When you are absent . As soon as you know you will be absent, call the Main Office at 323-565-2216 to see if you need to call for a substitute teacher (the Main Office may be able to hold over a sub we are currently using). If the office directs you to request a sub, call Subfinder, LAUSD's automated substitute-teacher request number (877-528-7378).
When you are absent you must call the school by 2:00 PM. Tell the office if you will be returning the next day or extending your time off. If you do not do so, the Guest Teacher will be held over for the next school day and you will not be paid for that day.
Preferred Substitutes Request. Teachers please remember that when requesting a Guest Teacher (Substitute) for your class the procedure is: 1) Come to the Main Office and request the Preferred Sub List, 2) Call the Substitute Unit and request the Substitute of your choice using that Guest Teacher's Employee Number, 3) Get the Job Number, and then 4) call the Main Office and report your absence and the job number of your Substitute by 7:15 AM. When requesting an off-track teacher please see Ms. Torres or Mrs. Santoya. If you have any questions, please see Ms. Torres or Ms. Lockhart. Our most preferred Guest Teachers are Mr. Rector, Mr. Norwood, Ms. Riley, and Mr. Erby.
For more information, read Mrs. Lockhart's memo on Absence Reporting.
Staff need to sign up for lunch when they check in each morning. The lunch sign-up is on the counter in the Main Office along with the sign-in rosters.
To have money for charities automatically deducted from your paycheck, fill out a Payroll Giving Card. Place it in an envelope addressed to "LAUSD Payroll" and place it in the School Mail (not U.S. Mail) bag in the Main Office. How to Complete the Payroll Giving Card.
Child Abuse
Mandatory LAUSD Child Abuse Training – All LAUSD employees must take the mandatory online LAUSD Child Abuse Training Class. Following the class you need to log in to the Learning Zone, complete, and pass the Child Abuse Awareness Training quiz.
Upon logging into the Learning Zone, click on the Courses tab, then click on the Class Offerings link.
On the Program pull-down list, select School Safety and click on the Search button.
Click on Child Abuse Awareness Training.
A pop-up window will appear. (If the pop-up window does not appear, check the Preferences of your browser to see if you have pop-up windows blocked.) Click on the orange Enroll Now button. Click OK. Click OK again. You should see the message, "You have successfully enrolled in the Class." Close the Class window.
Click on the Learning Zone Home tab.
Click on the My Assessments tab.
On the line for Child Abuse Awareness Training click on the blue Start button.
The test will appear in a pop-up window. You have 30 minutes to complete the 10-question, multiple-choice test.
LAPD Child Abuse – 213-485-4700
Child Abuse Hotline – 800-540-4000 – Teachers are "mandated" child abuse reporters; that is, you are required under the law to report suspected child abuse. You must report suspected child abuse to the Hotline within 48 hours, and follow it up with a written report. Contact Assistant Principal Ms. Richardson about child abuse issues.
Employee Certification (.pdf file) – All employees must certify that they are aware of their child abuse reporting requirements. Sign the certification and turn it in to the Assistant Principals Office.
meeting individually with a student behind closed doors
transporting students in a personal vehicle without proper written administrator and parent authorization forms on file
calling students at home or on their cell phone, except for school-related purposes
Computer and Internet Assistance
Staff who need computer assistance (including help with Internet problems) can contact Mr. Herman Padilla in the Room 210 computer lab at 323-565-2206. Mr. Padilla can fix computers, arrange for off-site repair when needed, get you ink cartridges and other supplies, set up Gaggle E-mail accounts for your students (see below), and answer your general questions.
You may also call Paul Friedman, the Muir computer teacher in Room 216. My conference period is Period 2. Please call then, or after-school as I have a full schedule of classes. You may e-mail questions to me at paulfriedman7@yahoo.com.
Muir staff who need help with computer problems can contact the LAUSD ITD (Instructional Technology Division) Help Desk at 323-241-5200 or by visiting the ITD website, techsupport.lausd.net. You can also request ITD assistance by submitting an online help request at techsupport.lausd.net/webform.htm.
LACOE TEAMS educational resources – Click on Computer Technology for many useful computer resources. Software. Tutorials. How-to's. Policy guidelines. How to cite Internet resources. Copyright issues. Using handheld computers. Grade programs. Web-based lesson plans.
Confiscating Items (.pdf file) – Procedures for confiscating student items.
Peer Mediation Program – Are students in your class having conflicts? The Peer Mediation Program may be able to help.
Occupational Therapy Training Program (OTTP) – OTTP groups are designed to assist emotionally and behaviorally challenged students to improve in self-control, social skills, and other areas.
E-mail
All teachers have LAUSD e-mail accounts.
