MESD - Human Resources

What is OEBB and how do I contact them?
OEBB stands for Oregon Educators Benefit Board. The administer the dental, medical, vision, life, accidental death & dismemberment and long term disability for MESD. You may contact them by phone: 1-888-469-6322 or e-mail: OEBB.benefits@state.or.us or on the MESD HR web page.

How do I contact my insurance providers?
Your insurance card has contact phone numbers printed on it. You may also visit the MESD HR web page. Click on the benefits tab. A drop down box will appear to direct you to your insurance carrier.

I lost my insurance card, how do I order a new card?
Call OEBB directly at 1-888-469-6322.

My spouse is turning 65; can they stay on my insurance and have medicare?
Yes, as long as you are still a current employee.

My spouse lost his/her job, can I add him/her to my benefits and how long do I have to make this change?
This would be considered a Qualifying Status Change (See QSC question below). You would need to fill out a Mid-Year Change Form, provide documentation that your spouse will lose their insurance and the date the coverage ends. All changes must be made within 31 days of the qualifying date, which is the date the coverage ends. This form must be returned to HR for processing.

What is a Qualifying Status Change (QSC)?
Please visit OEBB's web page for information on QSC's.

If I make a mid-year change to my insurance, when does that change go into effect?
The change would go into effect the first of the month following the QFC, which is the date you turn in your completed Mid-Year Change Form to HR. The only exception to this is if you have a baby or adopt a child then the AFC would be the date of the birth or adoption.

How do I add or drop a dependent on my insurance?
Adding or dropping a dependent must be a Qualifying Status Change. You would need to fill out a Mid-Year Change Form and return it to the HR office for processing. These changes must be made within 31 days of the QSC.

Can I add my Life Partner to my benefits?
A domestic partner may qualify for coverage. To determine this, you would need to fill out an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership and return to HR. Like a QSC, the documentation must be completed within 31 days or wait until open enrollment.

Can I change or drop my insurance mid-year?
Any mid-year change must meet the requirements of a "Qualifying Status Change"(QSC). Please visit OEBB's web page for information on what constitutes a QSC.

I am going to have a baby; how and when do I add my baby to my insurance?
You would need to fill out a Mid-Year Change Form and return it to the HR office for processing. These changes must be made within 31 days of the child's birth and cannot be done before the child is born.

I am adopting a child or have become a legal guardian to a child. Can I add them to my insurance?
An adoption is considered a QSC, complete a Mid-Year Change Form within 31 days of the adoption. If you become a guardian to a child you will need to fill out the Affidavit of Dependency Form in addition to the Mid-Year Change Form and return to HR for processing within 31 days of the QSC.

Can my step child(ren) be on my insurance?
Yes. You may add them at Open Enrollment or add them Mid-Year if you have a QSC. To add mid-year fill out a Mid-Year Change Form and return to HR within 31 days.

What happens if I miss the 31 day deadline to turn in a Mid-Year Change Form?
If you miss the deadline, you must wait until the annual open enrollment period to make any changes (see below).

I have resigned my job or have been terminated; when do my benefits end and can I continue them?
You will receive a letter from HR explaining your benefit status/ However, keep in mind that your benefits are paid a month in advance. Employees must work the majority of the month to qualify for coverage the following month, so if your last day of work will be the last day of the month then your benefits will terminate at the end of the next month.

Example:	If your last day worked is between January 1st and January 15th...benefits end January 31st
	If your last day worked is between January 16th and January 31st...benefits end February 28th

You will receive information from Benefit Help Solutions (the COBRA provider for OEBB) regarding COBRA, which would allow you to continue with your benefits beyond the coverage period.

I am retiring; when do my district-paid benefits end and can I continue them?
Retirees have the option to continue their benefits through MESD and OEBB. Upon receipt of your retirement letter, HR will send you a letter explaining your benefit status.

If I terminate or retire are my life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment portable?
Yes. If this is something you are interested in please contact HR to obtain the necessary paperwork. Please keep in mind that this would need to be completed within 31 days of your last day of employment.

What is Open Enrollment?
Open Enrollment is the annual period that allows employees to make changes to insurance coverage.

When is Open Enrollment?
Open Enrollment is held annually during August and September. The specific dates are determined by the district and are based on the school calendar. These dates will be posted on our HR web page.

How will I be notified when Open Enrollment starts?
Human Resources will send out reminders by email before the end of each school year and mail information to your home address during the summer. these notices will tell you where and when to find the information posted on the MESD HR web page. You will also receive information from OEBB by mail and/or email.

When do my benefits go into effect?
Following open enrollment, your new plan year starts on October 1st and runs to September 30th. If you are a new hire your benefits become effective the first of the month following your start day. Employees must work the majority of the month to qualify for coverage the following month.

