Certified Handbook 6-17-11 (2)

8/12/2019 Certified Handbook 6-17-11 (2)

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CERTIFIEDEMPLOYEE HANDBOOK


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BIBB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATIONCERTIFIED EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Code of Ethics ......................................................................................................................6

Academic Freedom ............................................................................................................11

Position Management.........................................................................................................11

Qualifications .....................................................................................................................12

Staff Rights, Duties and Responsibilities...........................................................................13Extracurricular AssignmentsRecommending Educational Materials

Accident ProcedureCapacity as AdvisersRecommending Dentists, Physicians or Business HousesSupervision of ChildrenPlanning for InstructionCondition of ClassroomsBulletin BoardsCooperation with CustodiansStudentsAccess to RoomsUse of School TelephoneLeaving Campus During School HoursCentral Office Information, CurrentPlayground DutyAttendance for School DaySocial FunctionsKnowledge of Policies and RulesSoliciting and SellingPolitical Activities

Professional Development Opportunities ..........................................................................17

Employee Conduct and Dress ............................................................................................18

Personnel Records..............................................................................................................21File ReviewRequired FormsCurrent InformationFile Access

Assignment ........................................................................................................................23


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Other Benefits ....................................................................................................................54Direct DepositEmployee Assistance ProgramCafeteria PlanCredit Union

Tax Shelter Annuities

Health Examinations ..........................................................................................................56

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Policy ....................................................56

Internet Use Policy.............................................................................................................59

Handbook Receipt and Acknowledgement Form ..............................................................64


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BIBB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION484 Mulberry Street

Macon, Georgia 31208(478) 765-8711

WELCOME TO THE BIBB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

To our newest employees, welcome to the Bibb County School District, and I hope your

new career will challenge and help you grow personally and professionally. To ourcurrent employees, thank you for your continued service to the children of Bibb County.

As a district, high standards are set for the entire district so our students can graduate ontime and be prepared for success in an international job market. Not only do we want toprovide our studentswith the opportunity for growth and success, we are also committedto providing you challenge, recognition, appropriate compensation and benefits to helpyou reach your and the districts goals and objectives.

We are pleased to provide you with your Employee Handbook which outlines ourpersonnel policies and practices. I hope you find this to be a helpful reference duringyour time with us, and I want to encourage you to freely ask questions of yoursupervisors and co-workers. By working together, I am confident our studentsand yourfuture will be productive and prosperous and will move our community forward.

It is the policy of the Bibb County School District to provide equal opportunities withoutregard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, handicap, disability, geneticinformation or veteran status in its educational programs and activities.


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MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to provide a high quality education for all Bibb County students in a safeand comfortable environment and to make use of all human and technological resourcesin preparing graduates for post high school objectives.

The vision of Bibb County Schools is Achievement and Performance for Every Child,Every Classroom and Every School.

The strategic goals for Bibb County Schools are:1. Student Achievement2. Quality Workforce3. Communication and Information

4. Culture and Climate

Introduction

THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORSEffective 2009

The Code of Ethics for Educators defines the professional behavior of educators inGeorgia and serves as a guide to ethical conduct. The Professional StandardsCommission has adopted standards that represent the conduct generally accepted by theeducation profession. The code defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary sanctionand provides guidance for protecting the health, safety and general welfare of studentsand educators, and assuring the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability within theeducation profession.

DefinitionsCertificate refers to any teaching, service, or leadership certificate, license, or permitissued by authority of the Professional Standards Commission.Educator is a teacher, school or school system administrator, or other educationpersonnel who hold a certificate issued by the Professional Standards Commission andpersons who have applied for but have not yet received a certificate. For the purposes ofthe Code of Ethics for Educators, educator also refers to paraprofessionals, aides, andsubstitute teachers.Student is any individual enrolled in the states public or private schools frompreschool through grade 12 or any individual under the age of 18. For the purposes of theCode of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct for Educators, the enrollmentperiod for a graduating student ends on August 31 of the year of graduation Complaintis any written and signed statement from a local board, the state board, or one or moreindividual residents of this state filed with the Professional Standards Commissionalleging that an educator has breached one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethicsfor Educators. A complaintwill be deemed a request to investigate.Revocationis the invalidation of any certificate held by the educator.Denialis the refusal to grant initial certification to an applicant for a certificate.


