Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.2 Appendix B to Board Report 22 June 2020ADMINISTRATIVE & SUPPORT STAFFING PRELIMINARY REPORT 2020-2021 22 JUNE 2020 Appendix B to Board Report 22 June 2020 Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 1 Table of Contents 1.Introduction Page 2 a.A & S – Preliminary Staffing Plan 2020-2021 – Overview Page 2 Table 1 –Education Worker Bargaining Units Page 2 b.Enrolment Projections Page 3 c. Collective Agreement and Funding Parameters Page 3 d.Support for Students Funding Page 4 Table 2 –Support for Students Funding Page 5 2.Special Education Staffing Page 5 a.Educational Assistants Page 5 b.Professional Student Supports Page 5 3. School Based Staffing Page 6 a.Early Childhood Educators Page 6 b.School Office and Technician Staffing Page 6 Table 3 – School Office and Technician Staffing Page 7 c. Facilities – Custodial Services and Maintenance Page 8 d.Safe Schools Program Page 8 4.Central Departments Page 8 a.General Page 8 b.Business & Learning Technology Page 9 c. Human Rights and Equity Office Page 9 5. Summary Page 9 Table 4 – Summary of Changes Page 10 Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 2 Introduction a. Administrative and Support – Preliminary Staffing 2020-2021 – Overview The purpose of this document is to set out the preliminary plan for administrative and support staffing for the 2020-2021 school year. The term administrative and support staff refers to employees/educators employed in positions such as educational assistants (EAs), early childhood educators (ECEs), school office administrators and assistants, school based technical staff and custodial and maintenance. Administrative and support staffing also includes the professional student services staff such as psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, communications disorders assistants, as well as all centrally based administrative, technical and professional staff. Within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), the majority of administrative and support staff (approximately 92%) are employed in unionized positions that fall in one of five education worker bargaining units, all represented by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), as set out in the table below: Table 1 –Education Worker Bargaining Units Bargaining Unit Description Education Support Professionals (ESP) Office, clerical, technical, administrative staff (Examples: School office administrators, library technicians, central department office assistants, reception, Business & Learning Technologies (B&LT) field technicians) Student Support Professionals (SSP) Early childhood educators working in kindergarten and extended day programs, and educational assistants Plant Support Staff Unit (PSSU) Custodial staff Maintenance staff (ie., replacement custodians, floaters, chief custodians, lead hands, electricians, plumber, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), stationary engineers) Professional Student Support Personnel (PSSP) Professional staff, including psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, communication disorders assistants Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 3 Professional Educators and Childcare Staff (PECCS) Instructors assigned to Adult LINC and ESL programs; childcare staff working in the childcare programs that support LINC and Adult ESL programs and staffing working in EarlyOn programs located in District schools In general, the complement of administrative and support positions are established at the discretion of the Board and confirmed or approved annually as part of the Board’s operating budget. This year, due to delays in the release of the Grants for Student Needs (GSNs), final approval of the 2020-2021 budget has been deferred until the summer. For 2020-2021, it is anticipated that administrative and support staffing levels will remain relatively stable, with no significant changes being proposed from current levels. Tentative allocations and assignments have, in some cases, already been communicated to schools, unions and staff based on a status quo approach, or decisions that have already been made by the Board, in order to meet collective agreement timelines related to the staffing process. Decisions with regard to some staffing is required at this point to allow staff to proceed with confirming staff allocations and implementing hiring processes in advance of the new school year. The balance of the staffing complement for next yea r, including recommended changes, will be brought forward as part of the full budget this summer. The preliminary plan includes a request to approve the proposed allocation for EAs, ECEs, school office and school based technicians, custodians and three new positions to support central departments. In addition, it highlights the additional positions available through funding provided as part of the recent OSSTF (Education Worker) central agreement. The balance of the administrative and support staffing, including new recommendations to increase staffing levels in some areas, will come forward for discussion and deliberation as part of the overall budget process. b. Enrolment Projections The number of administrative and support (A&S) positions is influenced by a number of factors, including, in some cases student enrolment. For example, the number of ECEs who are employed annually is directly influenced by the number of projected kindergarten classes, as well as projected enrolment in the District’s Extended Day Program (EDP). More specific information about the impact of enrolment and other factors, will be discussed below. c. Collective Agreement and Funding Parameters In