covered by SAIF and there are no repercussion if you say no.
If you are asked to come in and take home personal items - that is not work. However, I have no idea what you have been asked to volunteer for.
Question:
Is strategic planning open to staff that is laid off? If so is this a paid day for those people?
Answer:
Yes strategic planning is open to staff who are laid off. For people who are not currently working it is not a paid.
Question:
I was wondering if it would be possible to have the process of filing leave reviewed. This last year there seems to be a black hole they are getting lost in, and lots of additional time is being spent faxing copies or filling out new ones. Most of the issues seem to be with TA request. Neither process in time efficient or cost effective. Maybe with all the new staff a step is being missed somewhere, it has not been such an issue in the past.
Answer:
We will be happy to review the process so that leave requests are processed in a more timely manner.
Question:
What should the temperature be in our classrooms this time of year, i am hearing many different things.
Thank you
Answer:
It is posted in the policy about Facilities. We put in the policy temperatures for in winter and in the summer. It is in the policy called, Choosing and Maintaining Appropriate, Safe Facilities. 72 - 76 in summer and 68 - 75 in winter. It also has in the policy about temperatures safe for children to be outside.
Question:
Hi Cathy,
I too forgot to say thanks for the gift of appreciation. I am grateful to work for an agency that appreciates our work.
Answer:
Thank you!
Question:
Hi Cathy, thanks for yet another gift card! It is nice that throughout the year we get recognition for our work in a thoughtful note and the gift card. I just realized that I hadn't sent a thank you. I thought that this forum would be great because I am sure others feel the same way. It is nice to feel appreciated! Have a terrific summer.
Answer:
Thank you! You all deserve it!
Question:
Can you carry your sick leave from one year to the next?
Answer:
Yes we all can accrue up to 480 hours.
Question:
Thank you to all that made Wellness Day a lot of fun. It was very neat to see all of the different ideas/activities that each center/main office came up with. We have a lot of creative staff. Let's do something like that again in the future. Thanks again for a great day!!!!
Answer:
Thank you
Question:
Hello Cathy,
I felt that Wellness Day was fantastic! I hope we can do it again next year-maybe a different theme. It was a great team building activity as well. I know at my center that there was more involvement then the previous years. If we know the theme a little earlier next year, I believe it will be even bigger and better! Thanks for a fun and educational day outdoors!
Answer:
Thanks for the great words!
Question:
This is not a question, but a comment on Wellness Day. I really enjoyed the format, even though many of us were hesitant at first of the extra work, etc. It seemed to keep people moving about more than other Wellness Days, and it was fun to partake in the different activities.
Answer:
Thank you for your comments! I have heard similar comments about Wellness Day and how nice it was to have multiple activities planned by center staff.
Question:
Wellness Day was awesome this year. All of the different ideas were neat. It involved more people planning and acting on those plans; instead of year after year the same people having to do all of Wellness Day. Great Idea!!!!!
Answer:
The Wellness Committee thanks you! I thought it was a great day also with all of the centers participating in activities.
Question:
Why is it that when a Teacher/TA/Cook/Bus driver quits mid-year the position is left open and other people "cover" (to the detriment of their jobs and the services we try to provide)- but when a person leaves the main office mid-year the position is filled?
Answer:
I'm not sure I know what you are talking about. If a person quits midyear, unless we are reorganizing and not going to have that position in the future, we fill positions as soon as possible. Keep in mind that we have to open positions up, interview, get approval from PC, and then the person selected has to pass a physical, criminal history, and many times give a two week notice to current employer. That can take up to 45 days or longer. May take longer if we get no applicants. If the person quits towards the end of the school year, we may just substitute the position for the remainder of the year. Many times people aren't quitting but going on family medical leave and we have to hold their position for them when they return.
If you have a specific example, please call the HR department or me personally.
Question:
Hello Cathy - two questions - do we send the blue "field trip" t-shirts home with the kids at year's end? and when is the sick leave pay off?
Thanks!
Answer:
Yes you send the field trip t-shirts home with the children. Sick Leave payoff will be the end of May.
Question:
This isn't really a question, but a comment on the last several questions. I have always enjoyed Wellness Day and look forward to it each year. In the last couple of years, it has been more work (volcanoes, etc) but it has been fun and a good team building experience. The email about healthier snacks this year generated some conversation, but I think most can live with it. Maybe we can look at it as a challenge to do healthier snacking - not just teach it. Many of us enjoy Wellness Day and appreciate the agency doing this.
Answer:
I am very happy to see people giving positive feedback. Thank you.
Question:
What's with all the complaining about Wellness Day? We could spend the day inside classrooms or at our desks, but instead we get to be out in the fresh air and sunshine. Let's be a little more mature about this, shall we?
Answer:
Thank you for your comment.
Question:
In the past most of the centers brought snacks for the day. Is that still okay to do, if it is of nutritional value? You can get chips at Safeway that are called "Eat Right", they are a rice chip, or you can get vegetable chips. Is something like that okay to bring? There are a lot of snacks that are of nutritional value.
Answer:
You can bring snacks that are of nutritional value - again please refer to the policy I sent out If you have a question about a specific snack please ask Angie.
Question:
Since we have 1/2 hour unpaid lunch break during Wellness Day, if we want to eat brownies or chips why can't we. It is our own time so shouldn't we be able eat want we want during that time?
Answer:
You are at an agency sponsored function with parents present. We always like to model good practices in front of parents. If during your 30 minute lunch break you would like to walk away out of view of the group, yes you may eat brownies and chips.
Question:
I just want to say that I really enjoy and appreciate Wellness Day just the way it is. It is wonderful that you guys give us a day to mingle with parents and coworkers and do activities. Thank you to the Wellness committee for working so hard and giving us a fun day to look forward to!
Answer:
The Wellness Committee appreciates your comments!
Question:
In the past our wellness day was a time for teachers and other staff members to socialize and have a relaxing time together. My question is why is it now falling on each team to provide the activities and theme for this year? We not only have to come up with an activity and door prize, but we also have to go to Wal-Mart and shop for all of the stuff. I don't know about others but for teachers this is a really hectic time of the year, with home visits, conferences, portages, outcomes, teaching and all that goes with that. How is adding wellness day activities to all of this equate to relaxing, or wellness?
Answer:
Wellness Day is a time for staff and parents to enjoy wellness activities together. The Wellness Team is trying to get more input from centers in order to meet the needs of all of the participants and to actually make it be a wellness day. It was never intended to be just a "free" day to do nothing.
The Wellness team works hard to organize and put this together. A committee of 8 should not be the only ones to contribute to a day that serves over 175 people. The staff at the Main Office and members of the wellness committee are also in a busy time of year. So planning one activity and bringing one door prize no where comes near the amount of time they spend to coordinate the whole event, set it up, and clean it up.
If your center feels this is too much of a burden, don't plan an activity.