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Suspension is the temporary invalidation of any certificate for a period of timespecified by the Professional Standards Commission.Reprimand admonishes the certificate holder for his or her conduct. The reprimandcautions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe action.Warningwarns the certificate holder that his or her conduct is unethical. The warning

cautions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe action.Monitoring is the quarterly appraisal of the educators conduct by the ProfessionalStandards Commission through contact with the educator and his or her employer. As acondition of monitoring, an educator may be required to submit a criminal backgroundcheck (GCIC). The Commission specifies the length of the monitoring period.No Probable Causeis a determination by the Professional Standards Commission that,after a preliminary investigation, either no further action need be taken or no cause existsto recommend disciplinary action.

Standards

Standard 1: Legal Compliance

An educator shall abide by federal, state, and locallaws and statutes.Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to the commission or conviction of a felonyor of any crime involving moral turpitude; of any other criminal offense involving themanufacture, distribution, trafficking, sale, or possession of a controlled substance ormarijuana as provided for in Chapter 13 of Title 16; or of any other sexual offense asprovided for in Code Section 16-6-1 through 16-6-17, 16-6-20, 16-6-22.2, or 16-12-100;or any other laws applicable to the profession. As used herein, conviction includes afinding or verdict of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere, regardless of whether an appealof the conviction has been sought; a situation where first offender treatment withoutadjudication of guilt pursuant to the charge was granted; and a situation where anadjudication of guilt or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on the charge orthe charge was otherwise disposed of in a similar manner in any jurisdiction.

Standard 2: Conduct with Students - An educator shall always maintain a

professional relationship with all students, both in and outside the classroom.Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Committing any act of child abuse, including physical and verbal abuse;2. Committing any act of cruelty to children or any act of child endangerment;3. Committing any sexual act with a student or soliciting such from a student;4. Engaging in or permitting harassment of or misconduct toward a student;5. Soliciting, encouraging, or consummating an inappropriate written, verbal,

electronic, or physical relationship with a student; and6. Furnishing tobacco, alcohol, or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any student or

allowing a student under the educators supervision or control (including but notlimited to the educators residence) to consume alcohol, or illegal/unauthorizeddrugs.


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Standard 3: Alcohol or Drugs - An educator should refrain from the use of alcoholor illegal or unauthorized drugs during the course of professional practice. Unethicalconduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Being on school premises or at a school-related activity while under the influenceof, possessing, using, or consuming illegal or unauthorized drugs;

2. Being on school premises or at a school-related activity involving students whileunder the influence of, possessing, or consuming alcohol. A school-relatedactivity includes, but is not limited to, any activity sponsored by the school orschool system (booster clubs, parent-teacher organizations, or any activitydesigned to enhance the school curriculum i.e. Foreign Language trips, etc; and

3. Failing to monitor and/or prevent the use of alcohol or illegal or unauthorizeddrugs by students who are under the educators supervision (including but notlimited to at the educators residence or any other private setting).

Standard 4: Honesty - An educator shall exemplify honesty and integrity in the

course of professional practice.

Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to, falsifying, misrepresenting or omitting:1. Professional qualifications, criminal history, college or staff development creditand/or degrees, academic award, and employment history;

2. Information submitted to federal, state, local school districts and othergovernmental agencies;

3. Information regarding the evaluation of students and/or personnel;4. reasons for absences or leaves;5. Information submitted in the course of an official inquiry/investigation; and6. Information submitted in the course of professional practice.