Click on the LAUSD E-mail button on the gray button bar at the top of this (or any other) Muir web page. An Authentication Required box will appear. Type in your username and password (the same ones you use for ISIS). You can also access the mail site directly at mail.lausd.net.
Your LAUSD e-mail address is <user name>@lausd.net (for example, jsmith@lausd.net). To send an e-mail message, click on New on the e-mail toolbar. To view messages, click on the message. To delete a message, click on its check box and then click on the big X on the e-mail toolbar.
If you have problems, contact Mr. Padilla or Mr. Friedman.
If you want E-mail accounts for your students, use the Gaggle E-mail system. See Mr. Padilla for details.
You can checkout electronic equipment such as laptop computers, digital projectors, and digital cameras for 72 hours from Mr. Padilla in the Room 216 Computer Lab. Online copies of equipment manuals are available at the Room 216 Computer Lab web page. Mr. Padilla has electronic supplies such as network cables, adapters, and ink/toner cartridges. If Mr. Padilla does not have the ink/toner you need, you may ask Ms. Diaz in the Title I Office to order what you need. Mr. Friedman in Room 216 also has a limited amount of computer and electric supplies.
Long-term checkouts of TVs, DVD players, AV carts, and overhead projectors are available from Ms. Diaz in the Title I Office.
If you wish to purchase equipment, inquire with Ms. Diaz in the Title I Office about the availability of funds. Ms. Pruitt in the Assistant Principals Office may know of a fund you can use. Otherwise, look for a grant.
You can buy computer equipment and supplies very inexpensively (with your own money) at the TRW Swap Meet held the last Saturday of each month in Redondo beach. It's called an "amateur radio" swap meet, but nowadays it's almost all computer stuff. Directions to swap meet.
You can get used computer equipment donated by the JPL Laboratory in Pasadena through the Computers for Learning Program.
Microsoft gives away free copies of Windows 98 and Windows 2000 under it's Fresh Start program for installation on donated computers. Microsoft goes NOT give away free copies of Microsoft Office. (We have current copies of these disks. Ask Mr. Friedman in Room 216 or Mr. Padilla in Room 210 (the Computer Lab).
You can purchase software for computers very cheaply (e.g., Microsoft Office 2007, $16) through Techsoup. Techsoup takes donated software and distributes it to schools. Has lots of Microsoft and Adobe stuff. Also has refurbished computers at low prices.
Mr. Padilla in Room 210 (the Computer Lab) keeps master copy disks of all our school's licensed software. Mr. Friedman has a large collection of Macintosh software (sorry, no, I won't make bootleg copies of commercial software for you, but I can replace damaged or lost software if you still have the installation codes [if required]).
Furniture
If you need furniture, ask the Plant Manager. Do not move furniture between classrooms without permission. Classroom furniture is assigned to the class, not the teacher. If you are transferred to another classroom you are not allowed to take the classroom furniture with you.
If need broken furniture removed from your classroom, please fill out a Maintenance Request Form, and attach the sheet to the broken/damaged furniture. Do not remove any furniture and leave it outside your classroom and/or outside the building. This poses a safety hazard to students and other staff members.
We have a limited amount of extra furniture in the basement and in the storage garages at the rear of the campus. Ask the Plant Manager.
You can also get furniture for your classroom at the LAUSD Salvage Yard.
Teachers who wish to take students on a field trip must file a Request for Approval of a Field Trip with Ms. Lockhart in the Assistant Principals Office. If you wish to use Title I funds to pay for the trip, you must get the trip approval signed by Ms. Diaz in the Title I Office. Each student must fill out a Trip Slip (Spanish). Request for Approval of a Field Trip and student Trip Slips are available in the Assistant Principals Office. You can get accident insurance for your students by e-mailing or faxing in a Short-Term 24-Hour Field Trip Insurance form at least 48 hours prior to the start of the trip (rates are shown on the form; the name not withstanding, you can buy insurance for trips lasting more than one day). For more information about Field Trip Insurance for students, call Bridge-Norena & Associates Insurance Agency, 818-225-1627 x303. You can pay for the insurance using your credit card, or BN & A will send the school an invoice. You should probably print out a copy of the Student Accident Claim Form and take it with you in case you need it.
If you need a school bus, you need to get a Form 7820 from Ms. Diaz. After you have filed the 7820 with Ms. Diaz, call LAUSD School Transportation Customer Service (323-342-1340) and get a Dispatch Number. This number is critical in case you have a problem with the bus. If the bus is late, or fails to show up, call Bus Dispatcher at 323-342-1460. Busses usually not available before school or from 2:30–4:00 PM as they are needed for taking students to/from school. If your trip goes later than 2:30 PM you will need to wait until 4:30 PM to be picked up. Busses can hold up to 60 passengers.