Question:
I am confused about the email we received regarding spring break. It sounded like if you don't have 40 hours of annual leave that our float leave will be used to fill the 40 hours. What if we would rather take it unpaid? I know that I have saved my float leave all year long for time that I need to take off for personal reasons and don't want it used for spring break. Can you please clarify this. Thank you
Answer:
We only have 6 weeks left of school for part day after spring break. We can't have everyone off at the end of the school year. If you have something special planned work with Aaron prior to spring break.
Question:
My question is why is it ok to use a teacher assistant as lead teacher when
the classroom teacher is gone for the day? If a teacher position should open up
a teacher assistant without a associates degree would not be qualified for the
position but it is ok to use her when the teacher is gone. Also shouldn't the
teacher assistant be paid teacher pay for the days she steps in as teacher,
since she does all the duties the teacher performs.
Answer:
The teacher assistant is assuming the lead in the classroom for the day the
teacher is gone because she knows the children in the classroom and knows the
routines. A substitute would not know the children nor the routines that happen
on a daily basis. The teacher assistant is not paid the teacher's wage because
she does not do all the duties that the teacher performs. She does not do home
visits, she is not responsible for the lesson planning, she or he is not
responsible for the children's files, and does not perform many more duties
outlined in the job description.
Question:
Wellness Day funds can't be used to purchase a door prize - where do the funds come from? We don't ask our families to donate, do we? Or do we "come up" with something ourselves? Sorry, three questions.
Answer:
No you don't ask parents to donate. Be creative - make something. We also have some things at work that are donated from our suppliers. Things we normally use in the Frog Store.
Question:
Why are closers expected to come in sick? How are we going to supervise the children when we are in the bathroom? What are we suppose to tell parents when they come in to find their child’s teacher sick in the bathroom? I think it is unprofessional for us to be working around kids when we are sick especially the babies. I know at my age when I have the flu I am very weak and not focused my heads in a fog. As a mother and grandmother I would not have wanted my children or my grandkids now being taken care of by someone who should be home in bed. I realize we are short on subs and the people that can close are limited but something needs to be put in place for closers. I don't mean to sound sour but I feel strongly about this issue. Thank You
Answer:
I am not sure what you are referring to. Perhaps you should talk to your supervisor or Human Resources about this directly. I find it hard to believe that we asked someone to close who was that sick. I know that Education Managers fill in a lot.
Question:
Regarding the electronic attendance form, if we still send the hard copy to Kim and everything matches can we send the electronic one to her on the last day of the month instead of faxing which is not always readable?
Answer:
Kim has also asked me to add that the original attendance form needs to be in her office by the 2nd of each month. So you can fax her a copy and send an electronic, but she needs the original. She does not utilize the electronic copy for her USDA reports.
Question:
Regarding the electronic attendance form, if we still send the hard copy to Kim and everything matches can we send the electronic one to her on the last day of the month instead of faxing which is not always readable?
Answer:
As long as Kim receives the hard copy in a reasonable amount of time and the information matches. Also in response to the last Question. If you can't read your own writing how do you expect Kim to read it? The form Kim receives needs to legible as it is the official documentation for USDA.
Question:
Can we send the electronic attendance to our Ed Managers and send the hand written one to Kim? If we take the small amount of time to compare totals and information, it would provide readable copies for our Ed Managers. I personally will continue to use it because it give me all my totals and helps spot errors. I can easily transfer information to files and month end forms. I believe the electronic form is saving me work because the math is readable and accurate. I cannot count the many wasted minutes I spent trying to find errors or decipher my own writing! Thank you for having this forum that enables me to voice my opinions and ask questions.
Answer:
Yes you can submit both as long as both forms have the same numbers of attendance for children.
Question:
Why is it when something is working well and helpful it is taken away? I am referring to the electronic attendance sheets. If the hard copy is kept why can we not send the electronic one at the end of the month. Faxed copies are not always readable and fax machines are sometimes not working. The electronic form is efficient and accurate. I would like to know how this does not meet performance standards.
Answer:
We felt that it was a duplication of work. A hard copy is kept because USDA requires that attendance is taken as children arrive - it cannot be taken later by filling out the attendance sheet on the computer. We do not have lap tops in our classrooms, nor do we want them to be in the classroom for recordkeeping purposes. We need to have the hard copy - pencil/pen- in the main office for USDA meal reimbursement purposes. In addition, the hard copy and the electronic copy did not always match so we had discrepancies. It was not a performance standard issue it was a USDA regulation.
Question:
I noticed on the teacher yearly eval there is a question asking if time is provided for assistants to work on CDA or other training. Does this mean it is ok for assistants to work on their CDA during work hours? For example, in a full day program, if all the cleaning and work was done, and all the children are sleeping, could the assistant work on her CDA in the classroom while children are sleeping?
Answer:
That is a good question. Of course, it would depend on the type of CDA work that would need to be completed. Reading could be accomplished better than say working on the portfolio. Also the question of overseeing the classroom even while children are sleeping - that would be a licensing question.
Question:
Hello Cathy, I wanted to comment about the issue of time sheets. I am thankful I get paid twice a month instead of the school district's practice of paying once a month. The system of the 1st and 16th is in place and working well -why change it? It is not a big deal to predict my hours for a day or two and then adjust if needed. Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
Answer:
Thank you. We will be presenting both sides of this issue at the staff meeting on Friday. We will ask for input from all staff and make a decision based on that information.
Question:
Just a thought...Maybe the people in the Fiscal office should be asked what they'd prefer to do about time sheets.
Answer:
They have been asked.
Question:
Not to belabor the time sheet issue. But I don't think it is the general consensus. We should work, fill out our timesheets and let fiscal send out checks on the 5th and 20th. Thank you. A lot of other companies are paying their employees a complete week after the work is done.
Answer:
I don't know how many people you have talked to, but the people I have had group discussions with favor the current system.
Question:
When we have team meetings do we have to have them at the center or can we meet at another location?
Answer:
If we were having a staff meeting and you wanted to meet prior to that at the training location that would work. However, if it is a regular work day, you may want to have them at your center to be available for parents or other phone calls.
Question:
I don't understand what is confusing about our time sheets? I would like to just leave them the way they are, on the 1st and 15th.
Answer:
This seems to be the general consensus.
Question:
I seem to remember the old days when we turned our time sheets in on the 5th and 20th and it was much less complicated. Could we return to that if we gave people plenty of warning?
Answer:
We can certainly look at that again. We actually turned them in after the last working day of the pay period and got paid on the 5th and 20th.
Question:
Actually our time sheets are due 2-3 days before the end of the pay period. So if we get paid on the 15th we have to turn them in on the 13th. Which means we guess on how many hour and days we will be working. Many changes can occur in that time.
Answer:
Time sheets are due 8:00 on the last day of the month and on the. 15th. Then you are to reconcile your time sheet after the last working day of the pay period if there are any changes. If that becomes an issue our policy states that we can pay on the 5th and 20thn so we could change pay days.
Question:
Why does your agency have people guess what they will work? I don't know of any other company that does this. Time should be worked, timesheets filled out after work is done, then payroll made out.