Example:	If your first day of work is between January 1st and January 15th...benefits begin February 1st
	If your first day of work is between January 16th and January 31st...benefits begin March 1st

What is the plan year for FSA?
September 1st through August 31st. Open enrollment documentation must be received in HR by the end of business on the last working day in August.

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SubFinder

How do I register to be a substitute teacher?
Oregon Law states that one must have a valid and current Oregon Teaching License to register as a Substitute Teacher. If you do not, please contact the Teacher Standards and Practice Commission at their web site: www.tspc.state.or.us or call them at 503-378-3586 in Salem, Oregon.

Please check our Substitute web page for the most current information on accepting applications.

If I have a particular school, MESD program, or supervisor that wants to use me as a Substitute Teacher and I am not registered with MESD, what do I need to do to get registered?
Go through the school district or school who is requesting you for the instructions on how to register.

Contact the school Office Administrator(s) directly and have them send an email to the SubFinder Help Desk to advise that they are specifically requesting you for a job. Be sure to have them include you in their email request. Once our Substitute Registrar receives the email, you may follow the instructions the school has given you. Once you have completed all the instructions, send an email to the SubFinder Help Desk to request an appointment.

I don't have an Oregon Teaching License but want to be a Classroom/Education/Instructional Assistant. How do I go about doing that?
MESD, Corbett and Gresham Barlow School District Classroom/Education/Instructional Assistants are not required to provide a Teaching License. Reynolds School District Classroom/Education/Instructional Assistants must be Highly Qualified and be able to provide sealed transcripts indicating a minimum of 72 accumulative college credits or produce a Work Keys Proficiency Exam Certification (copies are not accepted). Go through the school district or school who is requesting you for the instructions on how to register.

If I have a particular school, MESD program, or supervisor that wants to use me as a Classroom/Education/Instructional Assistant and I am not registered with MESD, what do I need to do to get registered?
Go through the school district or school who is requesting you for the instructions on how to register.

How do I change my address with SubFinder?
Login to SubFinder Online to review your sites (viewable from the Personal Info option) to see if you have any MESD sites. If you do, complete and return an address change form. If you don't, email your new address to the subfinderhelpdesk@mesd.k12.or.us

How do I update my license information with SubFinder?
Send an email to subfinderhelpdesk@mesd.k12.or.us with your new expiration date. We will then verify the information with TSPC and update your record.

How do I update the positions or sites at which I am willing to sub?
Login to SubFinder Online, click on 'Personal Info', from there you can click on the Sites and Positions tabs to see what you have registered for. If you wish to add or remove any positions or sites you may do so by sending an email to subfinderhelpdesk@mesd.k12.or.us with the subject line of 'Add Sites' or 'Add Positions'.

I can no longer access my profile: what happened?
Profiles that do not have a current Child Abuse training (required for ALL substitutes) or Bloodborne Pathogen training (if applicable to your positions) will be restricted or possibly removed from SubFinder. If you find yourself in that situation be sure to send an email to subfinderhelpdesk@mesd.k12.or.us. Bloodborne Pathogen training is required only for these positions:

All High School Subjects 9-12	All Middle School Subjects 6-8	Alternative Education
Campus Safety Monitor	Caregiver	Education Assistant
Family Consumer Education	Industrial Arts	Licensed Practical Nurse
Noon Assistants	Physical Education	Prearranged ONLY
Registered Nurse	Resource Room	Science Advanced
Science General	Secretary	Special Education Early Childhood
Special Education Multi-handicapped	Special Education Social Emotional	Temporary Teacher

Why do I need Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) training and updates?
Required standards and policies from the Occupational safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have set protocols that must be met and maintained for Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) training. Any substitutes who work at any MESD special needs program and/or any of the following positions in any of our districts must meet these requirements:

All High School Subjects 9-12	All Middle School Subjects 6-8	Alternative Education
Campus Safety Monitor	Caregiver	Education Assistant
Family Consumer Education	Industrial Arts	Licensed Practical Nurse
Noon Assistants	Physical Education	Prearranged ONLY
Registered Nurse	Resource Room	Science Advanced
Science General	Secretary	Special Education Early Childhood
Special Education Multi-handicapped	Special Education Social Emotional	Temporary Teacher

Substitutes in the positions listed above are required to complete the MESD initial 2-hour Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) class and continue with updated training in order to qualify to substitute. If you do not complete and/or update the required BBP training, SubFinder will automatically inactivate your SubFinder Profile Account and you will not be available for jobs until OSHA safety standards have been met for BBP. This is an OSHA law and regulation for the safety and protection of our children and substitutes. In addition substitutes who are not registered for any MESD special needs programs and/or any of the above positions are required to read the Communicable Disease Information Pamphlet - Click Here.