general, as indicated above, the number of administrative and support staff employed by the District is subject to Board discretion. The central agreement that was recently ratified includes a job security provision, which protects the current complement of OSSTF jobs and precludes lay-offs of OSSTF members, except in circumstances set out in the agreement, and, therefore, can have an Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 4 impact on the discretion available to the Board in terms of making changes to staffing. Local agreements also include staffing timeline provisions which require that tentative assignments be provided prior to the end of June. Changes to tentative assignments are permissible to accommodate changed circumstances such as student needs. This year, assignments may need to be reviewed to accommodate plans for return to school in the fall. In terms of funding envelopes, administrative and support staff are funded from a variety of envelopes including the school foundation grant, the pupil foundation grant, central administration, school operations and special education. In most cases, this funding is not specifically sweatered, but can help to inform or provide guidance in terms of the number of positions. In the case of special education, the District is required to expend, at minimum, all funds receive d within the special education envelope to support the needs of special education students; however, there is discretion as to how the funds are expended within the envelope. Special education funding is used to support EAs and professional staff, such as psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, communication disorders assistants, behaviour consultants and psychological associates, all of whom support the delivery of the District’s special education supports and services, within the framework of the District’s special education plan. d. Support for Students Funding As part of the central agreement reached earlier this spring between OPSBA, the Crown and OSSTF, support for students funding was provided to local school districts to support education worker positions. Funds from this system investment must be used to create additional permanent positions within the applicable bargaining units to address special education, unique learning needs, mental health initiatives and employees who play a role in promoting safe, healthy and caring schools. The total amount available to the OCDSB is approximately $3.1 million, to be allocated proportionally across four bargaining units: ESP, SSP (specifically for EAs), PSSU and PSSP . The table below provides a summary of the Student Support Funding provided to the OCDSB, broken down across the eligible bargaining units. The specific allocation of the positions is a matter for discussion with representatives of the various bargaining units, within the parameters set out in the above paragraph for how the funding is to be used. These discussions are on-going and should be finalized within the next couple of weeks. In the interim, however, staff is highlighting these additional positions now so that o nce discussions with the bargaining units are complete, staff can proceed with plans for filling the positions without delay so that they can be in place starting in September. This additional funding provides an important opportunity to enhance services and support aligned with the District’s strategic priorities and to address ongoing and emerging needs. Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 5 Table 2 Support for Students Funding Bargaining Unit Amount of Funding Available Estimated FTE Education Support Professionals (ESP) $949,434 15.0 Student Support Professionals (SSP) $1,135,596 19.6 Plant Support Staff Unit (PSSU) $1,072,942 16.6 Professional Student Support Personnel (PSSP) $143,237 1.3 Total $3,301,209 52.5 Note: FTEs are estimates only at this point and are still being finalized through discussions with the respective bargaining units. Special Education Staffing a. Educational Assistants Educational assistants play a critical role supporting students with special education needs. The 2019-2020 approved budget included a total of 750.0 FTE EA positions. In or about January 2020, the Board approved a staff recommendation to increase the number of EAs by an additional 25.0 FTE, bringing the total number to 775.0 FTE. For 2020-2021, the number of EAs being recommended is 794.0 FTE, which includes the 19.0 additional FTE to support the new specialized program classes. As indicated above, approximately 19.5 FTE additional positions (to be confirmed) are also available through the Support for Students Funding. These positions will be added to the 794.0 FTE. Discussions with the local OSSTF representatives are on-going and it is our intent to proceed with allocating and staffing the positions as soon as discussions are concluded. For 2020-2021, staff is recommending an allocation of 794.0 FTE, to be further augmented by the additional positions provided through the Support for Students Funding. b. Professional Student Supports There were 94.6 FTE professional student service positions approved as part of the 2019-2020 budget, the majority of which are assigned to Learning Support Services (LSS) to support students with special needs. Although some needs for additional support have been identified, staff is currently awaiting additional details with respect to funding, including in the area of mental health to finalize recommended changes for next year. On that basis, recommended staffing in this area will be coming forward as part of the staff recommended budget. In the Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 6 interim, staff is proceeding to ensure that the current complement of positions are filled moving into the next school year. As indicated above, an estimated additional 1.3 FTE positions (to be confirmed) will be available through the Support for Students Funding. Discussions with the local representatives of the PSSP bargaining unit are on-going; it is our intent to proceed with staffing the additional positions once those discussions conclude. School Based Staffing a. Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) Kindergarten classes in the District are supported by educator teams that include teachers and ECEs, regardless of class size. Regulation 224/10, Full Day Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten, requires that all kindergarten classes be staffed with an ECE position as well as a teacher. The regulation provides an exemption for up to one class in each school where the class size is less than 16. Staff is recommending that all kindergarten classes continue to be staffed with an ECE, regardless of class size. For next year 411.0 FTE ECEs are required to support the core kindergarten program, including 8.0 FTE itinerant positions. This figure is subject to change based on fluctuations in kindergarten enrollment which can impact the number of classes required. In addition to the above, an additional 220.0 FTE ECEs is being recommended for purposes of staffing the district’s Extended Day Programs. Although there is still uncertainty with respect to how exactly the programs will operate in this changed environment, we know there will continue to be a demand for before and after school care when school reopens in the fall. It is important to ensure we have a sufficient number of ECEs in place to staff these programs appropriately. In total, therefore, based on current projections, staff is recommending a total of 631.0 FTE ECEs for next year, subject to adjustments based on kindergarten and EDP enrolment fluctuations. b. School Office and Technician Staffing All elementary and secondary school offices are staffed with a 1.0 FTE office administrator and an additional allocation of school office assistants which varies based almost exclusively on the size of the school. Elementary schools are allocated library technician support, ranging from 0.2 FTE, which equates to one day a week of support, to a maximum of 0.7 FTE, or 3.5 days per week of support. Next year, the allocation of office administrators has been adjusted to reflect the closure of J.H. Putman Public School, and by 2.0 FTE office assistants based on enrolment. Within secondary schools, the technician allocations will be adjusted next year to accommodate the redeployment of the 16.0 FTE Instructional Student Support Technicians (ISSTs) to B&LT Field Technicians. Under the new model, the 25 B&LT Field Technicians (16.0 FTE ISST combined with the existing 9.0 FTE Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 7 B&LT technicians) will be deployed to each to support a secondary school and a family of elementary schools to provide information technology (IT) support, as part of and supported by other IT professionals within the B&LT department. Secondary schools will continue to be supported by various combinations of guidance, library, lab and food services technicians, at the discretion of the principal, in consultation with the superintendent of instruction (SOI) and approval of the Directors’ Executive Council (DEC). The table below identifies the school based office and technician positions allocated to elementary and secondary schools based on current formulae and projected enrolments. However, as indicated above, 16.0 FTE ESP positions will be added as a result of the Support for Students Funding and based on preliminary discussions with OSSTF (ESP) representatives, it is likely that this will include some increase in support for school offices next year, taking into consideration schools with the highest level of needs. Staff’s intent would be to proceed with allocating and staffing these positions as soon as discussions with the union are concluded. Table 3 – School Office and Technician Staffing Position 2019-2020 Approved FTE 2020-2021 Recommended FTE Change to FTE Elementary Office Administrators* 118 117 -1 Elementary Office Assistants 80 78 -2 Secondary Office Administrators 25.0 25.0 0 Secondary Office Assistants 54.0 54.0 0 School Based Technicians Elementary Secondary** 55.8 36.0 55.9 20.0 +0.1 -16.0* Total 368.8 349.9 -18.9 * Reduction of 1.0 office administrators due to closure of J.H. Putman PS reduction of 2.0 FTE office assistants due to fluctuations in enrolment ** 16.0 FTE ISSTs redeployed to B&LT field technicians effective 2020-2021 Therefore, based on all of the above, staff is recommending taking a status quo approach to school based office and technician staffing for next year, adjusted to reflect the redeployment of the 16.0 FTE technician positions to B&LT and Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 8 subject to the additional positions that may be added as a result of the Student Support Fund. c. Facilities – Custodial Services and Maintenance The 2019-2020 operating budget provides for a total allocation of 708.62 FTE custodial staff, which includes full-time and regular-part-time staff. As we move into next year, staff anticipates an increased need for custodial services to meet the enhanced cleaning and disinfection requirements that will accompany a return to learn and work for OCDSB students and staff. At this point it is unclear whether additional funds will be made available from the province to accommodate this increase. In the interim, and as indicated above, there are