October 2026 Teacher Work Day
Our teacher workday this October will be an assigned training from Conscious Discipline. We have very graciously been extended over $25,000 worth of training resources from Conscious Discipline, due to our work here at Common Ground. They were very impressed with how we used lunch and learns to bring our community together.
Please read these directions carefully and follow them.
To be paid for 8 training hours for Monday, you will watch the first 3 videos only. Write down and notes or reflections from those 3 videos using the provided PDF handbooks that go along with your training. DO NOT MOVE AHEAD.
Over the next month, we will make time for every staff member to watch additional videos during paid work time. We will also set up some lunch and learn discussions to bring our teacher community together. If you were hired after 2023 you will be assigned Building Resilient Schools and Homes, if you have taken the first course, you will be assigned Handling Upset: The Adult-First Mindset Shift.
There are companion PDFs for both trainings. If you would like a printed copy, we will work to get that to you next week!
DO NOT WATCH ANY NEW VIDEOS AT HOME. You may rewatch any videos you have already seen, as it is a benefit of your employment to continue to have access to that material.
Please let us know if you need assistance!
(and yes, this means you get to stay home on Monday!!!)
Also, please see this link for an opportunity to attend the NAEYC National Conference. We cannot send everyone, so we are asking for staff to apply to be considered.
Effective immediately, if you would like to take a training, please submit a request using the “training request form” that will be located under teacher resources to be approved for the training at least 1 week prior to the training. Until that form goes live, you can send an email to commongroundadmin@commongroundchildcare.org to request to take a training.
Not assigned, asynchronous trainings through Penn State University’s Better Kid Care are not paid as hours and do not require prior approval as that site is and the code to pay for trainings are a benefit of employment here.
Why training must be requested and approved in advance
Common Ground is committed to supporting staff professional growth, and Virginia law shapes how we do it. Three requirements apply:
All work time must be paid, including training. Under Virginia law (Va. Code § 40.1-29.2), Common Ground must follow the federal Fair Labor Standards Act's rules on overtime and hours worked. Under those rules, job-related training is generally paid work time, even when it's voluntary or done outside a regular shift. Virginia's Wage Payment Act (Va. Code § 40.1-29) requires us to pay all wages owed in full and on time.
Training hours count toward overtime. Training time counts toward the 40-hour workweek. Hours over 40 must be paid at time-and-a-half.
Annual training is a licensing requirement. Virginia's Standards for Licensed Child Day Centers (8VAC20-780-245) require staff to complete at least 16 hours of training each year, appropriate to the ages of the children in their care. Common Ground is responsible for making sure that training is completed and documented.
Because of these requirements, Common Ground needs to know about training before it happens. Advance approval lets us:
Schedule training during work hours and arrange classroom coverage
Plan for paid hours and any overtime within the center's budget
Make sure training counts toward each employee's required annual hours
Pay every employee accurately for every hour worked
For these reasons, job-related training outside scheduled work hours must be requested and approved in advance. Training done without approval will still be paid as the law requires. However, it is a violation of this policy and may lead to corrective action.