How do I renew/update my Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Training?
If you have already taken the Initial BBP training at MESD within the last 12 months, you are eligible to update your BBP training using the MESD online training program. You are required to take the online BBP update training in order to renew your certification and keep your training current. If you wait more than 12 months, your BBP will expire and you will be required to take the 2-hour Initial BBP class over again to qualify to be a substitute.

You can book yourself for a 2-hour Initial BBP training for SUBFINDER STAFF ONLY by going to the MESD training website at https://events.mesd.k12.or.us/shs/.

If you are within 12 months of your last BBP training, you may take the online BBP training update by following these steps:

Login to the MESD Online Training website: http://online-training.mesd.k12.or.us/
For District of Employment: Choose MESD from the drop down list
For Work Location: Choose SUB from the drop down list
For Full Name: Choose Your Name from the drop down list
Click on the login button
Click on the 'Start Training' link next to the "Bloodborne Pathogen Update Training

The online training website can be completed from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. Online refresher training expires at twelve (12) months and must be completed within one year of the previous training date. You need to put in your 'District' and 'Work Site Location' before you can look for your name. It could be with a district and work site you previously worked at or you may NOT have completed the Initial BBP training or Online training within the last 12 months and your name has been removed from the list. You will need to register for a 2-hour Initial BBP class.

If you have received your BBP training from another district outside of Multnomah County, you must register for the 2-hour Initial BBP class. If you have further questions, please email the subfinderhelpdesk@mesd.k12.or.us or call the SubFinder Office: 503-257-1563.

Why do I need Child Abuse Prevention Training (CAPT)?
Oregon law requires all school district employees, including substitutes, to complete annual Child Abuse Prevention Training (CAPT). So, whether you are returning, new or transferred from another district, your Child Abuse Prevention Training must be current or your SubFinder Profile will be put in restricted mode and you will not be allowed to work. If you completed your Child Abuse Prevention Training in another district this information may be transferable. You must provide evidence of completion.

Click Here - to access the Child Abuse Prevention Training. This training takes about 40 minutes to complete.
On the last page of the training module, put your first name, last name and use the email address of:
subfinderhelpdesk@mesd.k12.or.us
If you do NOT use this email address we will not know that you have completed the training and your profile will not get updated.

Where can I view my Certification expiration dates, including BBP and CAPT?
Please note: as certifications expire you are automatically restricted, the system cannot call you and you cannot work.

Login to SubFinder Online
Click on Personal Info
Click on the Certification tab

Why do I need to have my email address in my SubFinder Profile, and how do I go about doing this?
Email is the main communication tool that is used by the SubFinder Help Desk. We send out emails to inform our substitutes of Long-Term positions, permanent job opportunities, inclement weather school delays and closures, and other changes and notifications that substitutes need to be advised of.

Login to SubFinder Online
Click on Personal Info
Click on the Address tab - Please note you can only update your phone number and email. For all other changes contact the subfinderhelpdesk@mesd.k12.or.us

How do I cancel my entire Substitute job, or part of my Substitute job?
Cancel an ENTIRE Job:

Call the SubFinder Automated Calling system at 1-866-515-1038
Select Option #3 to cancel a job from the automated prompts, this will cancel the ENTIRE job
If you try to cancel a job after the Substitute Cancel Deadline, you will be instructed to call the administrator and will be given the appropriate number to call.

Login to SubFinder Online
Go to Current Jobs
Click on the associated Job Number
Click on Cancel Job, this will cancel the ENTIRE job
If you try to cancel a job after the Substitute Cancel Deadline, you will be instructed to call the administrator and will be given the appropriate number to call.

Cancel PART of a multi-day Job:

Call the SubFinder Automated Calling System at 1-866-515-1038
Select Option #4 to report an absence from the automated prompts, this will allow you to put in an absence for one or more days
If you try to cancel a job after the Substitute Cancel Deadline, you will be instructed to call the administrator and will be given the appropriate number to call.

What do I do when I accept a job that starts in 15 minutes and I know I cannot get to the school in time?
If you can arrive within 30 minutes of the start time then keep the job. You MUST contact the school to let them know what time you will be arriving. Arriving more than 30 minutes past the start time may cause a hardship for the school and students schedule. You do not want to make an impression to that school that you accepted a job that starts in 15 minutes but you cannot get there for an hour. Ultimately it is the schools decision on whether or not they will wait for you. For a list of school locations and phone numbers - Click Here.

If you cannot arrive within 30 minutes or if the school decides they cannot wait for you then you MUST call SubFinder back to cancel the job by selecting option #3 from the automated prompts.

Why won't SubFinder accept my PIN when it calls me for a job or when I call to review jobs?
SubFinder listens to the musical tone of the number being punched into the phone to try to identify your PIN number. If you are using a cellular phone, sometimes the volume is turned up too high and SubFinder cannot "hear" the musical numbers being punched in. Try to turn down the volume on your cellular phone when entering your PIN. If you are using a land-line but it is one of many extensions you have in your home, try to use the main line extension to answer the phone to punch in your PIN.

