Digital classrooms
Information concerning the creation and use of digital classrooms and other instructional issues for the 2022-23 school year.
See the 22-23 Digital Classroom agreement
Do teachers and related service providers need to create digital classrooms this year?
Yes, school-based teachers and related service providers must create digital classrooms for times when their students may be in isolation, when they themselves may be in isolation and able to work remotely, or for emergency closures. Teachers and related service providers should have created and set up a digital classroom by Sept. 30. The initial set up should include materials required for the first day of a future emergency closure.
How much will members who are required to create digital classrooms be compensated for this work?
School-based teachers and mandated related service providers will be paid $225.00 for set up of a digital classroom. If they had already been on payroll as of September 30, 2022, they should have been paid via supplemental check on or about October 31, 2022. Those added to payroll after September 30, 2022 may submit standard timekeeping documentation to receive compensation.
What if we are required to upload additional materials to our digital classrooms in cases where students are isolating? How will we be compensated for this work?
For each instance a student or subset of students tests positive for COVID-19 and the isolation period lasts two or more school days, school-based teachers and other mandated related service providers will be paid two hours of per-session (or the applicable hourly rate) for each school week in which there is a student absent due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Middle and high school teachers will receive an additional hour of per-session per additional course (not each section). Members may request additional hours of per-session based on their workload.
If you are not required to create a digital classroom but do so anyway, will you receive compensation?
Only those required to create a digital classroom will be paid for creating one: school-based teachers and related service providers (OT/PT, school counselors and psychologists, social workers, audiologists and lab specialists).
When would teachers and related service providers use their digital classrooms?
Digital classrooms may be in use when:
- Conducting remote Parent Teacher Conferences
- Conducting synchronous instruction on snow days or during whole school closures (either health or emergency-related)
- Conducting asynchronous instruction for isolating students
- Conducting synchronous instruction if the teacher/provider has tested positive, is in isolation, but able to work remotely
You are not required to upload any additional content to your digital classroom more than 24 hours before an emergency closure.
What information and materials must be included in a digital classroom?
Digital classrooms must link to all assigned students and include necessary materials for one day of an emergency closure. Teachers and related service providers are not required to add any additional materials to their digital classrooms more than 24 hours before any closure.
When are we not required to use our digital classrooms?
Digital classrooms cannot be mandated for:
- Regular instruction for absent students not related to a positive case of COVID-19 isolation
- Newsletters or ongoing family communications
- Uploading or collecting lesson plans
If my school closes and goes remote, will instruction happen synchronously or asynchronously?
In the case of a whole school closure (unlikely this year compared to the last two years), the teacher/provider will conduct remote and synchronous online instruction and will only be required to share materials in their digital classrooms that are necessary for instruction during an emergency closure.