Standard 5: Public Funds and Property - An educator entrusted with public fundsand property shall honor that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and

responsibility. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:1. Misusing public or school-related funds;2. Failing to account for funds collected from students or parents;3. Submitting fraudulent requests or documentation for reimbursement of expenses

or for pay (including fraudulent, or purchased degrees, documents, orcoursework);

4. Co-mingling public or school-related funds with personal funds or checkingaccounts;

5. Using school property without the approval of the local board ofeducation/governing board or authorized designee; and

6. Using school system property for personal gain.

Standard 6: Remunerative Conduct - An educator shall maintain integrity with

students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities,favors, and additional compensation. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Soliciting students or parents of students to purchase equipment, supplies, orservices from the educator or to participate in activities that financially benefit theeducator unless approved by the local board of education/governing board or


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authorized designee;2. Accepting gifts from vendors or potential vendors for personal use or gain where

there may be the appearance of a conflict of interest;3. Tutoring students assigned to the educator for remuneration unless approved by

the local board of education/governing board or authorized designee; and

4. Coaching, instructing, promoting athletic camps, summer leagues, etc. thatinvolves students in an educators school system and from whom the educatorreceives remuneration unless approved by the local board of education/governingboard or authorized designee. These types of activities must be in compliancewith all rules and regulations of the Georgia High School Association.

Standard 7: Confidential Information - An educator shall comply with state and

federal laws and state school board policies relating to the confidentiality of student

and personnel records, standardized test material and other information.Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Sharing of confidential information concerning student academic and disciplinary

records, health and medical information, family status and/or income, andassessment/testing results unless disclosure is required or permitted by law;2. Sharing of confidential information restricted by state or federal law;3. Violation of confidentiality agreements related to standardized testing including

copying or teaching identified test items, publishing or distributing test items oranswers, discussing test items, violating local school system or state directions forthe use of tests or test items, etc.; and

4. Violation of other confidentiality agreements required by state or local policy.

Standard 8: Abandonment of Contract - An educator should fulfill all of the terms andobligations detailed in the contract with the local board of education or education agencyfor the duration of the contract. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Abandoning the contract for professional services without prior release from thecontract by the employer, and

2. Willfully refusing to perform the services required by a contract.

Standard 9: Failure to Make a Required Report - An educator should file reports ofa breach of one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators, child

abuse (O.C.G.A. 19-7-5), or any other required report. Unethical conduct includesbut is not limited to:

1. Failure to report all requested information on documents required by theCommission when applying for or renewing any certificate with the Commission.

2. Failure to make a required report of a violation of one or more standards of theCode of Ethics for educators of which they have personal knowledge as soon aspossible but no later than ninety (90) days from the date the educator becameaware of an alleged breach unless the law or local procedures require reportingsooner.

3. Failure to make a required report of any violation of state or federal law soon aspossible but no later than ninety (90) days from the date the educator becameaware of an alleged breach unless the law or local procedures require reporting


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sooner. These reports include but are not limited to: murder, voluntarymanslaughter, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping, any sexualoffense, any sexual exploitation of a minor, any offense involving a controlledsubstance and any abuse of a child if an educator has reasonable cause to believethat a child has been abused.

Standard 10: Professional Conduct - An educator shall demonstrate conduct that

follows generally recognized professional standards and preserves the dignity and

integrity of the teaching profession. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to anyconduct that impairs and/or diminishes the certificate holders ability to functionprofessionally in his or her employment position, or behavior or conduct that isdetrimental to the health, welfare, discipline, or morals of students.

Standard 11: Testing - An educator shall administer state-mandated assessments

fairly and ethically.Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Committing any act that breaches Test Security; and2. Compromising the integrity of the assessment.

Reporting: Educators are required to report a breach of one or more of the Standards inthe Code of Ethics for Educators as soon as possible but no later than ninety (90) daysfrom the date the educator became aware of an alleged breach unless the law or localprocedures require reporting sooner. Educators should be aware of legal requirementsand local policies and procedures for reporting unethical conduct. Complaints filed withthe Professional Standards Commission must be in writing and must be signed by thecomplainant (parent, educator, personnel director, superintendent, etc.). The Commissionnotifies local and state officials of all disciplinary actions. In addition, suspensions andrevocations are reported to national officials, including the NASDTEC Clearinghouse.

