Student Teachers

To ensure compliance when accepting and placing practicum, student teachers, and student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) that are in district and outside of district candidates. We will ensure:  

• We are placing student teachers in accordance with Board Policy 5641R.
   
• We are placing practicum students, student teachers, student teacher interns (e.g., counselors, speech-language pathologists, nurses) in the appropriate settings with the appropriate mentors.
   
• That principals are following district guidelines and protocol as it pertains to student teacher placements.
   
• HR Staffing Managers work with any employee pursuing a teaching degree on their practicum and student teaching placement and process to ensure that all student teacher candidates are clear on when to take leave and how to take leave for student teaching purposes. HR will work with the student teacher and Student Teacher Coordinator to approve either a long-term leave of absence or resignation from position depending on the situation.
   
• We have and communicate an outlined process for principal to observe student teacher candidates in their practicum and student teacher placement.
   
• That student teacher information is communicated to HR and sub services in an accurate and timely manner to get student teacher placements completed and individuals in the system.
   

• We are following all set forth guidelines by the district and teacher preparation programs.
   

• A practicum student, student teacher, student teacher interns (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) shall comply with all district policies, regulations, and work rules as a regular teacher.
   
• A student teacher should assume the same conditions of employment as a regular teacher in terms of length of school day, supervision of co-curricular activities, staff meetings, and in-service training.
   

• All practicum students, student teachers, and interns must complete all required district training courses, volunteer processes, and attend professional designated by the district before and during participation in a practicum, student teaching, and/or intern placement.

We will be moving to the following systematic approach:  

• We have created a student teacher placement email to accept and send all communication regarding student teaching requests and assignments.
   
• All practicum, student teaching, and student intern (e.g., counselors, speech-language pathologists, nurses) request must come from the university and must be coordinated with the district by the designated university.
   
• All student teacher information, requests, and concerns should come directly to LaShawnda Baldwin.  This will allow us to establish a clean and clear process for all student teachers, universities, mentors, and departments.
   
• We will only use the in state and out of state Puyallup School District MOU with all universities that want to partner with PSD to have practicum, interns, and student teachers assigned to schools in our district.
   
• All student teachers request to include practicums must be processed by the district.
   
• Building and Program administrations will direct all employees seeking student teaching opportunities to go through the district and district process. No student teacher candidates will be signed off on by the building administration without having been cleared by LaShawnda Baldwin, Student Teacher Coordinator and HR to start a student teaching placement or practicum.
   

• There will be clear guidelines set forth by the Student Teacher Coordinator in partnership with HR for practicum, student teacher, student teacher intern placements and timelines.
   

• Student Teacher Mentor will apply to be mentor and will be vetted Student Teacher Coordinator, various program directors, and HR before a placement is considered.
   

• The Student Teacher Coordinator will place all individuals  selected for a practicum,  student teacher, or student teacher intern placement.
   

• We will not place a practicum, student teacher, student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) candidate with a family member or friend.
   

• Deadlines will be set and honored when practicum, student teachers, and student teacher interns can apply for placement.
   

• We will track all practicum, student teacher, and intern placements from the start to end date of the placement assignment.
   

• All practicum students, student teachers’ candidates, and student teacher interns will submit a forms document upon acceptance that includes their start date, end date, student teacher field supervisor, and building of placement.
   

• Student teachers cannot sub for their mentor teacher without having gone through the appropriate steps with the Student Teacher Coordinator and Sub Services (Madison Backus) to be cleared and certified in accordance with the emergency sub requirements, located on the Substitute Services Office Webpage.
   

• We will host a Principal meeting to discuss the new updates to the student teacher placement process.




• We will host a Mentor Teacher meeting to ensure every mentor teacher knows the expectations and what to do.

Clear guidelines will be outlined, set, and adhered to for district employees wishing to complete a practicum and/or student, student teacher intern (e.g., counselors, speech-language pathologists, nurses) placement, this will include:

• When leave must and must not be taken, for all staff seeking a practicum and/or student teacher placement.
• Must meet the deadlines for when they need to apply for practicum and/or student teacher, student teacher intern placements.
• We will not be accepting last-minute placement information or requests. Therefore, an employee may have to wait until the next cycle to start their practicum and/or student teacher, student teacher intern  placement.
• Who they communicate with for placement.
• How they will gain access to district platforms for student teaching purposes.
• Training Sessions for student teachers to further support their development.
• Must attend a student teacher expectation meeting via Teams.
• Must complete student teaching hours during PSD school hours in which they are doing their practicum or student teacher placement hours and activities. We will not work around the candidate’s job hours they must make the appropriate arrangements.

Paraeducator that have been employed with the district for 3 years or more are eligible for leave to pursue a student teaching placement.

Paraeducators that have not been employed with the district for 3 years or more are not eligible for leave and will need to resign from their position.

Instructional Paraeducators

•  Classroom paraeducators can complete their practicum hours in their classroom setting but must go through Student Teacher Coordinator and HR to get this approved and set up.
• The practicum students, student teachers, or student teacher interns (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) must provide the start date, end date, number of hours, and university requirement to the Student Teacher Coordinator for approval and cannot start until it is approved and logged.
• When the classroom paraeducator begins their student teaching placement they must take a leave of absence for the year of their student teaching placement and assignments.
• Failure to follow these steps will result in the practicum students, student teacher, or student teacher intern’s (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) hours not being signed off on.