an estimated 16.6 FTE additional positions available through the Student Support Fund within the PSSU bargaining unit. Discussions with representatives of the PSSU bargaining unit are on-going, but preliminary discussions indicate there is general agreement that the majority of these additional positions should be used to augment the current custodial complement. It is staff’s intent to proceed to allocate and fill these additional positions as soon a s discussions with the bargaining unit are concluded. Subject to the funding and ongoing assessment of the District’s needs in this area, additional recommendations may be part of the staff recommended budget when it is presented later this summer. d. Safe Schools Program Next year, staff is enhancing the level of support for program delivery to students serving a long term suspension or expulsion and assigned to a safe schools classroom. The students attending these programs have student action plans outlining their personalized academic and social emotional goals. Previously the formal program delivery was limited to academic support only, but to align with Ministry requirements each student's day will now include formal program delivery to support their social emotional goals. This will require the expertise and guidance of social work and psychological qualified professional staff and on that basis, staff is bringing forward a recommendation to add an additional 1.3 FTE positions to support safe schools, specifically, a 0.8 FTE social worker position and a 0.5 FTE psychologist position, at least part of which may be funded from the Student Support funded positions, subject to on -going discussions with PSSP. Staff is recommending that an additional 1.3 FTE positions be approved for 2020-2021 to provide dedicated professional support to students attending the District’s safe schools programs. Central Departments a. General This section outlines the recommendations being brought forward with respect to centrally based departments. Additional needs to support the work of central departments over those outlined below, have been identified and discussed, however, final recommendations are still pending, subject to the release of the grants and a further opportunity for analysis. Discussions to date have been focused on supports required to achieve the objectives articulated in the strategic Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 9 plan, and, in some cases, part of the District’s response to the pandemic. The remainder of central department staffing, including any additional changes being recommended for next year, will form part of the staff recommended budget later this summer. The positions identified below have been prioritized for preliminary approval so that staff can move forward with staffing these positions in time for them to be in place for September 2020. b. Business & Learning Technology As part of the review conducted by IBM during the 2018 -2019 school year, a new organizational structure for the Business & Learning Technology Department was developed and approved by senior staff. As part of the reorganization, staff is seeking approval now for the creation of two new positions: Team Leader, Security and Identity and Team Leader, Learning Technology Specialists. These positions support the department’s work in two key areas; network security and supporting student and staff learning through the use of technology. Approval of these positions now will allow the department to move forward with filling them in time to start the new school year. As part of the 2020-2021 budget, staff is recommending the addition of 2.0 FTE Team Lead positions to support B&LT. c. Human Rights and Equity Office Earlier this year, the District was able to add a new position, Human Rights and Equity Advisor (HREA). This position plays a key role in terms of the development, implementation and monitoring of the District’s equity and human rights strategy, including an investigative role in response to individual and systemic human rights concerns. At the time the position was created, a need was also identified to create an administrative support position to work with the HREA, but a decision was made to defer approval until the upcoming budget. As a result, staff is now bringing forward the recommendation to add an office administrator to support the work of the HREA. As part of the 2020-2021 budget, staff is recommending the addition of 1.0 FTE administrative position to support the Human Rights and Equity office. Summary The table below provides a summary of the proposed changes being recommended to administrative and support staffing in advance of the budget, which will be funded from the District’s operating budget. It does not include the estimated additional 52.0 FTE positions that will be available through the Support for Students Funding to add educational assistants, professional student services personnel, custodial and maintenance staff and school and central office administrative, technical and clerical staff. Addendum to Report No. 20-058 Page 10 Table 4 – Summary of Changes* FTE Special Education Educational Assistants 44 FTE School Based School Office and Technicians Safe Schools B&LT Field Technicians -18.9 FTE 1.3 FTE 16.0 FTE Central Departments B&LT Human Rights & Equity 2.00 FTE 1.00 FTE Total 45.4 FTE Costing information related to the potential changes is included in Appendix A to this Addendum. This addendum does not purport to deal with the full scope of the staffing changes for next year. There will be further recommended changes as part of the staff recommended budget, which will be finalized following receipt of the grants for next year.