Disciplinary Action: The Professional Standards Commission is authorized to suspend,revoke, or deny certificates, to issue a reprimand or warning, or to monitor the educatorsconduct and performance after an investigation is held and notice and opportunity for ahearing are provided to the certificate holder. Any of the following grounds shall beconsidered cause for disciplinary action against the holder of a certificate:

1. Unethical conduct as outlined in The Code of Ethics for Educators, Standards 1-11;

2. Disciplinary action against a certificate in another state on grounds consistentwith those specified in the Code of Ethics for Educators;

3. Order from a court or a request from DHR that the certificate should be suspendedor denied for non-payment of child support;

4. Notification from the GHEAC that the educator is in default and not insatisfactory repayment status on a student loan;

5. Suspension or revocation of any professional license or certificate;6. Violation of any other laws and rules applicable to the profession; and7. Any other good and sufficient cause that renders an educator unfit for

employment as an educator.


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An individual whose certificate has been revoked, denied, or suspended may not serve asa volunteer or be employed as an educator, paraprofessional, aide, substitute teacher or inany other position during the period of his or her revocation, suspension or denial for aviolation of The Code of Ethics. The superintendent and the superintendents designee

for certification shall be responsible for assuring that an individual whose certificate hasbeen revoked, denied, or suspended is not employed or serving in any capacity in theirdistrict. Both the superintendent and the superintendents designee must hold GaPSCcertification.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM

The teacher must be free to think and to express ideas, free to select and employ materialsand methods of instruction, free from undue pressures of authority, and free to act withinhis/her professional group. Such freedom should be used judiciously and prudently to the

end that it promotes the free exercise of intelligence and pupil learning.

Academic freedom is not an absolute. It must be exercised within the basic ethicalresponsibilities of the teaching profession. Those responsibilities include:

1. A commitment to democratic tradition and its methods.

2. A concern for the welfare, growth and development of children;

3. The method of scholarship;

4. Application of good taste and judgment in selecting and employing materials andmethods of instruction.

POSITION MANAGEMENT

All employees are subject to the policies of the Board as well as applicable laws and areresponsible to the administrator to whom they are assigned.

All personnel shall make requests to the supervisor/administrator and shall perform suchduties and responsibilities as assigned to them.

All personnel shall keep records, make reports and shall maintain such standards ofservice as required.

Employees shall be responsible for the proper care and sue of materials and equipmentassigned to them.


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A job description shall be written for each position established for the district and will berecorded in a notebook in the Human Resource Department. These job descriptions shallbe subject to the approval of the Superintendent.

Job descriptions shall include the following:

1. Job title

2. Type and extent of training required

3. Degree of responsibility assumed

4. Job classification and salary schedule placement

5. Other related factors as determined by the Superintendent

QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates for certified positions must have appropriate valid Georgia credentials orpossess a satisfactory alternative as determined by the Georgia Professional StandardsCommission.

The administration shall take positive steps to eliminate clerical and non-teaching tasksfrom the teachersduties and utilize paraprofessionals or other specially trained personnelwhere appropriate. The major duty of each employee is to have a positive impact on theeducation of students.

Job descriptions list the major responsibilities for each employee. Descriptions areavailable upon request from the Human Resource Department.

Acceptable pre-employment screening results are an integral part of the selectionsprocess of candidates. The Superintendent may approve exceptions.

Qualifications:1. All regular teachers, as well as professional administrators must have a valid

Georgia credentials.