Answer:
I don't know where you got that information. But our system does actual time on time sheets.
Question:
I think opening an EHS program in Milton sounds like a wonderful idea. However, how will this affect the staff and class structures at the Gladys and Hawthorne sites? And, how are we ensuring that we continue to meet the needs of these two communities when we take away their slots that already have a waiting list and move them into a new community and new program?
Answer:
One of our responsibilities is to do a community assessment and try to meet the needs of those at highest risk. The 4 EHS children are part of an over enrollment - so that will not affect our enrollment in EHS (56 slots). Moving the toddlers to M-F would mean the teacher would move to that classroom also and we would need 2 teacher assistants
Question:
Is there a known date of when Victory Square will open?
Answer:
Please ask your focus group representative. That question was asked twice and answered.
Question:
Would you mind explaining in more detail the information shared at the Policy Council meeting about converting four slots from Gladys and eight slots from Hawthorne to 12 EHS slots in Milton-Freewater? (if the the M-F school district decides to partner with Head Start for placing a program at their high school)
Answer:
The school district would need to supply a facility and busing in order for this to happen. The community assessment showed us the high need for EHS in M-F. They have 38 pregnant or parenting teens.
Question:
Regarding the last paragraph under "new business" in the Policy Council minutes - how does converting a combination to center base free up 8 slots?
Answer:
I am on vacation, but in talking to Dan about the minutes it appears they are in error and have been corrected. What the discussion was: move 4 EHS slots from Gladys and 8 from EHS at Hawthorne and provide a teen parent program in Milton-Freewater. This would be converting from combination to a full day center based program.
Question:
Is there anyway we could get petty cash/cook checks mailed to the center we work at, rather than our homes? Some of us don't have secure mail boxes, and it's just one more thing to worry about.
Answer:
We would have to look into that. Most of our centers don't have secured mail delivery either. Unless you have a post office box, I don't know who does.
Question:
How do you determine who will be on the Literacy Team? What are you looking for in a candidate?
Answer:
The membership of the Literacy Team was dictated by the National Literacy Center when our agency was chosen to attend. Membership had to include: Head Start Director, Education Director, Family & Community Partner Director, EHS Director and a parent. When we chose the parent (either current or former) we looked at length of time as a parent, whether they had PC experience, whether they would continue on the team; language - bilingual being a plus.
Question:
Regarding the possibility of expansion, how many new positions would be available?
Answer:
We anticipate one Teacher, two teacher assistants and a bus driver
Question:
The policy council minutes states there is a possibility of expansion (20 slots in Hermiston and 5 slots in Boardman). Where would these slots be? Would the 5 slots be at the Sam Boardman classroom and the 20 slots in Hermiston at Victory Square? How is the decision made where to serve more children?
Answer:
Yes that is correct - 20 in Hermiston and 5 in Boardman at Sam Boardman. The decision was made based on waiting lists, space availability, and collaborative partners and approved by the PC and Board of Directors.
Question:
Why is it that we don't have any subs? It is really causing a strain on our jobs!!!
Answer:
With recent turnover in positions we have hired many of our subs. Some of our subs are working for us for people who are out on family medical leave. People are not applying to be subs. And most people want a full time job with benefits, not an hourly position when they don't know when they may be called in to work - especially at 6:30 in the morning.
Question:
I think that if someone goes to a center and finds out that they are not needed at that center or any other center then they should get 2 hours of pay.
Answer:
Thank you for your input - unfortunately, we can't pay if they don't work.
Here is an example from the Oregon Bureau of Labor:
Q. Our employee Fred arrived at work for his scheduled shift at 8:00 a.m. today. We asked him to wait in the break room because we weren
't sure we would need him. After fifteen minutes, I told Fred he could go home for the day because we were overstaffed and didn't have enough work to keep him busy. Fred became irate and is now insisting we owe him for at least four hours of work. We don't think we should have to pay him, since we didn't require his services today. Who's right? Is there a minimum amount we have to pay an employee just for showing up for work?
A. The Oregon rule requiring "show-up pay" or "adequate work" for adult workers was rescinded in 1990. This rule required employers to guarantee work and/or payment of at least half the scheduled shift. Under current wage and hour laws, when an adult employee reports for a scheduled shift but is sent home early for lack of work, the employer need only pay for the actual time worked. If the employee performs no work and is not required to wait on the employer
's premises for any period of time, no wages are due.
Your company is legally required to pay Fred only for the 15 minutes of waiting time in the break room. According to federal and state wage laws, that time is compensable because Fred was "engaged to wait" on your premises. On the other hand, there is no legal obligation to compensate Fred for any other portion of the scheduled shift, unless your company has promised such compensation in its policies or under a wage agreement with the employee.
Question:
why is it that you can not use any annual leave until you have worked here for 6 months?
Answer:
We have an introductory period of six months for all new staff except the Executive Director which is 12 months. During that time employment could end at anytime. Most agencies, including UMCHS, do not give benefits until new employees have successfully completed their introductory (or probationary) period. So we allow new employees to accrue annual leave, but not use it as a benefit until they have successfully completed their introductory period.
Question:
First of all I would like to say how HAPPY I am to have been able to work for such a great place I love my job. However my husband maybe transferred the first of February its only a maybe. My question is will I get a pay off on my accrued leave that I have earned over the years and how do you go about leaving I will give notice well ahead of time but is there anything else that needs to be done? Thanks so much
Answer:
If you have passed your introductory period, you will get paid up to 40 hours of accrued leave. You also need to write a letter of resignation and send it to the Human Resources Director. Hopefully, you will give us enough notice to be able to replace you in a timely manner.
Question:
Do all the bus drivers know that they can not remove a child off the bus?
Answer:
They should by now. If this happened, you need to inform the Transportation Manager.
Question:
Can the bus drives say if a child can ride the bus or not (if you are have difficulties with the child)? Also, if the public school buses are running 2 hours late does that mean head start buses run 2 hours late. I was told they do?
Answer:
No, the bus drivers do not have the authority to make the decision if a child rides the bus. That is a joint decision between the teacher, bus driver and team leader. Their decision then needs approval from the admin team before a child would not be able to be transported.
If buses for public school are running two hours late in the morning then our morning class that starts at 8:30 would be canceled. We would then run on time for the afternoon class. We have a few classes that the morning class begins later in the day and they would not be affected by the two hour delay. If a center only has one classroom and there is a 2 hour delay, we would just run our class later if necessary. All ful days continue to operate because parent's transport.
Question:
With the concern for safety with slipping I would like to know where is the concern for the children who wear slippers in the classroom? The children are required to wear them outside even in the snow for fire and earthquake drills. Where is the concern about getting something rammed into the bottem of their feet? If there ever was an earthquake is it really safe for the children to walk over glass and other dangerous items in slippers? One last thing some of the children have ill fitting slippers which is also a safety concern.
