The answer is NO! If the school wants you to accompany a teacher and a class on a school trip, then the school is responsible for your transportation, admission fees and expenses to be incurred as a result of the excursion. 

In accordance with recent amendments to NYSED regulations, IEP teams must make certain considerations before determining that a student requires an IEP-assigned paraprofessional, and the student’s IEP must reflect those considerations in the relevant sections. For a student recommended for an IEP-assigned paraprofessional, the Management Needs section of the IEP must make clear the circumstances during the school day, including related services and non-academic settings such as lunch and transitions, for which the student requires the support of the paraprofessional.

Please remember that if an individual student's IEP requires paraprofessional support including during lunch, the principal or designee must schedule paraprofessional coverage to ensure that the student is appropriately served at all times and that the paraprofessional has a duty free lunch period. Paraprofessionals must not be used for lunch duty.

Paraprofessionals shall be retained in their school or work site in accordance with their seniority. If excessing occurs because of lack of work, the least senior employee will be excessed from the school or site. Unless a principal denies the placement, an excessed paraprofessional will be placed by the Board into a vacancy within his/her district.; or if such a vacancy is not available, then in a vacancy within the same borough, and if such a vacancy is not available then in a vacancy citywide. Paraprofessionals identified as being at risk of being excessed at the commencement of the following school year will be informed of this no later than June 15, or as soon as is practicable if identified as being at risk of excess after June 15. The deadlines for excessing will continue to be governed by applicable law.

A paraprofessional who has been excessed to another school may request an opportunity to return to the school from which he/she was excessed if within a year a vacancy should occur in that school. Such a request will have priority over any other transfer or appointment to that vacancy, and it shall be effectuated at the next reorganization of the school to which the paraprofessional is returning, except that should the vacancy occur within ten school days after the paraprofessional is excessed, he/she shall be informed of the vacancy and he/she may return to the school immediately.

To become a full-time paraprofessional for the New York City Department of Education (DOE), you must first become a substitute paraprofessional, and serve at least 25 days in that role. You must also have the New York State Teaching Assistant certificate (https://www.schools.nyc.gov/careers/other-jobs-in-schools/paraprofessionals-and-substitute-paraprofessionals).

No. A principal cannot mandate meetings or administrative duties during your prep period. If you’re directed to do things like these on your prep, you should follow the directive to avoid being insubordinate. Then, you should speak to the Chapter Leader about being paid the coverage rate for your lost prep. You can also file a grievance for the inappropriate assignment and request coverage pay. You can also request that this issue be raised at your chapter’s Consultation Committee meeting.

The unavailability of a teacher to cover a class (i.e., a substitute teacher) constitutes an emergency.

Yes. Teachers can be assigned to cover one class in the fall and one class in the spring without compensation. In an emergency, teachers may be assigned a coverage during their prep, as per contractual rotation, and be compensated at the coverage rate.

A preparation period is used for unassigned work, i.e. lesson planning, grading, and preparing for classes.

No, teachers are not required to have a hard copy of their lesson plan for their administration.

No, the format and organization, including which elements are to be included, and whether to write the plan digitally or on paper, are up to the teacher’s discretion.