2. All teachers, as well as other appropriate employees, must have a minimum ofbachelors degree from an accredited four-year college or university or holdacceptable vocational credentials as mandated by the Professional StandardsCommission (PSC). (Policy GBBA)

3. It is the responsibility of all certified employees to obtain and maintain a Georgiacredential. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) is thelicensing agent for certified staff. Various certification requirements may befound at the Georgia Professional Standards Commission website athttp://www.gapsc.com.
http://www.gapsc.com/http://www.gapsc.com/http://www.gapsc.com/


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4. The required professional development for employment in the Bibb CountySchool System shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations as stated inthe various accrediting agencies and the standards for Georgia schools and theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

In accordance with SACS accreditation standards for Quality Schools and theGeorgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC), all professional personnel arerequired to earn at least six semester hours of credit or ten (10) PLUs during eachfive years of employment. Six semester hours of credit is equivalent to 100 clockhours of participation in professional development activities (pg. 8SACSCASIAccreditation Standards 2005)

STAFF DUTIES, RIGHT AND RESPONSIBLITIES

Teachers are responsible for understanding that each child has worth and dignity. Theyare accountable for trying to meet the needs of each child to the best of his/her ability.

Teachers will be responsible to the principal for carrying out policies of the school boardas they relate to the function of the school, to the classroom, and to the immediate contactwith students and parents. Teachers will be expected to furnish such after-school time asis needed for assisting students, conferring with parents and doing other necessary out-ofschool work.

Extracurricular Assignments

Assignments will be made to teachers for various forms of hall, extracurricular, recess,traffic, lunch period, noon-time duties, before and after school and athletic events. Everyeffort will be made to make all assignments on an equitable basis.

Recommending Educational Materials

No teacher in any public school shall act as agent for any author, publisher, book seller orother personal to introduce any book, apparatus, furniture or any other article or materialsin the schools.

Accident Procedure

If an employee is involved in an accident while in the line of duty, it is necessary to filean accident report within twenty-four hours for workers compensation. Procedures arelisted in each building. Posters list approved medical providers for WorkersCompensation issues, only these providers may be used.


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Supervision of Children

No group of children, either in the classroom or on the playground, should be leftunattended by the teacher. Teachers, at all times, are responsible for the conduct and

safety of children, and will see that children observe safety rules. On the occasion ofextreme emergency, the teacher should make every effort to provide adequate supervisionduring his/her absence.

Planning for Instruction

In accordance with Bibb BOE policy GAM, all teachers are expected to plan instructionalefforts well before the time of implementation of the teaching to be done. Systematicorganization and planning of classroom work is best done in the context of carefuldiagnosis of student needs based on clear instructional objectives utilizing the GeorgiaPerformance Standards and local curriculum materials. The clarification of learning

objects is the vital first step of planning for teaching. Based on the diagnosis of studentneeds, each teacher should prescribe learning activities for classroom work with attemptsto individualize learning to the greatest feasible extent. Implementation of theprescriptions is to be carefully planned so that equitable assessment of studentaccomplishment and achievement can be made. Analysis of such assessment may call fora reassessment of planning or progressing to new and/or different learning objectives.

General outlines of plans based on the process of setting objectives, diagnosing needs,prescribing activities, implementing the activities, and assessment of student learningusing a variety of assessment instruments. Such written plans should never reducelearning or teaching options, but should facilitate learning by causing the teacher to besystematic in preparation for classroom work. Classrooms should be a reflection of goodinstruction with goals and standards posted and used. Essential questions and otherevidence of adhering to the district initiatives should be displayed.

Such planning will be periodically reviewed by the principal and other school officers asa means of assisting teachers and pupils in improving instruction. Plans should also beavailable for substitute teachers as they may be needed. Each school should makearrangements to have three days worth of emergency plans available for each teacher inthe building at all times.

