The DOE revised the online procedures for principals, speech supervisors and human resources directors to apply for shortage-area compensation, which is the pay earned by speech teachers and others in shortage areas who work during their preparation periods to serve students in their caseload.
If you want to work during your preparation periods, make sure that you email your speech supervisor to approve your request before you begin working. They may ask for a copy of your schedule with and without working preparation periods. Please make sure that your request includes the date you want to begin working, the number of periods you will work each week and a request for an emailed confirmation that you have been approved and the application has been processed. You should also make sure that your principal is included in the email so all parties know of your request. If you are denied and students are unserved or "contracted" to an outside agency, please contact our speech chapter hotline with the details. Your speech supervisor can hire full- or part-time speech teachers to absorb the students before shortage area is granted.
Please do not begin working until you are approved, and follow up if needed. Every year we receive calls from members who haven’t been paid so make sure that you have some kind of written confirmation of your approval in order that we may follow up with the DOE if necessary.