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Education Assistants (EAs)

The Ministry of Education has provided funds for the Distributed Learning (DL) Special Education program for your child. It is a privilege to have an Education Assistant (EA) working in your home.  HCOS values the commitment that Education Assistants 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.
  • Parents should ensure the student is ready for services upon arrival of the EA, including having the necessary materials ready. 
  • Parents/guardians cannot dismiss an EA. They are a contractor of HCOS. If there are personnel related problems, contact your SE 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 SE 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 SE Teacher, the EA, the child(ren), and the parents/guardians of the child(ren).
  • Collaborate with the SE Teacher/parent on the acquisition, organization and modification of instructional material.
  • Be in weekly contact with the SE Teacher around student progress
  • Attend EA meetings as required
  • Give advance notice to the family and the SE 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. 
  • 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, HCOS will deem it unsafe for an EA to drive to a student’s home. 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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