Conditions in Classrooms

Teachers are responsible for maintaining the condition of the classroom and theequipment at all times. Prior to the close of each period and before the close of school atthe end of the day, teachers will hold students responsible for leaving the room clear ofthe clutter of paper, textbooks and other items of classroom use. If a classroom is used bymore than one teacher, this becomes the responsibility of all teachers using the room. Onleaving the room for the day, teachers will turn out all lights, close and lock all windows,


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and close all doors. All computers and other electronic equipment must be turned off.(Bibb BOE policy GAM)

Cooperation with Custodians

The work of the custodians in protecting the health of everyone in school makes their jobone of utmost importance. Cooperation of all staff members with the custodial staff inkeeping the school environment clean and safe will be appreciated. If you havesuggestions to make about the way your room or area is cleaned, please refer them to theprincipal, not directly to the custodial personnel.

StudentsAccess to Rooms

A teacher must be present when students are using a room or building of the school.Students or other unauthorized personnel are not to be loaned keys. Rooms of the school,other than your own, are not to be unlocked for any reason without the knowledge of the

teacher responsible for the room. At no time should a student be left unattended.

Use of the School Telephone

School telephones are maintained for the primary purpose of conducting school business.Of necessity, conversations should be as brief as possible. Only in cases of emergencyshould teachers or students be called to the phone during class time. In such cases anumber should be taken so the party may return the call, thus leaving the line open. In noinstance may students or teachers make long distance calls without the approval of theprincipal. Principals may be held responsible for preventing unauthorized calls. Moneycollected is to be submitted by the principal to the accounting office.

Cell Phone Use

While it is recognized that many staff carry cell phones, phones should be turned off andput away during the school day.

Leaving Campus During School Hours

No teacher should leave the school campus during school hours without previousnotification and approval of the principal.

Current Information Required in the Central Office

It is the employees responsibility to keep the following restricted information currentand correct at all times with the Human Resource Department through the principal.Corrections or updates must be made within 30 days or checks may be withheld.

1. Name (Social Security name and number)


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2. Address

3. Telephone number

4. Degrees and credits earned and accrediting agencies

5. Next of kin

6. Dependents

7. Updated insurance information including any election of dependent healthinsurance upon the birth or adoption of a child or change of spouse. This must be

completed within the first thirty (30) days. Staff is reminded that if you miss

the 30 day window, you may miss the opportunity to obtain insurance until

the next open enrollment period.

8. Certificate(s)

9. GACE or Praxis Scores

10. G4-W-4

Playground Duty

The teachers of each department shall in turn be present on the grounds with the pupils atthe supervised play periods.

Attendance for School Day

The teacher work day at the school site shall be a minimum of eight (8) hours. Teachersshall be in attendance at their school a minimum of fifteen (15) minutes prior to the timethat students report and remain on duty a minimum of fifteen (15) minutes after thedismissal of students. The principal of each building sets the specific hours of the staffwork day. Teachers are required to be at school at other times as deemed necessary by theprincipal or the Superintendent.

The minimum work day for teachers is defined as eight (8) hours, and the minimum workweek is defined as forty (40) hours.

The minimum work day consists of duties such as teaching and teacher preparations, staffmeetings, conferences with students an parents, planning conferences and related schoolactivities in the community and extra-class responsibilities. There may be times whenteachers will be requested to attend evening events that support the school program.


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Knowledge of Policies and Rules

Teachers shall acquaint themselves with the policies and rules of the Board of Educationand of the school in which they teach as well as the course of study and/or curriculum

guides and GPS Standards, as well as any other specialized programs that might beadopted at a particular school site.

Soliciting and Selling

Employees shall not use school time and any board facilities in connection with anypersonal activity for personal financial profit. Any violation of the provision will be heldto be willful insubordination.

Solicitation during work hours of employees either for charitable contributions ormembership drives must be approved by the Superintendent and/or Board of Education.

Political Activities

Partisan political activities of employees within the school day are sanctioned as long asthey satisfy at least the following criteria:

1. There is no conflict of interest on the part of that employee or of the employeesinvolved.

2. The professional relationship of the teacher with the learner is not damaged.

3. The code of ethics of the employee group is not violated.

4. No clear and present danger to the school system itself is evidenced.

The Board encourages employees to exercise full rights of citizenship in the communityduring off-duty hours.