Answer:
Your center needs to take responsibility to make sure children are safe. I didn't know that earthquake drills are done outside? Work with parents to ensure that the slippers children are wearing fit and have hard soles so you don't have to worry about things going through the bottom of the slippers. If the ones we purchased don't fit, please use your petty cash to buy them a suitable pair of slippers.
Question:
I have to say I think you have done an excellent job of trying to cut back the work load. Just with the electronic forms alone. I think maybe a workshop on how to organize your time and see if any one would be interested in sharing their ideas.
Answer:
Thank you for your positive comments
Question:
If a teacher would rather work on paperwork, and prep materials for the classroom than take annual leave during closure, would this be possible. It seems that the agency would benefit more if they paid employees for working then taking the day off. Since only a small amount of Annual Leave leave can be carried over and the agency doesn't buy the days back, not using annual leave doesn't cost the agency anything. It seems it would be in the best interest of the agency to get the most bang for their buck by letting teacher work if they choose.
Answer:
It is not possible to work during winter and spring break. You accrue leave to take during this time. Those that accrue more because of the length of time that they have been employed can carry over 40 hours each year. We want leave to be taken when children are not present.
Question:
What happened to the discussions last year to reduce the teacher workload?
Answer:
We took into consideration the small group discussion we had with teachers working in to a center base model. The NRS and the Oregon Assessment have been canceled. We have implemented some electronic child and family tracking forms that should assist, we tried to host a paper work reduction focus group last year (no one attended); we gave additional time at the beginning of the school year to get home visits completed prior to school starting, and we have tried to schedule and limit other meetings to weeks that do not impact end of month reporting.
Question:
Will separating teachers from social service workers ever be considered, in models besides full day? This could help teachers focus more on the education component and advocates on social services and provide a higher quality of services to our families.
Answer:
Some people believe that higher quality of services for families and children is delivered by having one case manager. Understanding the environment in which the child is living assists in individualization for the child in the classroom. Obviously the cost of hiring more family advocates without additional funding is not an option at this time. Also, having a 4 day center base program at 3 1/2 hours per day would not justify teachers being 40 hours per week.
Question:
Is it inappropriate to play a Christmas radio station on the school bus? Can you explain why please?
Answer:
Some of the Christmas music being played on radio stations is not developmentally appropriate for the age of children that we transport. Other Christmas music is very religious and may not meet each child's cultural background. When playing music on the bus ask yourself: "Is the music being played for the children or for the adults?"
Question:
Cathy, I know that everyone gets busy in their jobs, however when files are being reviewed it would be nice to see at least one positive comment, everyone has a strength, not just deficits. We take that approach with children and families, could we take that approach with teachers and family advocates also?
Answer:
I will share that information with the staff who do file reviews. However, keep in mind that the purpose of the file reviews is compliance with regulations. The comments made are to assist staff in assuring that all necessary documentation is recorded in the child's file.
Question:
Concerning the education requirements for teachers, (50% having a BA) from the federal Head Start level, does this also include education requirements for family advocates, managers, and directors?
Answer:
I have not read the complete reauthorization, but this pertains to teachers and education managers.
Question:
What is the first day of winter break?
Answer:
Your first day off for Winter Break is Friday, December 21st.
Question:
There is a question asked "way back" about annual leave. Are you saying that if a person calls in sick they can fill in the leave request to say "annual leave" rather than sick leave?
Answer:
People can choose to use their annual instead of sick leave in order to become eligible for the sick leave pay off. Sick leave pay off is described in the Employee Policies Handbook if you would like more information.
Question:
Why isn't everyone's pay represented on the salary schedule? We shouldn't have to guess at what our check should be.
Answer:
Everyone is on the salary scale with the exception of teachers who supervise a TA, Team Leaders, and people who are off of the salary scale because of longevity with the program. If you are an hourly employee your paycheck varies with the number of hours you work each pay period. Your letter of hire that you get each year also contains your pay rate.
Question:
Concerning the extra class days for center base:
If it is imperative to have the class and contact time how come we don't provide transportation? A lot of our parents don't have a way to get their children here, aren't we going to miss them on contact hours? Thank you for your clarification concerning this matter.
Answer:
One of the reasons is most of the bus drivers do not have the hours for the week to provide transportation. We have such long routes that it would put them over 40 hours for the week.
Question:
Cathy, during our parent center meeting we were given the book "Mommy" from Maurice Sendak ($24.99 each). Most of my parents thought it was very inappropriate and did not take them. I was wondering why such a book was handed out. It had pictures of monsters, scary faces, skulls, and resembled Halloween theme.
Answer:
The book was a free book from First Books. The author Maruice Sendak is a well known children's author and the drawings in it are similar to "Where the Wild Things Are". We didn't feel it was appropriate for children either, but thought parents might like the book as a collector item for themselves.
Question:
There is a employee that gets to there center 30 minutes early and starts working but the sing in sheet show that they go in 30 minutes later, is it ok to work off the clock?
Answer:
Exempt employee or nonexempt? Hourly employees are to work their scheduled amount of hours per day. They are not to work off the clock. Please talk to your center team leader regarding this.
Question:
Cathy, do we have to have approval from our supervisor in order to attend committee meetings?
Answer:
As you would be away from your main duties - yes you would need to talk to him/her.
Question:
Do you have to join a committee?
Answer:
No you don't have to join a committee - it is your choice.
Question:
Cathy, I would like to know if new employees are eligible to attend the various committee meetings or is it only for the employees that have successfully met their six month probationary period?
Answer:
Any employees can attend
Question:
Cathy,
Why is this year different in that the center base classrooms have make up days on the weeks with holidays? My understanding is that center base has always met and exceeded family contact hours. No other classroom types are having make up hours.
Answer:
The way the calendar fell this year we were short a few days. That is why we have 3 make up days. Combination is home visits and class days combined - so we are fine there.
Question:
Hi Cathy - is there any situation when a person doing the exact same job (no changes in supervision, hours, position) would make less than they did last year? I asked payroll but haven't heard back.
Answer:
No, there should not be. If they were off scale they should have gotten a 2% COLA. The best way to find out is to call Aaron or me direct.
Question:
Would you happen to know how one would go about getting their CDA?
Answer:
Please talk to your Education Manager about the process or Starla Halverson.
Question:
What happened with teamwork in our centers? If we can help with breaks between head start and early head start why is this a problem? Especially when we are already having coverage issues. Burn outs are coming I know I am starting to feel it.
Answer:
I'm sorry. I don't know what you are referring to or who told you that staff at a center can't help one another. Perhaps you need to take this to your supervisor for more clarification or talk directly to you education manger about specifics.
Question:
Cathy, could you explain what kinds of issues are supposed to be brought up at focus group. thank-you
Answer:
At focus group we try to answer any questions that might be rumors, follow up on issues that might need to be resolved at sites, and clarification on policies. We do not talk about personnel issues that pertain to individuals.
Question:
Cathy, thank you for the Wal-Mart cards for the cook's. It was really appreciated.
Answer:
You are welcome! Hope that it helps.