Collect day to day grades using a computer grade program such as Easy Grade Pro (see below: Grading Programs). The ISIS system has a gradebook module, but we currently do not recommend its use.
When directed by the Counseling Office, turn in report card grades using the ISIS system. Log in as for taking attendance. Click on Grades on the blue-gray bar. Click on a class. Select the grading period (Period 1, Period 2, or Period 4 for, respectively, the first, second, and final report cards). Note that this is the grading period, not the period of the day. Click on the Edit button at the bottom of the page. (Why is the button at the very bottom of the page? God knows. I didn't write the system.) Boxes will appear for you to enter grades. You may enter grades using upper- or lower-case letters. You may enter up to two numbered comments (click on the question mark in the yellow circle at the top of the comments column for a list of the comment numbers). Numbers must be entered as two digits (i.e., "07" not simple "7"). Leave the letter grade for Homeroom blank. When finished, click on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. If you don't click on Submit, no changes will be made to the recorded grades!
Grades may only be submitted during periods specified by the Counseling Office.
To submit grades for Service Students, complete a Service Student Grade form and turn it in to the Counseling Office.
For more information on submitting grades, contact the Counseling Office.
Grading Programs
We recommend you use Easy Grade Pro for day to day grades. See Mr. Friedman in room 216 for a disk with the program and the install code (specify Mac OS X or Windows). You can click here to download a copy of Easy Grade Pro 4.0 (Mac) or Easy Grade Pro 4.0 (Windows), but you will still need to see Mr. Friedman to get the unlocking code. The program is easy to learn. If you drop by after-school, Mr. Friedman can teach you the basics in a few minutes. If you wish to have a manual, you can download one from the Orbis website.
We also have licensed Easy Grade Pro Clipboard for use on your Palm Pilot. Collect your grades on your Palm Pilot and then upload them automatically to Easy Grade Pro.
Whatever grade program you use, you will need to copy your grades into ISIS at report card time. ISIS has a grading module, we do not recommend you use it at this time. They still need to work the bugs out of it.
Grants
SchoolGrants – an excellent source of information about how to gets financial grants for school equipment and activities. The newsletter is well worth subscribing to.
Teachers need to submit a Guest Speaker Notice to Ms. Lockhart in the APs Office three weeks before inviting an outside guest speaker to address to a class.
How to update your information on muirmiddle.org – You need a muirmiddle.org account. To get one, see Mr. Padilla in Room 210. Once you have your username and password, go to admin.muirmiddle.org and log in.
Google Web Pages – I am now recommending teachers use Google to create web pages, in preference to Mysite (described in How to Set Up a Free Web Page). The Google system is much more flexible than Mysite, but to use it you need a Google G-mail account. Google G-mail is blocked at school by ITD (ITD blocks many non-LAUSD e-mail systems), so to use Google Pages, you need to first set up a Google G-mail account from off-campus. This limits Google Pages useable for students.
Teacher's Sign-Off Sheets. Every week after completing attendance on Friday, teachers must run a Teacher's Sign-Off Sheet. Turn them in to Ms. Young's box in the main office on later than Monday by nutrition of the following week.
The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE; www.lacoe.edu; phone: 562-922-6111) offers a variety of teacher resources that LAUSD teachers may use. The main LACOE building is at 9300 Imperial Highway (map it) in Downey. From Muir take the 110 Fwy. south to the 91 Fwy. Take the 91 Fwy. east to the Bellflower Blvd. exit. Turn left onto Bellflower Blvd. Travel north and turn left onto Imperial Highway.
The LACOE Media Services Library is 75 yards south of Imperial Highway On Bellflower Blvd. in the off-white building marked "Parent University." In the Media Services Library you can look over prospective classroom textbooks.
also try searching Yahoo! and Google with "lesson plans" and your particular subject
Mail
LAUSD School Mail is the beige mailbag hanging to the left of the swing-door entrance to the inner area of the Main Office (ask the clerk in the Main Office to point it out to you). For school business only. You don't have to put a stamp on mail put in the School Mail bag, but you must put "Muir Middle School" in the return address area of the envelope. US Postage (if needed), will be billed to the school. Mail to LAUSD offices needs only the name of the office for an address.
If you are doing a bulk mailing for the school either: (1) seal the envelopes, or (2) leave the flaps open and standing up. (Put a rubber band around the entire bundle.) The automatic sealing machines will not work if the flaps are turned down.
U.S. Mail (with postage) goes in the plastic bin on the front counter of the Main Office (ask the office clerk to point it out to you).
muirmiddle.org is the school's "official website." The site is administered by Mr. Padilla in the Computer Lab.
