Submission #2297

The Early Years Centre Pedagogical Support Agreement between the Government of Prince Edward Island and the centres on PEI details the “Statement of Work” under Section A.

Section A : Eastern Kings Early Learning Academy INC., agrees to carry out and fulfill the work and undertakings set out in this agreement.

The Centre is responsible to:

1. Ensure the pedagogical support position is utilized to assist with practices designed to enhance quality programming. The pedagogical support position is responsible to:
• a. Assist with programming;
• b. Maintain records;
• c. Monitor behaviour and participation of individual children;
• d. Relieve assigned Early Childhood Educators when they are required for other duties; and
• e. Such other duties as may be assigned to support program delivery.
Although the duties are outlined in the contract, every centre uses their pedagogical staff differently. Our goal at EKELA is to use our pedagogical support to alleviate staff stressors and burnout, increase communication and consultation between staff, maintain and increase level of care, provide positive feedback and encouragement to staff and parents, and maintain timely completion of financial and administrative duties.
Specifically as the pedagogical support staff at EKELA, these are the duties I do in the run of one week:

Communication with parents during and after hours regarding:
-signs and symptoms of illnesses and rashes presenting on child,
-current illnesses that have recently presented in centre,
-advice and recommendations on where to go to seek medical advice for current illness
-discussion of waitlist protocols, child registry, and current wait times.
-booking visits and orientation meetings of new children,
-community opportunities and current events specific to early childhood

Communication with staff regarding:
-symptom management of current illnesses and rashes that present during the day,
-behaviour management; including discussion of planning, intervention, and parent communication,
-inclusion strategies and follow-up,
-research and implementation of individualized learning plans

Supporting program staff by:
-covering ratio when allowing staff to go on morning break and lunch,
-relieving staff to go to appointments and/or meet with parents,
-relieving staff to plan and complete requirements of AQI
-providing tools and materials for sensory needs,
-observing and documenting behaviours including researching strategies and current guidelines to assist in management of new behaviours,
-providing extra support to children with extensive needs by managing behaviours and sensory needs or transitioning them to a new environment,
-providing feedback and advice on difficult parent communication

Managing administrative duties like:
-booking monthly attendance, which includes communication with parents regarding shift schedules when booked for Part-Time care
-completing documentation required for government grants such as Special Needs Grant and Inclusion Grant,
-coordinating professional referrals to Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, IBI (Intensive Behavioural Intervention), Pediatrics, Psychology, and Social Services,
-writing reports for above mentioned professionals,
-liaison with other community organizations to maintain community link ie: Souris Manor, Souris Library, RCMP, CPS, neighboring schools and daycares,
-organizing and submitting financial records to financial officer and/or board for parent billing, yearly end reports, reimbursement of funds.

While this list is not congruent to every pedagogical support provider, it details what a centre may lose if the support and funding is taken away. This is not a simple ‘budget cut’; this is a staff wellness cut, a team building cut, an administrative system cut, a cut that can take a centre down from outstanding to surviving. Would you rather see your grandchild in a centre that is outstanding, or to a centre that is “just surviving”. If you take anything from this letter, just read that last sentence and let it sink in for a moment.

On PEI, we do not have centres that are just surviving, we have centres that are outstanding. Please don’t take that reputation away from our Island.

Sincerely,
Megan Miller