u/Lucky-Occasion-5854

I have been subbing in a special education classroom for the same class for two months while the original aide is on leave. On top of that, the special education teacher also went on leave unexpectedly as soon as I got hired on, so it has basically just been me and the principal in the department.

I have been running all of the groups independently with very little support aside from the principal. Despite the unusual situation, I have received nothing but compliments from the principal, parents, and other staff members. My sub position is coming to an end and I will go back to being on call. Before I left, the principal even offered me the next available position in the school since it is very small, so there may be a permanent position for me next school year.

Recently I came back to cover a few days because the aide called out multiple times. Everything went well. The students already know me and I already know their routines. Literally no issues. I have never even spoken to the aide or met her. While reviewing her notes, I saw that she wrote that the students were “feeling dysregulated due to having a sub.”

I do not know why but that really bothered me. I feel like I have been doing a great job and I did not feel like the students were dysregulated because of my presence.

.

I am a sub in a very small district and I have been covering the same classroom for months. The students know me well and I am not new to them.

Today I covered for about an hour and everything went fine as usual. No issues and no disruptions.

When I checked the notes afterward I saw that the regular aide wrote that students were dysregulated due to the sub being in the room. That felt like it was referring to me just being there rather than anything I actually did.

I have been in this classroom consistently for months so I do not think my presence alone is what is causing dysregulation. It felt like a vague statement that does not match what actually happened during the coverage.

Has anyone else dealt with notes like this where it feels like blame is being assigned to the sub without clear examples.

I am trying to get a general idea from people currently working as instructional assistants or paraeducators.

I know it can vary by district, but I am specifically trying to find out how common drug testing is for full-time instructional assistant or paraeducator positions, especially in Oregon, but I would appreciate answers from anywhere.

If you are willing to share, please include:
State,
Your role as instructional assistant or paraeducator,
Whether or not you were drug tested during the hiring process.

I already know substitutes in Oregon are generally not drug tested, but I am trying to understand what happens when moving into full-time classified positions.

Thank you in advance. This will really help me get a clearer picture of what to expect.

Do they normally not drug test subs and then spring a test on them when they’re offered a full time or part time contracted position?

I wasn’t tested to sub the position if fully remote as well. It’s a small Oregon school

What is the process from going from established sub ia ( email background fingerprints direct deposit trained) to a full time employee aide? I have a offer that is contingent on availability so I’m just curious if I’ll have to do anything else or if I just get transferred right over and keep working

I wasn’t tested for my position I work for a district and when I worked for an agency a few years ago I also wasn’t tested? Is this normal in Oregon? Would I have to take a test if I got a full time position?

I live in Oregon I’ve been working at a sub para and IA for three years and my district and the new one I work for didn’t drug test? If I was to be offered a full time role would they require one? I know it’s district by district but I’m curious of your experiences?

Hi everyone,

I’m curious about the hiring process for instructional assistants in Oregon districts.

If you currently work or have worked as a full time instructional assistant what was your hiring process like

Specifically did your district require a pre employment drug screening or was it waived or not included in your onboarding process

I recently returned to working as an IA after a few years away and I was surprised that I didn’t go through a drug test during hiring I’m mostly just trying to understand what’s typical across different districts right now since I know processes can vary a lot

Just looking for general experiences with the hiring steps application interview background check drug screening if applicable etc No debate needed just trying to get a sense of what’s standard

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share

I’m just curious what the rules are these days about drug testing for preemployment drug screenings for weed I live in Oregon. I got hired as a sub and they did not test me. The position is fully remote so maybe that’s why but also when I was working as a sub in person I wasn’t tested. There’s a potential for me to go full-time. Will I get drug tested before a full-time position? It’s fully remote. The position is an educational assistant position and it’s for a smaller Oregon school district.

Oregon school district hiring question (paraprofessional / IA)

I’m currently working as a substitute instructional assistant in a small Oregon school district (Fully Remote). I’ve already been in the role for a couple of months and the principal has expressed interest in potentially bringing me on full-time either when a position opens mid-year or next school year.

I’m trying to understand how hiring usually works for paraprofessional/IA positions in Oregon districts.

Specifically:

- Do districts typically require pre-employment drug testing for IA/paraprofessional roles?

- Or is testing usually only done for “reasonable suspicion” after hiring?

- If someone is already working as a sub and then transitions to a permanent IA role, is drug testing commonly required at that transition stage?

I’m trying to plan ahead and understand how strict this process usually is across Oregon school districts, especially smaller rural ones.

Any insight from people who’ve worked in HR, admin, or as paras would be appreciated.