Question:
Hi Cathy, I was wondering why staff are not paid for their time when attending First Aid/CPR classes? Most classes are on week nights and weekends, and do not fall under normal work hours, thanks for your time.
Answer:
Staff are not paid for attending First Aid/CPR because it is required by federal regulation and child care licensing regulations not by our agency. An example would be that when a federal or state agency requires certain positions to have a degree in order to be even eligible for employment, it is not the program's obligation to pay for the degree. It is a requirement to have the job to have a current First Aid/CPR card - without it you don't have a job. The way we assist staff is paying for the class/workshop or ECE classes.
Question:
if you work for UMCHS can you still have a child in the head start or early head start?
Answer:
If you are low income and meet the selection criteria - it is possible to work for Head Start/EHS and have a child in the program. Your points would have to be higher than other children in order to be selected. In addition, we review all Head Start staff applications to insure no conflict of interest. In many circumstances we hire parents who currently have children enrolled.
Question:
Hi Cathy
I would like to know what is the bus barn? Do we have staff at the bus barn?
Answer:
The bus barn is the old Fowler Bus Barn on diagonal road in Hermiston. They used to provide transportation for the Hermiston School district. We are now keeping our buses there and the bus drivers are picking up their buses at the Bus Barn. Carol Vandeman, Transportation Manager, Wade Miracle, Maintenance and the bus drivers have their office there. The number at the bus barn is 564-5968.
Question:
Cathy,
thank you for your efforts to cover the open positions without removing staff from their current jobs. We know it wasn't easy. We are all breathing easier now and focused on the upcoming year!
Answer:
And a big thank you to Chris Cooper for stepping up and covering the Umatilla classroom!!
Question:
I want to thank everyone involved in the PreService training. I am a teacher and was very pleased with what I learned. I appreciate the topics that were discussed and to get everyone on the same page before we started school. It would be great to have this type of training before each new teacher started. I am also grateful for the better use of electronic paperwork. Yeah!!!
Answer:
Thank you for your positive input! It's great appreciated.
Question:
during what shut down time do you apply for unemployment? is it during the winter? spring? or summer? or all of the above?
Answer:
That would be something you should check with the employment office about.
Question:
if a position with in the center opens up and a staff person applies for the position do they have a better chance of getting the job then if a non-staff person applied for the job?
Answer:
Normally, they do. But a lot of factors are in play when granting transfers and/or promotions to staff already employed. One of the biggest factors is always qualifications.
Question:
Could you please explain what our schedule is for the week of PreService. I got the agenda, but I am unsure what time we are to report to work, get off of work, and do we have to start and end the day at our centers? It is especially difficult for those of us who live in Hermiston and commute somewhere farther to have to drive all the way to our center, just to turn around and drive back to Hermiston (we cant car pool because we all have to go to different locations for PreService) then have to drive back to our center to sign out and then drive home again.
Answer:
Since everyone works at different locations this is a question for you to ask your site supervisor or team leader. On the first day of work - report to your center
Question:
What is the purpose of staff who have already had 3-4 trainings in
motivational interviewing to have a two day training before PreService yet
again? Thanks in advance for an explanation.
Answer:
Motivational interviewing is a strategy that continually needs practice and
coaching to assist staff. The practice groups at the training will be broken out
by staff's experience and training. Staff who have had the training can also be
valuable in assisting the many staff people who will be present that have not
had the training. The training will also include staff from other Head Start
programs in Oregon and local DHS staff. Your experience will invaluable to them.
Question:
Congratulations on the successful start of a great project - I know you guys in the main office work so hard to get $$$ and justify the work we do. Thanks for your skills and drive to keep Head Start going in a difficult time. I love what we do, I love my job. We do good stuff - I appreciate the whole team.
Answer:
Thank you! We all make a good team - it's what makes Head Start such a great program.
Question:
why cant we have the option for a payout and not take annual because there is a lot of time we cant use our annual leave and it gets denied even when we have given advances notice more then 2 weeks and summer time has been said is a time we should try and use it but we are still getting denied why is it us who are be punished for lack of funds for subs if our time was approved more then denied we would have less coverage issues
Answer:
Employment policies are approved by the Board of Directors and the Policy Council. They have not to this date approved paying off annual leave for several reasons. The largest reasons being that we cannot carry over funds from one grant year to the next. It would be extremely difficult to manage the budget, if over 140 staff people had the option to have annual leave paid off. You would not know how much money to set aside for annual leave pay off. If you were not aware, you can always use your annual leave instead of sick leave. If you think you may not use all of your leave by the end of the year, when you are sick you could use your annual leave. If you do not use your sick leave, over time you would be eligible for sick leave payoff.
Question:
Most of us know that we should ask to use annual leave when it least affects the agency or for an emergency, but what happens if leave is denied and we have too much left at the end of the year?
Answer:
Everyone should try to plan their vacation time throughout the year, so that it does not accumulate so much that taking it causes a hardship for the agency to cover at the last minute. You are eligible to carry over 40 hours of annual leave from one grant year to the next - June 1. If you have over 40 hours of leave come June 1 you lose it.
Question:
Dear Cathy,
Why is it that those of us who accrue lots of annual leave are not able to
use it during the shut down time? It is very difficult to use it during the
school year especially those of us in the full day/full year situation. Even
being able to use 2 or 3 days of annual leave during the shut down would be a
big help. Thanks
Answer:
You can't use leave during the shut
down time because we don't have the money in the budget to pay you.
Question:
Why can’t we have shut down when it only affects 1 check and not both checks that is really a bad month with school starting back at least last year we got 2 unemployment checks so that helped a little. I am sure it’s to save head start money but that really is not fare to us who have to struggle that month. Can it be taken in to consideration for next year? It would be greatly appreciated
Answer:
We build our calendar based on the number of days children need to attend Head Start as required by performance standards. We also then take into consideration the amount of time staff need for home visiting before school starts, pre service training, open house, lesson planning, team meetings and setting up the classroom. This year's dates for returning did not save Head Start money, it cost us more money in paying staff for working longer.
Though you may not get two unemployment checks - the amount you get paid that week for 3 days may in fact exceed what your unemployment check may have been.
Question:
Regarding the last question, the staff calendar is posted on the home page with start up dates for all staff.
Answer:
Thank you for pointing that out.
Question:
Are TA coming back the 22nd of Aug or the 20th? The reason I ask is this would prevent us from getting unemployment? I was told we got a full 3 weeks off again this year
Answer:
Your last day of work is August 3. Your letter of hire states that you will be back to work on August 22, which is the first day of Pre Service. You would have to ask the Employment Office how this affects you.
Question:
What are the Protégé journals for
Answer:
The Education Managers and Directors with other education supervisors from Oregon Head Start grantees attended a three part training last year called "Steps to Success." This training was provided by our Training/Technical Assistance contractor out of Seattle. This training was on the subject of Coaching and Mentoring around literacy in Head Start/Early Head Start. I believe that Toni Eddy received these "Protégée Journals" and distributed them to all teachers and teacher assistants. The education managers will be discussing with you how they want you to use the journals. On page 2 it describes the purpose of the journal and on page 3 the role of a mentor-coach. The Education Managers will serve as the mentor-coach and you as staff will be the "protégé."