Nothing in this policy authorizes taking any leave for political purposes such as servingon the governing board of any other political subdivision or governmental authority.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

In accordance with Bibb BOE policy GAD, all employees shall be provided opportunitiesfor the development of increased competence beyond that which they may attain throughthe performance of their assigned duties.

The Superintendent shall provide the staff with opportunities in areas such as thefollowing:


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1. Released time and leaves of absence for attendance at scheduled ProfessionalLearning opportunities.

2. Visits to other classrooms and other schools.

3. Conferences and committee assignments involving other personnel from theschool system, county, state, region or nation.

4. Training classes and workshops offered with the school system.

5. Further training in institutions of higher learning, if approved by the Director ofProfessional Learning.

6. A professional library for the professional staff, made available for optimumreference use.

EMPLOYEE CONDUCT AND DRESS

The dress of all certified employees at all times must be such that it will not bringdiscredit to the Bibb County School District nor reflect on the dignity and honor of theteaching profession. The guidelines set forth in this policy shall govern the professionaldress of all certificated employees of the School District.

Guidelines for All Adults:

1. Clothing must be at least Smart/Business Casual, not casual weekend wear.2. The guidelines take into account the environment and the content of the subject

area of the employee.

Definitions:

1. This policy and the dress requirements contained herein apply to all certificatedpersonnel, paraprofessionals, and clerical employees in all schools, the centraloffice or elsewhere.

2. Smart/Business Casual means crisp, neat clothing which shall be appropriate foreven a chance meeting with an administrator. It shall not look like cocktail partyor picnic attire. Business casual is classic rather than trendy.

3. Dress denim means softer twilled cloth; usually cotton, used to make trousers,slacks, suit jackets and other garments. It is similar to blue jeans but is made offiner fabric which is smooth and softer than blue jeanstypically darker anddressier and can pass for dress slacks. It may not be worn with frays, holes,discoloration, etc., and should not have any writings;


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Undergarments:1. Appropriate undergarments shall be worn. Undergarments shall not be visible

through outer clothing.

Dress for Physical Education Teachers:

1. All standard athletic clothing can be worn.2. Shirts with profanity, alcohol or tobacco advertisements, or any suggestive

wording may not be worn.3. Female swimming coaches must wear a one-piece swimming suit.4. Shorts must be appropriate length for the activity.5. Shorts shall not be too tight or too baggy.6. Track suits are permitted.

Tops for Female Adults:

1. Dress denim vests, shirts, and jumpers are appropriate.2. Women may wear smart casualtops or dress shirts as long as they do not expose

cleavage or midriff and cover the area from the neck to the shoulder.3. All tops must cover the midriff, even with arms raised above the head.4. Tops shall not be too tight or made of see-though material unless worn as a jacket.5. Polo shirts may be worn.6. No writing shall appear on any shirt other than the school name/mascot, character

education terms or college/fraternity/sorority/holiday/seasonal attire. Such schoolspirit days will be determined by the building Principal.

Shirts for Male Adults:

1. Tops shall be Smart/Business Casual or dress shirts with collars.2. Polo shirts may be worn.3. Shirts that are designed to be tucked in shall be tucked in.4. Shirts with straight hems can be worn out.5. No writing shall appear on any shirt other than the school name/mascot, character

education terms or college/fraternity/sorority/holiday/seasonal attire. Such schoolspirit days will be determined by the building Principal.