Can I only substitute teach within my endorsements?
If you look on the back side of your Teaching License, the bottom left hand corner will usually say "Substitute Anything", which indicates you can substitute teach in any subject, at any level that you feel comfortable teaching in. One exception to this would be a Restricted type license.

Do I need to use a certain Internet Browser when accessing SubFinder online?
No, most Internet Browsers will work when using SubFinder via the Internet. The most common browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.

Do I have to call in and register with SubFinder before I can receive job offers?
Yes. You will not receive any job offers until you have registered.

What happens if SubFinder calls me and gets my answering machine?
Your answering machine will record some portion of SubFinder's greeting and narration asking for your PIN - Personal Identification Number. SubFinder will realize that the phone was answered, but will not leave any information regarding the job. SubFinder may call back later and offer you the job again. The telephone number SubFinder leaves on caller ID is: 570-651-4588.

Can an employee request me for his/her absence?
Yes, the employee can request you by your SubFinder-assigned ID number or your full name.

What if the days I am available to work change from week to week?
You can change this information yourself, using SubFinder online. Once you are logged in choose the personal information option and click the availability tab. You can also change this information yourself, using your touch-tone phone. From the main menu, choose to review personal information and then choose to review the days of the week you can work. Follow the instructions given by the narrator and/or your Substitute Telephone Instruction guide to change your available days.

When I call in to review available jobs, will I be given a list of jobs from which to choose?
When you login to SubFinder Online, you will be able to see multiple jobs at one time. You can then decide if you want to accept a job or not. If you reject the job you may have to enter a rejection reason.

When you call 1-866-515-1038, you will hear one job at a time and will be able to accept a job, listen to a job again, or listen to the next job. If you accept a job, you may still review jobs for other dates, if there are any available at the time.

How come the 'available jobs' page is always blank? Am I looking at the wrong time?
After SubFinder looks to see what jobs are 'Sub Required-Unfilled', it looks to see if you match the following criteria:

Substitute has the position
Substitute has the site
Substitute is available for the time from of the job
Substitute is on a preference list that is assigned to an employee

If a substitute meets all the criteria and is on a preference list they will be able to "shop" for jobs 60 days before the job starts. If the substitute is not on a preference list some districts will not open the availability to "shop" for jobs until 12 hours prior to the start of the job, some districts ar 1 to 2 days prior. This will vary from district to district.

Can I 'shop' for jobs?
Yes, job shopping is available. Just login to SubFinder Online or call 1-866-515-1038 to review available jobs.

What is the difference between marking myself 'Unavailable' and marking myself with a 'Do Not Disturb'?
Marking yourself as 'Unavailable' means that you cannot work for the time period you put in. It does not mean that you don't want SubFinder to call you with offers for future jobs. For example: If you say that you are 'Unavailable' on Monday, SubFinder will not offer you a job for Monday but it may call you on Monday evening to offer you a future job.

When you create a 'Do Not Disturb', you are telling SubFinder that you do not want to receive any calls during the time period you put in. You are not telling SubFinder that you can't work. For example: If you add 'Do Not Disturb' on Monday, SubFinder will not call you on Monday. But, it could call you Sunday night and offer you a job for Monday.

If you are not available to work AND you do not want to receive any calls, you MUST add both items to the specified time period.

If you are on an employee or schools preference list, the 'Do Not Disturb' and 'Unavailable' status may not work as a preference listed substitute may still receive calls.

If I enter an Unavailable Date Range (for example: a vacation) and return early, can I begin to pick up jobs early?
Yes, On SubFinder Online click on the DND/Unavailable button, you will be able to review your current DND/Unavailable choices and then edit them if necessary. On the phone choose to review personal information, choose the date range menu, choose to review a date range, and then remove the date range.

You will then be eligible to receive job offers from SubFinder, as well as review available jobs.

If I reject a job for a particular day, will SubFinder quit calling me for that day?
No. SubFinder may still call you for other jobs if you meet the criteria.

If I reject or cancel jobs, will I be automatically removed from the substitute list?
No. You will not be automatically removed for rejecting or canceling jobs.

Do I need to remember my job number?
Yes. The job number is your confirmation that SubFinder has registered your acceptance of the job. You will also need this number if you need to cancel the job.

Will I have the same job number for all my jobs?
No. Every new job you accept will have a different job number.

Will I be offered jobs in position areas that I did not request
Maybe, you may be called for jobs outside your stated position area(s) if: (1) a special request for you has been made, or (2) SubFinder has been configured to call substitutes outside the position area after all matching substitutes have been called.

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Last updated - May 2, 2011