Teachers wanting to modify their personal and class information need to go to admin.muirmiddle.org. Log in using your Educational Networks user name (not ISIS) and password. If you've forgotten your user name or password, contact Mr. Padilla.
You must register personal property you bring on campus. Fill out a Personal Property Registration form and turn it in to Mr. Kaloostian. If you do not register, you will not be able to claim reimbursement from the school in the event the property is stolen.
SMART Catalog – Catalog of math, science and technology professional development opportunities and resources.
Learning Annex, The – No salary points, but many one-day introductory-level classes on computer topics such as Adobe Photoshop, Web Design, etc.
CompuMaster (one- and two-day computer classes) – Pricey. Uneven quality. Some are very good. Dreamweaver class was awful (only a PowerPoint presentation; no hands-on training).
SkillPath Seminars (one- and two-day computer classes) – Moderately expensive.
Los Angeles City College Community Services (computer classes) – Non-credit. Most classes are one or two evenings. Photoshop, Illustrator, and many other programs. Also check out the regular college classes.
Questions or problems with salary deductions are handled by the Deductions Section in the Payroll Department. Reach them at 213-241-3187 or visit their office on the 27th floor of the Beaudry Building.
Life Insurance – ALl LAUSD employees get $20,000 of free life insurance. LAUSD Group Life Insurance is administered by MetLife. Letter from Metlife. MetLife's Customer Service Consultants can be reached at 1-866-492-6983 Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
CTAPonline – CTAP Online is a site devoted to helping teachers understand, apply and teach technology in their classrooms. Also has lesson plan builder and California Content Standards. Ask Mr. Kovach for information.
Ordering Supplies. The fiscal year starts in July. Shortly after the start of each fiscal year, each department meets for a budget meeting. Your department chair will inform you how much is available for the department for Instructional Materials Account (IMA) purchases. You will decide among yourselves how much money each department member gets to spend. Once you know how much you have to spend, you can submit your requests to Mrs. Diaz in the Title I Office on yellow purchase order forms (available from Mrs. Pruitt in the Assistant Principals Office). Mrs. Diaz will submit the requests to the School Improvement Committee for approval. (The School Improvement Committee only meets once a month, and even then frequently doesn't have enough members present for a quorum.) If your request is approved, you then submit it to Mrs. Pruitt in the Assistant Principals Office. She will do the actual ordering. When you receive your supplies, be sure to return the invoice to Mrs. Pruitt. You should order your supplies for the year as early as possible after the start of the fiscal year. LAUSD frequently freezes all purchasing early in the spring.
Teachers can also receive supplies from the Title I budget from our Title I Coordinator, Mrs. Shelia Diaz, in the Title I Office.
Kids 'N Need Resource Center. Periodically World Vision distributes school supplies to teachers at its local resource center. Watch the weekly bulletin for announcements of times and locations.
LA Shares – Collects donations of office equipment and supplies which you can get for free at periodic distributions.
You can buy computer equipment and supplies very inexpensively at the TRW Swap Meet held the last Saturday of each month in Redondo beach. It's called an "amateur radio" swap meet, but nowadays it's almost all computer stuff. Directions to swap meet.
Do you need books for your classroom library? Children's Book World has a recycled book program for schools. You can get two boxes of free books every six months. The books are used, but most are in good condition. Call 1-310-559-BOOK and ask for Sharon. An appointment is necessary. Click on Book Recycling Center at their website. For more information contact:
Children's Book World
10580-1/2 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Mon-Fri 10:00-5:30
Sat 10:00-5:00
Borders, Waldenbooks, and B. Daltons, and most chain bookshops, offer teachers 10% off on book purchases. Just ask.
Want to buy from a vendor but they're not "registered" with LAUSD? Have them go to contracts.lausd.net/vendors to register.
LAUSD Textbook Services – 1545 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200; phone 213-207-2280. Preview copies of textbooks. Open Mon.-Fri. 8 AM to 4:30 PM. (How convenient for teachers!)
LAUSD Online AV Media Library – Over 3,000 curriculum-based instructional video titles are available for LAUSD teachers and staff to borrow. Some titles are also available in CD-ROM and DVD formats.
CTAPonline – CTAP Online is a site devoted to helping teachers understand, apply and teach technology in their classrooms. Also has lesson plan builder and California Content Standards. Ask Mr. Kovach for information.
Participation in this website is completely voluntary. If you don't wish your name or photo used, contact the webmaster and they will be removed immediately.
If you have questions, comments, or additions to this web site, contact Paul Friedman, Computer Teacher (paulfriedman7@yahoo.com).
