Essential components in contracts for certificated personnel in K-12 school districts

School District

Essential Elements of a Classified Personnel Contract

Vital Elements of Classified Contracts

There are many elements of a personnel contract that are vital, including the professional development clause, evaluation terms and disciplinary and suspension procedures. There are numerous aspects of the District that a classified employee will be interested in upon hiring, however the most essential components are the areas outlined above. All staff entering a school district will be encouraged to grow professionally. This will ensure not only that they meet District requirements for continuing education, but also enhance the performance of students in the classroom to the best of their ability.

Other elements of a personnel contract that are important related to each of these functions. Curriculum requirements for example ultimately influence employee evaluation and professional objectives. Thus the only aspects of the personnel contract examined will be these three critical components.

Evaluation ensure that teachers adhere to the District's mission and philosophy, objectives and goals, but also ensure that personnel are making adequate progress toward achieving their own goals and professional development. Regular evaluation enables critical review of one's performance, and provides an outlet for discussion regarding career development and growth. Disciplinary problems can also be pinpointed and addressed early on when consistent performance evaluations are utilized in the learning environment.

Disciplinary procedures are not always associated with negative behaviors. Sometimes disciplinary action is necessary when a teacher is failing to live up to the expectations provided by the District. When this is the case it may be necessary to provide staff members with more diverse and directed training, in order to ensure that they understand the goals of the District and their relationship to the organization's success.

Each of these critical elements of the contract are described below.

Professional Development

Professional growth and development are vital to the success of personnel at any level and within any school environment. Most personnel will seek out professional development and growth opportunities at some time during their tenure. Even if they do not do so personally, the school District will establish a recommended program of professional development and/or training for each employee upon hiring an employee for service.

It is vital that teachers and other classified personnel be allowed opportunities to develop their skills in accordance with professional goals and objectives, but also develop their skills in a manner that effectively benefits the classroom.

The District provides professional development opportunities as a means of attracting and retaining the highest level of staff. Professional development programs also encourage cross training and growth, inspire longevity and often motivate employees to achieve their best, thus it is perhaps the most vital element of the performance contract.

A professional growth program will be available for all staff that have accumulated a minimum number of teaching hours, to demonstrate their commitment to the school district and learning environment. On an annual basis, educators will be able to pursue up to 3 credits for continuing education. Professional growth opportunities will be available to all staff regardless of their skills, abilities, backgrounds and professional qualifications as long as they follow the appropriate procedures to apply for professional growth and development opportunities.

Procedures

Any teacher desiring to participate in a continuing education opportunity will need to apply for qualification to the school district by March 30 of each year prior to the semester they wish to participate in instruction and learning, in order to allow adequate time for acceptance and preparation for prior learning goals.

Credit will be given to teachers completing any university level, adult education or trade courses that require assignment of a grade to pass. Participants will be expected to acquire at minimum a grade of "B" or better in order to gain credit for educational programs they are participating in. If a participant fails to achieve a level of B. Or better, they may be required to re-take the class or course, or may provide additional information and written documentation of the skills achieved, which will be reviewed by the District for approval.

District approved educational seminars, workshops and lectures may also be considered as credit for professional growth. An educator interested in participating in a seminar or workshop should apply for approval and provide the District with a complete description of the seminar, workshop or other program, and an analysis of its relevance to the District's goals and their personal/professional growth.

On site educational opportunities will also be available to all staff. On site educational programs do not required written approval for attendance. Rather they are open to all staff. A majority of the programs offered by the district include seminars and workshops on subjects including diversity training and team building.

Educators will be afforded the opportunity to expand their education and grow into other areas in addition to their primary area of skill and competency. Teacher's interested in developing their personal and professional skills may also apply for a mentoring program, where they may be taken under the direct tutelage of a more experienced member of the staff for a period of up to one year. During the course of a mentoring program, the teacher will be asked to provide a detailed synopsis of their professional aims with regard to growth and learning, and provide a synopsis of all material covered and acquired during the mentoring process.

Evaluation Procedure

Evaluation and assessment are vital components and critical elements of any job function. Evaluations will be carried out annually or bi-annually for all employees, in the form of a performance appraisal. The appraisal will be developed by the direct supervisors of the employee to be evaluated.

All classified personnel will be eligible for evaluation on an annual basis. The evaluation process will consist of direct observation of an employee's work and functions by a designated evaluator. The evaluator will have to be a direct supervisor of the incumbent being reviewed.

The evaluation will utilize evaluation reports that provide insight into an employee's performance, efficiency and curriculum approach. Probationary employees will have an evaluation conducted at the end of their probationary period, and a subsequent evaluation after one year of employment.

If at any time an employee's work performance is deemed unsatisfactory, a follow up evaluation of the employees work performance will be conducted within one month of the initial evaluation. The evaluator will be responsible for developing specific goals and objectives with the employee aimed at improving performance.

Procedure

Prior to the evaluation period the certified employee will be given a copy of their job description and a copy of the goals and objectives that have been established by the school District. It is vital that all employees review these materials to ensure they have a full understanding of the requirements of their job function and their responsibilities as a staff member and member of the District team. Any employee unclear regarding their specific job requirements is obligated to report to their supervisor for immediate consultation and assistance.

Upon receipt of this information the certified employee should submit a written statement of their goals and objectives related to those of the district. The employee has the option of drafting the initial goals and objectives they plan on accomplishing with their evaluator. All goals developed should be tangible, and attainable within a 1-2-year period. Staff members wishing to pursue long-term goals including those goals ranging 3-10 years should consult with their immediate supervisor so a timeline for progress evaluation may be established or recommended.

Evaluation will be based primarily on direct observation of classroom activities and instructional techniques within the classroom. Teachers will be evaluated on the curriculum, learning environment and professional strategies utilized in the classroom. Teachers will also be evaluated with regard to their personal objectives and goals, and measured against their goals during the course of the year.

Tenured teachers who have consistently received a satisfactory level performance review will only be subject to the review process on a bi-annual basis. However, if at any time their performance falls below the satisfactory level they will be asked to submit to a yearly review for a minimum of two years, to ensure that any deficiencies of performance are corrected.

Any employee's who do not receive a satisfactory evaluation will be considered for additional training opportunities or disciplinary procedures, whichever is more appropriate given their current status with the district.

Discipline

At times it might be necessary to discipline classified personnel for a variety of reasons, including failure to achieve professional objectives and initiatives or failure to follow corporate policy. At all times the school district will maintain the right to discipline employees as it sees fit based on the nature of the action warranting disciplinary action.

It is important to note that "discipline" will refer to corrective actions including correcting less than satisfactory performance resulting from annual appraisals of performance, as well as referring to negative actions or directives that result from unwanted or undesirable behavior and actions on the part of staff.

The district will take the following steps in accordance with it's discipline policy when evaluating an individuals performance:

Any probationary member of the staff may be disciplined without notice, and suspended without notice for failure to follow district rules and regulations or comply with any training requirements developed at the start of employment. Probationary employees will thus be monitored more stringently than other personnel during the first 3-6 months of their tenure, to ensure compliance with District's goals and objectives.

Full term members will be afforded one verbal warning the first time a disciplinary measure is warranted. A verbal warning will therefore precede any formal disciplinary hearings or measures.

If the term employee has had one verbal warning and repeats an offense, they will next be given written notice which will include a recommendation for disciplinary action. The written notice will be a permanent record maintained in the individuals employee file for future reference. Included with the written warning may be a recommendation for corrective measures to improve employee performance and recommendation for suspension where appropriate.