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PGCPS advisory board urges changes on dedicated aides, reasonable accommodations and volunteer access
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Summary
Subcommittees recommended making dedicated aide positions more stable and benefit-eligible, reducing staff accommodation response time to about 30 days, improving HR transparency and making volunteer access easier for parents; the advisory board approved sending the employment and hiring recommendations to the Board of Education.
The Prince George's County Public Schools Disability Issues Advisory Board voted May 20 to forward a set of employment, hiring and volunteer-related recommendations to the Board of Education after subcommittee presentations that described persistent operational problems for students, staff and families.
Subcommittee findings and recommendations - Dedicated aides: Rachel Doyle, presenting for the employment and hiring subcommittee, said dedicated aides (DAs) are frequently temporary roles paid at minimum wage (about $15 an hour), often without benefits or paid leave, little standardized training and unreliable scheduling. The subcommittee recommended making those positions benefit-eligible, offering robust paid training (including professional development days), deliberate recruitment efforts and considering converting or combining the DA role with other benefit-eligible categories (for example, instructional support positions) when appropriate.
- Hiring and HR transparency: The subcommittee asked the district to make hiring timelines and processes more transparent and recommended exploring practices used by nearby jurisdictions, such as promise letters to graduating student teachers. Members warned that slow or opaque hiring contributes to shortages in teachers and support staff, and that non-teaching staff (social workers, counselors, therapists) should be prioritized for recruitment and retention.
- Reasonable accommodations for staff: The subcommittee raised concern about long delays for staff accommodation determinations. "For the first half of 2023, average days to determination stood at about 32 days... now it stands at more than a hundred days," Rachel Doyle said, citing a FOIA response obtained by the subcommittee. Members recommended a target maximum response time of about 30 days and suggested the report include metrics and quarterly reporting on accommodation timelines.
- Social-worker authority and legal vetting: Social workers said administrative practice requires many resource referrals to be vetted by the legal department, which can delay services. The subcommittee urged clearer guidance that allows trained professionals appropriate discretion to connect families to community resources while protecting legal compliance.
- Parent volunteers: The subcommittee reported that parents who complete fingerprinting and training sometimes remain "in the black hole" and do not appear in school volunteer rosters. Members recommended a system review to ensure schools receive and apply volunteer clearances; improve public-facing instructions (some schools already post step-by-step guidance); and consider administrative/technology changes so a volunteer clearance is visible to the school designated by the parent. The committee also recommended recognizing schools that effectively use parent volunteers.
Votes and formal actions - Motion: Adopt the employment and hiring subcommittee's recommendations as presented. Mover: Rachel Doyle. Outcome: carried; the motion was amended on the floor to accept the recommendations "as presented and considering the additional changes from the discussion"; the amended motion carried with no objections.
Context and constraints Subcommittee members noted that some recommended changes intersect with Board Policy 1,700 and broader policy changes the advisory board requested in a separate package. They urged concurrent planning: prepare HR-level solutions while the policy revision proceeds so operational fixes do not await formal policy adoption. Members also said some changes (for example, making temporary positions benefits-eligible) depend on comp and classification rules in human resources.
Clarifying details - Dedicated aides: reported hourly pay cited in meeting: $15/hour; role often classified as temporary and lacks benefits. - Accommodation timelines: subcommittee cited data from a FOIA request showing averages moved from roughly 32 days to over 100 days since mid-2023. - Volunteer process: parents must complete fingerprinting, training and submit certificates; schools must confirm physical receipts in some cases; delays to fingerprinting appointments were reported as sometimes exceeding 45 days.
What remains to be done The Board of Education must review and act on the recommendations the advisory board forwarded. The advisory board also requested clearer procedures and reporting metrics from central office (HR, legal and equity offices) and suggested quarterly reports on accommodation timeliness and volunteer processing.
Ending Members said the recommended operational changes are meant to reduce service gaps for students and staff, improve retention of trained personnel, and make volunteer opportunities reliably available to families.