Question:
I enjoyed the positive things I have just read. It is nice to know there are those out there who realize the pluses of their jobs at this agency. Team work, communication and a "go with the flow' attitude are three of the things I value most in getting through my days. And, of course, the families and children...Thanks to not only the UMCHS Admin team, but all staff, for helping make us who we are as an agency.
Answer:
Thank you. It is so nice to has such positive feedback. You help make us a great team!
Question:
Thank you for the Wal-Mart cards that we just received. These are some of the ways to show that admin appreciates the staff. The response from staff yesterday was "wow, we got another Wal-Mart card". They were very pleased. I just want staff to think about how it also takes each center team to make a positive work place, not just the admin team. We all have to work together to make a successful agency. Thank you again.
Answer:
Thank you all for the recent positive responses. It means a lot to all of us!
Question:
I agree with the positive comments mentioned earlier.
Positive attitudes can create change! We do receive a lot of extras and I believe it is important say thank you once in awhile. I have heard staff complain that there is not enough positive feedback given from Admin -It starts with us! Sure, there may be a few problems but that is true in every workplace. It is amazing the impact we can make just by changing our points of views!
Answer:
I appreciate all of the positive comments that have been given!
Question:
I agree with the last statement. I am very proud to work for an agency that received 100% compliance on the last federal review. I am proud to work for an agency with great expectations and high standards. I appreciate the raises, Wal-Mart cards, benefits, paid vacations, etc...I receive working for this agency. I think its awesome that staff have the opportunity to express their grievances/dislikes and be heard. We have been given a lot this year! Thank you.
Answer:
Thanks - that is very nice to hear!
Question:
I think it is time for some positive feedback! It amazes me the dress code,
cell phone and flex time issue continue to surface. Praise the administration
and management team for having the patience to continue to answer the same
questions over an over again. UMCHS policy and procedure, which we all receive
at staff orientation, staff meetings and trainings, reflect the high standards
of this agency. They are one of the many reasons this agency is so successful
and respected in the community. As staff we need to appreciate the extra effort
the administrative team puts forth. Just think, we could have out of pocket
expenses to cover our benefits package and go without all the "extras" the
agency gives staff. It seems some staff continue to dwell on the petty issues
instead of the positive. Don't sweat the small stuff - appreciate what we do
have!
Answer:
Thank you, it's always nice to hear positive comments.
Question:
Question - Is it true that all staff MUST flex on the day of center
meetings. Here's a true case scenario - Tuesday Center meeting - last of the
year - is packed out with 50 plus family members. One staff member (teacher) can
only stay for part of the time because she couldn't flex the entire time that
day due to breaks and lunches. The other staff members are left to do all the
clean-up after the meeting and attend to all the parent questions, etc. The
staff member that left said her Ed Manager said she could NOT work more than
eight hours that day and that we MUST flex on center meeting day or get written
up. This staff member also could not come fifteen minutes early to help with the
usual set-up preparations that we always do to insure a successful center
meeting night. She is not avoiding work, just sticking to the "rules", and is
afraid of getting written up. She is a hard worker and I'm not addressing the
teacher's conduct, just the rule.
Thanks
Answer:
In my last answer I told everyone that the supervisors would work with people on a case by case basis. Since I don't know what center you are talking about it is hard for me to answer the question. Perhaps instead of a "Question to Cathy", this would have been better if the person involved would have asked the supervisor to check on this for them.
Question:
this is a question regarding the dress code. why is it that the whole code is so restrictive? If you go out into any professional community, i.e.. banks, public schools, offices of any sort, you will see people in capries and gauchos, way before May 1st and they look very professional. I understand the restrictions on shoes, but I do not understand why teachers have to wear a logo shirt with capris when others don't...the whole thing seems very repressive...
Answer:
Thank you for your input on the dress code. I can't speak for banks, public schools, offices or other "professional" places - each has their own professional appearance policies. What one may see as professional may not to another. I will look at the issue of capris for teachers with the rest of the admin team and we will make a decision.
Question:
Why is the issue of flex time not being monitored equally across the board. My view on this matter from what I've seen, is a selected few are being question endlessly, while others may have 9 hr days and nothing is being said. I feel some people in my center could be building a harassment case against the agency, due to continuously questioning by supervisors who are not around on a daily basis, so they don't understand. Their are many time in life where "on paper" calculations may work but in reality it is not possible. I dream of a day when management can understand this. I agree if one person in abusing the situation, they need to be dealt with, because many of us are truly trying, and the stress level is rising.
Answer:
We actually discussed this at Admin meeting this morning and talked about consistency across the program. I want to again say that communication with your supervisor about how to work out these long days is very important. If you cannot work out a solution for the day with your supervisor, they can approve the longer day. Again, we will work with each of you on a case by case basis depending on the situation. There are a lot of Bureau of Labor laws that many don't know can be violated by these longer days. Such as when to take lunch hours, breaks and in some case another "lunch" break later when you work over a certain number of hours. We are trying to be flexible with staff in addition to following labor laws. As we cannot talk to one staff about another - you have no way of knowing if we have dealt with this with other staff.
Question:
Why is it that we are being told that we can not work over 8 hours a day. There are many times that we have a late home visit or meetings. In the past we have had the flexibility to use the flex time that we have as long as it is within the same week there has never been an issue. I recently have had no days over 8 until the other day and was sent an email saying that I need to flex within the day. Sometimes this is just not possible. I would like to have the flexibility to use flex time when it is most effective for me and I am not saying to take several hours and save them up for the end of the week but in the past I have been told by you that if I have flex time within a week I can use that time to go to a child's program as long as it does not interfere with class time or other obligations such as home visits. I would like some clarification on this and hope that if there is a specific problem with an employee abusing the flex time then the supervisors would talk to that employee not make a blanket statement to all employees who do not abuse the flex time. Thanks for the clarification on this matter.
Answer:
I answered this question in an earlier Question for Cathy. I also sent an email out to everyone explaining the reasons and telling people that we would work one on one with people on this issue.
Question:
Cathy,
Why is it so much trouble to get center wellness activities approved? If it is not really our choice then how about sending all centers a list of acceptable activities. This center is almost out of time to fulfill one of our fringe benefits. I appreciate that we do receive the opportunity to celebrate wellness as a team. Thank you for your consideration concerning this issue.
Answer:
There actually is a list of ideas in the procedure for activities. What you have to remember is we. Are utilizing federal funds. If something we do is disallowed - we have to pay the money back and we could be deemed deficient. Not all activities that teams pick are allowable.
