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ASPEN Training for Special Education Personnel 2021-2022

DATE: 
September 15, 2021

TO: 
All Principals
All Special Education Staff

FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Principal, River’s Edge School

SUBJECT:
ASPEN Training for Special Education Personnel 2021-2022


ASPEN training will continue to be required for all licensed special education teachers, SLPs, school psychologists, elementary school counselors, and for all instructional assistants in SEB and Autism self-contained support classrooms during the 2021-2022 school year. First year staff and staff that have not completed the full certification ASPEN training should register for the training on JPLS. Training dates and times are attached to this memo.

Although not required, instructional assistants working in any other special education setting may choose to attend ASPEN at the discretion of their building administrator.

If you have more than one teacher or instructional assistant that needs to attend, please consider having them attend on separate days in order to maintain adequate coverage in your school. The Special Education Department will cover the costs of substitutes for licensed special education teachers that will be attending the full certification under budget code 1292. Instructional assistants will be asked to use True Time to record their typical workday hours on the day of the training. Any additional hours spent in the training above their typical workday will need to be recorded on a timesheet.

Class sizes for the full certification will be limited based on the location of the training in order to promote physical distancing. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in the physical skills associated with ASPEN at the end of the class.

Staff that participated in a full certification or recertification ASPEN training during the previous school year should plan on taking an ASPEN recertification class that will be offered online. Staff should register on JPLS for the recertification class. After they are registered, participants will receive an invitation within two working days to participate in the online course. Participants will have two weeks during which they can complete the course work at their own pace. This course is expected to take approximately 3 hours. Dates for the online sessions are attached to this memo. Participants that successfully complete the course will be compensated for 3 hours of work (licensed- inservice rate, classified- hourly rate).

Mandt training will continue to be required at Kauri Sue Hamilton and River’s Edge School. Personnel at these schools do not need to attend ASPEN. Others wishing to keep their Mandt training current may do so; however, participation is not mandatory and teachers and instructional assistants will not be compensated for their attendance.

For questions please contact:
Daveed Goodrich at daveed.goodrich@jordandistrict.org

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