Non-Instructional Paraeducators

• Non Instructional Paraeducators cannot complete their practicum without taking a leave due to the nature of their job and being outside of the classroom setting.
• Non-instructional Paraeducators must take leave from their job assignment to acquire the set forth hour within their practicum, student teacher, or student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) placement, and it must go through Student Teacher Coordinator and HR to get this approved and set up.
• When the classroom paraeducator begins their student teaching placement they must take a leave of absence for the year of their student teaching placement and assignments.
• Failure to follow these steps will result in the practicum students, student teacher, or student teacher intern’s (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) hours not being signed off on.

Student teacher and practicum candidates from outside of the district must:

• Apply and receive approval from the Student Teacher Coordinator to complete a practicum and/or student teacher, student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) placement in any of our buildings.
• Provide their practicum, student teacher, student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) placement start date, end date, number of required hours, grade level preference, student teacher or practicum placement requirements, and field supervisor.
• Follow all policies and procedure outlined by the district, Student Teacher Placement Coordinator, and student teacher placement program to apply to be considered for practicum, student teacher, or student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) placement within the Puyallup School District.
• Be in their practicum, student teacher, student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) placement for the entire hours or duration of their assignment.
• Student Teacher applicants will not and cannot be placed with friends or family members. Practicum,  student teacher, and student teacher intern (ex. counselors, SLP, nurses) applicants will be placed in accordance with our district’s nepotism policy 5210. All practicum and student teacher applicants must note if they have a friend or relative that works in the Puyallup School District to avoid placement with those individuals.
• Must attend a student teacher expectation meeting via Teams.

If a college/university wishes to place a student in their education program in Puyallup School District for observation, practicum, and/or student teaching, the following must be on file with the district:

• Current Student Teaching Agreement/Contract
• Proof of Liability Insurance

After a contract has been established and an insurance policy is on file, university placement officers may email studentteacherplacement@puyallupsd.org to request practicum and student teaching placements. 

The placement request must include the following information:

• Student’s name, subject area/endorsement requirements, and duration of placement
• Student’s resume
• Student’s requested school(s), grade level(s), and/or host teacher(s)

Prior to beginning their practicum or student teaching experience, the following must be verified (placements will not be finalized until it has been verified that the student has met all requirements):

• Proof of Fingerprinting*
• Proof of Puyallup SD Volunteer Approval Status 
• Washington State Pre-Residency Certificate of Clearance**

*The state of Washington requires that everyone who has contact with students in the school setting be fingerprinted prior to starting their assignments. Request for placement will not be processed and student teachers will not be allowed into the classroom without proof of current fingerprints.

**OUT-OF-STATE UNIVERSITIES ONLY: Placement requests will need to obtain a pre-residency clearance prior to placement. For details on the documents needed and application process to obtain this pre-certificate clearance, visit the OPSI website.

When placement has been confirmed, the University Coordinator will be notified with the student teacher placement information, including school location, grade level, host teacher and administrator contact information, and further instructions if needed.

The Puyallup School District strives to meet the needs of the many requests received throughout the year, however not all requests can be accommodated so it is encouraged to seek placements at multiple districts in the area and submit requests using the following timeline:

• By November 30th for Winter quarter/semester
• By January 31st for Spring quarter/semester
• By May 4th for Fall quarter/semester

If you are a current Puyallup School District Paraeducator seeking a student teaching placement in the district, read the following for guidance on requesting leave and bargaining agreement requirements.

The process for requesting a student teaching placement is the same as above.

Paraeducators Requesting Leave to Student Teach

1. Practicum leave for PSD paraeducator (approx. 40-75 hrs. depending on university) may be short-term leave that will be coordinated by Leave Coordinator with HR Director.  Must be in a program and done in 3 weeks or less.
    
2. After the paraeducator has been approved by university to student teach and has secured student teacher placement in a Puyallup School District school, if they qualify (Section 7.6)**, the employee must request a Long-Term General Leave through the Leaves office.
    
3. Leaves Office reviews request and shares with appropriate HR Generalist.  
    
4. HR Staffing Manager will process as usual for General Leave and Leave will be granted for 1 semester (or a full year if requested).
    
5. If an employee completes student teaching before the end of the semester (or year) and requests to return to a para position – the appropriate HR Staffing Manager will see if a placement is available at that time.
    
6. If no placement is available, leave would be in place through the semester/year. (Employee could be offered the option to serve as a Sub Para).
    
7. At the conclusion of their General Leave, a placement, per CBA, for the next year (or semester) would then occur.
    
8. If the employee no longer wishes to return in the paraeducator capacity, resignation would be needed. (i.e., to pursue substitute teaching, teaching, etc.).
    
9. HR Staffing Manager informs Sub Services Generalist of transition to sub certificated.

**After a minimum of three years of employment, employees may be granted a long-term leave of absence greater than three months) without pay for a period not to exceed one calendar year. Employees requesting a long-term general leave of absence for the following school year must normally do so on or before March 1. Employees requesting a long-term general leave of absence for the following semester must do so by March 1 (for first semester of the following school year) or December 1 (for second semester). The District cannot always grant a long-term leave of absence as there is no certainty of a vacancy to make room for the employee when returning. The Director of Human Resources, however, will consider such cases individually. Leave may be granted beyond one calendar year under special circumstances if approved by the District. The returning employee will not necessarily be assigned to the identical position occupied before the leave but will be reinstated to a position equivalent in duties and annual salary to that held at the time the leave of absence began. Such reinstatement is contingent upon the availability of such a position. A salary/step/longevity increment shall not be given for the year during which the leave of absence is taken unless the individual has been drafted into the United States Armed Services.