Question:
The new ruling on not getting more than 8 hours in a day is confusing... hasn't flex time has always been used after accumulating it? What happened to using it within the week? It seems like it will be troublesome to 'pre' flex time that we have not actually have earned yet. For example, if we preplan for flex by coming in late for a hv, that is scheduled for the evening hours and then the visit is cancelled by the parent, this results in needing to pay back the agency time. Or would you prefer that we have to work into the evening hours alone in a center? It seems unfair that we are going to be put in positions that are going to result in problems for us. If we are to use our flex time, what does a person do who doesn't live in the community that she teaches in? Are we suppose to sit in our cars and 'flex', it seems unfair that we are losing our input on our time.
Answer:
The rule has always been to try to flex your time within the day so that you are not working over an 8 hour day. Many people come in late one day if they know they are going to have a late home visit. If home visits are canceled in the evening and you are short that day, obviously we will work with you to adjust your schedule later in the week to make up that time. Unfortunately, we are not responsible to make your work time schedule meet your needs if you do not live in the community you teach. Many communities have things that you can do between work time - visit the library, ready a book, shop or browse at your favorite store, visit an art museum, have dinner or a snack.
Question:
I'm confused about the issue of working only 8 hours a day - flexing the time during the same day we have a late visit. Many of us also have home visits during the afternoon, or we are covering in other classrooms (people out sick, giving breaks, etc.). Most of us will always flex on a day when we don't have class or need coverage somewhere else. Are we expected to try to jam in a 15 minute flex time here and there in between our other commitments? We try to plan things, but if we are covering for someone who is out sick, we shouldn't have to re-schedule a visit that was planned two weeks before.
Answer:
We don't expect you to reschedule a home visit. As you plan late home visits in advance, you can plan that entire day in advance. We know that things come up at the last minute that may be out of your control - and that is taken into consideration. Normally there is time between the afternoon visit and the home visit that is in the evening. Ten hour days are long and sometimes tiring. A typical work day is 8 hours.
Question:
Cathy, this is not a question, just a comment regarding the question about growth and improvement plans. I agree with Cathy, why would you not want to complete the goals that you set. When I set a goal for myself and complete that goal then I feel that I have accomplished something that is important to me. Maybe there could be some sort of raffle for employees that have completed their goals with an acknowledgment for a job well done. This would take a lot of team work from employees and supervisors to track. Just a suggestion. I really appreciate the frogs and the gift cards that we receive and I know that other staff appreciate them as well.
Answer:
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I appreciate it.
Question:
How important is it for a staff member to be by the phone while the bus is out on route?
Answer:
It is very important. We have asked the teacher or other staff person to be available by phone at the center until all children are delivered. We may have emergencies or children that parents are not home and the staff person at the center can assist in finding other qualified people to care for the child (ones the parent has given permission). Calling on the cell phone looking for back up for a lengthy period of time would not be an option on the bus.
Question:
So what are the consequences if we don't meet our growth and improvement goal?
Answer:
Some of the
goals on your growth and improvement plan are requirements of the job - first
aid/cpr and food handlers - if you don't meet those by the deadline - the
consequences are suspension from your job without pay
Some of the goals are your personal goals and that would be between you and your
supervisor. If you didn't want to do a goal that you set (ones that are not
requirements of your job) you could set new ones.
Question:
When is the T.A. going to need to have their A.A to be employed with head start?
Answer:
We will not know that until a reauthorization is passed by Congress that includes that requirement in the law.
Question:
Are there consequences if we do not complete our growth and improvement goal?
Answer:
It is part of your performance evaluation and is required under Head Start performance standards. Why would you not want to complete it?
Question:
Cathy,
Why doesn't Pendleton have subs? According to a previous question on this forum there is a whole list of them. Whenever someone leaves (at lest for the last few years) Pendleton staff have to cover, sometimes for long periods (months) of time. This upsets the consistency of staff for the children which in turn escalates behaviors and insecurities, causes a sharp decline in moral, and creates major stressors for staff. A lot us do not stay home when we are sick because of the added pressure it will add to co-workers. This is not good for children or staff.
Answer:
I have been told by the Education staff who are in charge of finding subs - that when we advertise - no one applies. I know that Sheri and Maria have been busy calling parents to see if they will sub, called ESD for their sub list, and the school district. We cannot find people who are interested in working by being called in at the last minute or who want to work only occasionally, Believe me, we know this is a big problem.
Question:
In a center where all the children leave by 3 or 4 o'clock does there still have to be employees in the building until 6 or can schedules be changed to work around the children that are enrolled currently?
Answer:
If you are talking about a full day center - schedules can be changed to reflect when the last child leaves.
Question:
Cathy,
I browsed through your website and you are doing a great job! I shared some of
these ideas with our staff in this region. We are in Texas and are the Texas
Migrant Council, Inc.
Ernestina R. Gomez,
Facilities/Transportation Coordinator and (Generalist)
Answer:
Thanks, it is
always nice to get positive feedback!
Question:
What happened to our sub list why are only a few of all the people that was laid off being called in to work there were lot laid off but we are having the same people covering for us?
Answer:
I believe that Toni starts down the list of people and the first to respond are the ones hired to be the sub. Our goal is to have a sub to ensure the right coverage for the safety of children. Our goal is not to ensure we have a variety of people subbing.
Question:
If our new hours are going to be from 6:30 to 6:00 what happens to our parents that have a tuff time with the hours now (us not being open soon enough)? Every year we have at least 1 or more family’s that are waiting for 6:00 so they can drop kids off and rush off to work some have had to make special arrangements for them to come into work a little late or find someone else to drop them off for them. Also will staff be getting there hours cut?????
Answer:
Parents when they are enrolled will know that we are not open until 6:30. The change in hours was to assist in staffing at the centers. We have very few parents that need to have their children at our site at 6:00 - we are meeting the need of the majority of our parents. Staff are not getting their hours cut. Again, this is to assist in the staffing of the centers and to assure that we have the right ratio of staff to children at all times.
Question:
Can we wear are frog or other shirts that we got from Head Start with capris
and shorts or can it only be the ones with the 3 kids on them?
Answer:
With capris or shorts you must wear the agency
logo shirt.
Question:
We as a center and other centers feel the same would like to know why can't
we come in early on days we work but have no kids. Its not right if your work
hours are the early ones and you have to stay longer. The people at the main
office get the chance to work 4 tens in the summer so they can have Friday off
we don't get that option so why not give us the luxury of being able to come in
early so we can get a head start on our weekend What does it hurt?
Answer:
Normal office/center hours are 8:00 to 4:30.
Families know to contact staff at centers during those hours and staff need to
be available for them. Days without children are few and mostly are on Fridays.
These are the days we set aside for training, agency meetings, and home visits
with families. Working early in the morning and leaving in the early afternoon
would not make center staff available for home visiting, calls from parents and
attending meetings that occur throughout the day. If there is a Friday that
staff have a special reason for wanting to leave early that could be discussed
with supervisors to see if an alternate schedule for that day could be arranged.
Question:
Someone has told me that we no longer get any of the step raises (the ones
given at one year... two years, etc.) Is this true? I thought it was the
merit raises that we no longer get.
