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Education Assistants (EAs)

The Ministry of Education has provided funds for the Distributed Learning (DL) Inclusive Education program for your child. It is a privilege to have an Education Assistant (EA) working in your home.  HCOS values the commitment that EAs make to students/families.

Parental/Guardian Expectations
  • A parent/guardian is required to be present in the family home during EA sessions. EAs are not permitted to work in their own home with a student.
  • EAs may work in a public setting like a library, if sessions are not feasible in the family home.
  • Ensure that siblings are supervised during EA sessions to avoid distraction and disruption.  EAs are not responsible for the care/supervision of siblings that are not under contract with HCOS for EA support.
  • Ensure the student is ready for services upon arrival of the EA, including having the necessary materials ready. 
  • If the EA is also working with the IE student in the Home, supporting CC homework, the EA may receive paper copies in class or forwarded email from parents, unless special arrangements have been made to be included on the teacher’s email list.
  • When an IE student is supported by an EA at Community Connections or a Learning Group, notify the EA, teacher, and CC Coordinator when the student will not be in attendance.

  • The CC coordinator will have EA contact information and inform EAs in the case of unexpected CC closure due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. 

  • EA supported students at Community Connections may not attend on-site if the EA is unable to attend and a substitute is unavailable. Please contact your IE Case Manager to see what can be arranged.

    • The EA is to contact the family, the CC Coordinator and the Case manager around absences.
  • Inform the EA of sickness in the home in advance of the EA’s arrival.  A mutually agreeable standard should be in place around cancelling sessions when an EA, student or other family members are sick.
  • Parents/guardians cannot dismiss an EA. They are a contractor of HCOS. If there are personnel related problems, contact your IE teacher immediately.
Education Assistants - Scope of Work

The Education Assistant is contracted to provide the following services, as requested by HCOS:

  • Participate in the creation of the IEP, and if necessary, be available for collaboration on term reviews with the IE Teacher.
  • Perform and comply with the duties listed in the IEP and with any other reasonable requests from HCOS administration considered to be normal relational responsibilities between the IE Teacher, the EA, the child(ren), and the parents/guardians of the child(ren).
  • Collaborate with the IE Teacher/parent on the acquisition, organization and modification of instructional material.
  • Be in weekly contact with the IE Teacher around student progress
  • Attend EA meetings as required
  • Give advance notice to the family and the IE Teacher if unable to complete their duties for a specific period of time (i.e., vacation, etc.).
  • Create guidelines around provision of service pertaining to sickness of the EA, student or other family members.
  • Follow the time-sensitive behaviour/incident reporting protocols.
  • Collaborate with parents/guardians of the student in a respectful manner and as a team member.
  • Prioritize the needs of the student.
Cancelled Sessions

It is vital that we are good stewards of the resources and people that are in place to assist in the education and support of students.

The following policies are in place around cancelled sessions. 

  • Cancelled sessions are billable - hours per week as outlined in an EA’s addendum/invoice are billable if the session is cancelled or if session time is shortened by the parent/guardian. 
  • Please be aware that if the student that the EA supports is absent, the EA is expected to attend CC and provide general support to the class.
  • The EA is not obligated to reschedule a cancelled session. 
  • EAs will use cancelled sessions for lesson preparation, completing student reporting in FileMaker, teacher communication, professional development and any other administrative type tasks.
  • An EA cannot invoice for scheduled sessions that fall on a statutory holiday, unless those hours are worked.
  • The EA must report all cancelled/shortened sessions on their invoice. 
  • In the event of inclement weather where school is cancelled in the local school division and/or buses are not running, HCOS will deem it unsafe for an EA to drive. The scheduled session can be cancelled and hours invoiced.
  • It is the responsibility of the Education Assistant to give a minimum of 24 hours’ notice for any sessions that must be cancelled with a student (outside of sudden illness or other unforeseen circumstances). Unless session time is rescheduled, these hours are not billable.

If there is a consistent pattern of cancelled EA sessions by the parent/guardian, this may result in the reduction or cancellation of EA services.

Invoicing
  • The final day of EA services for any given school year is June 15.
  • EAs do not provide services during the summer months.
  • EA invoices are sent via email to parents/guardians mid-month. Parents are required to verify EA sessions and respond to the EA office with their confirmation of hours, or to report discrepancies.
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