Answer:
Merit increases and step increases are the same thing. According to federal regulations any increases that occur annually have to be tied to merit. We have not been giving merit (step increases) for some time now due to the federal government not giving us any additional quality dollars. They have only been giving us Cost of Living Allowances and we have been passing those on to staff by changing the salary scale by the percentage that they have given. Actually we got 1% this year from the feds and gave 2% COLAs to everyone.
Question:
We are wondering what has happened with the dress code. In the past at focus
group and wellness day several times you stated that agency logo shirts could be
worn with shorts. You stated that T-shirts or polos, as long as they looked nice
and had the agency logo or head start or UMCHS could be worn with shorts in the
classroom. We were even allowed to wear the "what happens here depends on what
happens here" T-shirts, the free to grow T-shirts, and the "leaping into the
future T-shirts" and others that have been approved by you at Wellness Day and
focus group. We are hearing many different things from many different
supervisors about this issue. Some supervisors are now saying that these shirts
are not allowed to be worn with shorts. Some of us believe that there has been a
misinterpretation and we would like to hear this straight from you. Would you
please clarify this issue for all of?
Answer:
The dress code states that the agency polo needs to be worn with shorts. This would include the short sleeved polo with the blue Head Start logo or if you have a short sleeve polo with the Free To Grow logo (both are embroidered). The other t-shirts that were given at Wellness days or you may have had made for Wellness day can be worn with jeans, not shorts.
Follow-up:
I checked the focus group minutes of last year
when this was discussed and it states quite clearly that only agency polo shirts
are worn with shorts. So I don't know who is stating that I said otherwise.
Question:
What is the policy on leave requests? Is there a certain amount of time that
we should wait before hearing back on a request? (It is on a day that requires
no coverage for me).
Answer:
Leave requests should be turned in 2 weeks prior
to the day you want off. If there are no issues - which should be discussed with
you - you should hear within the next day or two.
Question:
Any possibility for an extension to October 1 for open toe shoes without
socks?
Answer:
Office staff may wear open toed shoes without socks until October 1. All staff at centers may never wear open toed shoes or shoes without a back or a back strap due to safety and being able to quickly go after children. Since all staff at centers may be called upon to spend time in the classroom - this includes all staff at the site. Also, no one wears open toed shoes that have a strap that goes between the toes - i.e. thongs, flip flops, or any shoe with such a strap.
Question:
Hi I was wondering if I still have medical insurance in the summer even
though I am not working.
Answer:
Those employees that do not work during the summer, but are still employees and are returning the next program year are covered by insurance during the summer. If staff have any questions about medical coverage or benefits, they should contact Aaron Treadwell.
Question:
I would like to suggest that we no longer present frogs for the "Catch Me at
My Best". Instead perhaps have a spot on our web page for our thanks to another
employee. It would save money on the stuffed frogs. And some of us have
collected several.
Answer:
Thank you for your suggestion, I will let the awards committee know of this suggestion. I know that these cards were discussed during Strategic Planning.
Question:
Would it be possible for staff who are pregnant and working through the summer
be allowed to wear capris and shorts with a regular maternity top?
Answer:
Since staff who work in the office can wear capris without the agency polo, that would seem logical for pregnant staff in centers to be able to do the same. No to the shorts. But perhaps we have some larger polos that staff could wear with shorts at the center.
Question:
Is it an option to create a smaller, intensive classroom next year for children
that are violent/aggressive and need less stimuli? Seems like it would be best
for everybody involved, including the kids exposed to the aggressive behavior?
Answer:
We actually talked about doing that this year in the Hermiston/Umatilla area. One issue would be location - obviously we may have these children spread across all of our counties. In that case we would not have the funds to create 4-5 of these classrooms.
Question:
I would like to suggest that the format for using the parent fund be changed.
Often times the amount raised from parent fund raisers cannot be accurately
forecasted. In one case we had a great return from one fundraiser, but parents
did not know that it would turn out that good. So, beforehand, they designated
the money to go to class photos. They ended up with way more money than they
needed, but were unable to use it for anything else because it had not been
designated ahead of time. Is it possible to designate the parent fund as a
general fund that can be drawn from (approved by parents) for any activities
that may be planned throughout the year (e.g. craft nights, movie nights,
picnics, bowling, etc.)
Answer:
If a fund raisers makes more money than intended they can come back to Policy Council and get approval for additional projects. Fundraisers are not allowed under our federal regulations - staff time or any Head Start resources cannot pay for any part of fundraisers. We will be making some changes next year in this whole area. We are calling them parent activities, and any money raised must go towards projects that the federal grant would allow. Again they must also be spent within the program year. We also are concerned that the public, when they support fundraisers, would not be concerned about what the money is spent on. They think they are supporting the Head Start program and parent education, not necessarily "parties" and "give aways."
Question:
Dear Cathy, I know this was addressed before but was wondering why part year
people couldn't have our checks prorated over the entire year so we wouldn't
have to draw unemployment. Wouldn't it save the agency money by not having to
pay that? I know that some people don't want this but the ones that do should be
able to have this service. Thanks
Answer:
That is always a possibility - and we can certainly look in to it again. We have
been told by the Bureau of Labor that even if we prorated annual salary over the
12 months period, that people would still be eligible to apply for unemployment.
Question:
Dear Cathy, I am not sure if this question applies to this year end due to the
fact that we seem to be out of money, but I was curious as to how the decisions
are made to purchase items when we have excess money at year end. Is it possible
to form a committee or use Focus Group to handle the spending of this money, or
perhaps involve Policy Council. From my point of view, it seems that this money
is often spent on items for the main office (large screen tv, new computers and
flat screen monitors for main office staff, outdoor furniture and heaters (still
not sure how or when we will ever use those), etc). I personally feel that the
centers don't get enough attention, and as a direct result the children aren't
getting an equal chance at improving their education through additional
spending. Wouldn't new books, playground equipment and things for the center
benefit our children and our mission more than new tv's and outdoor furniture?
Answer:
We look at the items that were discussed at budget meeting in addition to other
items. This year, we have authorized many of the items discussed at budget
meeting to be purchased. Playground equipment for the EHS programs, , window
blinds at 4 centers, out door easels for centers, copier for Wallowa County.
Actually the majority of our ongoing budget is spent in education, not at the
office. We even applied for an OPP supplemental grant - that was funded - to buy
a new sanitizer, windows, heat pump, and mixing valves at Highland. We also
received additional money to finish the yard area at Highland from Head Start.
Many of the new computers bought in the past went to centers as did new flat
screen monitors.
Question:
What is the rule about staff being left alone when there are still are kids in the center ? I thought there had to be 2 in case of emergence situations like if one staff member became ill how could a 3 year old call for help?
Answer:
The child care regulation states there must be two
people or have a plan in place with a person who can respond within 5 minutes.
If that plan is not in place at your site this summer, please work with your
Education Manager and other staff to ensure that you have a plan.