Trousers:

1. Trousers shall have a sewn hem.2. Jeans are permitted only on School Spirit Days, Field Days, Field Trips or other

Special Events. Such days will be determined by the building Principal.3. Jeans may not be torn or frayed.4. Dress Denim pants are permitted.5. Trousers shall not be too tight or revealing.6. Leggings may not be worn as trousers.7. Women may wear mid-calf length trousers


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Dresses & Skirts:

1. Dresses may not expose cleavage and must cover the area from the neck to theshoulder.

2. The length of dresses and skirts must be 2above the knee or longer.

3. Dresses and skirts shall have a sewn hem.4. Dresses and skirts shall not be too tight or revealing.

Shoes:

1. Sandals may not be casual beach type sandals (flip-flops/shower shoes).2. Athletic shoes must be neat and clean.

Hats:

1. Hats may not be worn inside.

Tattoos:

1. If a tattoo is deemed to be a distraction by the Principal, it must be covered.

Jewelry:

1. Jewelry shall be professionally appropriate and not a distraction.2. Earrings are permitted for both women and men.3. No body piercings, other than earrings and small stud type earring in the nostril,

shall be visible.

Hair:

1. Hair must be neat, clean and professional looking.2. Hair shall not be dyed distracting colors including but not limited to purple, pink,

green, orange, etc.

Dress for Parent Occasions:

1. All adults are requested to make a special effort to dress in business attire forvarious parent and public relations events.

2. Male adults are recommended to wear ties and dress shirts.3. Female adults are recommended to wear business attire.4. Business dress shoes shall be worn.

Nails:

1. Nails, acrylic or natural, must be of 1length or less from the cuticle.


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Other:

1. Medical personnel such as Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapist, andNurses in specialized classes shall be allowed to wear scrubs.

2. At the Principals discretion, reasonable accommodations shall be made at times

for Grade Level/Content Specific teachers (i.e. Art, Science, Pre-Kindergarten,Kindergarten, PEC). Principals may choose to make this determination based onsubmitted curriculum/lesson plans.

3. The Principal is allowed discretion to make adaptations to the dress guidelines inthe following cases: School Spirit Days, Field Days, Field Trips or other SpecialEvents. This does not mean that every Friday is automatically Dress Down Dayand that all guidelines will be eliminated. The Principalsjudgment will prevail.

4. If the Principal/Supervisor deems any apparel/hairstyle as disruptive he/she havethe authority to send the employee home so that they may come into compliancewith the Professional Dress Guidelines before returning to school.

PERSONNEL RECORDS

The Human Resource Department of the Bibb County Public Schools maintains apermanent folder for each certificated employee which should contain the followinginformation:

1. Complete education record and an evaluation of credits upon entering the schoolsystem.

2. All credits received subsequent to employment with the school system.

3. Degrees earned and dates awarded.

4. Educational experience prior to entering the school system, including bothmilitary and teaching experience.

5. Teaching certificate data: number, type, date issued, and validation dates.

6. All administrative credentials, showing type, date earned and institution grantingthe credential.

7. Health certificate (where applicable) with dates of registration and expiration.

8. Performance evaluation reports, based on annual cycle of evaluation.

9. Information from the GCIC on criminal history.


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File Review

Each certified employee shall have the right, upon written request, to review the contentsof his/her own personnel file in the presence of a witness, except that all confidentialmaterial supplied by outside agencies and all references concerning an original

employment may be removed from the file and shall not be the subject to review by theemployee.

Required Forms

Before the first check of a contract can be released, the following forms must be on file inthe Human Resource Department: Georgia tax form G-4, Federal tax form W-4,retirement application or other retirement number, experience record, Loyalty Oath,personnel information sheet, state security questionnaire (or statement from formeremployer stating that it is on file in his/her office), new employee form and a copy of avalid Georgia Teachers Certificate. (Exception to the valid Georgia Teachers Certificate

may be made at the discretion of the Director of Human Resources).

Fingerprinting

All employees initially hired in Bibb County will comply with Senate Bill 526 (OCGA-20-2-211). Fingerprinting and criminal records checks will also be conducted on a regularbasis, usually corresponding to certificate renewal dates. It is the educators responsibilityto comply with this law. Additionally, Bibb BOE policy GAM requires employees toinform the district if they have been arrested, charged or bound over to a grand jurycharged by accusation or indicted for any criminal offense to inform his/her schoolprincipal and to inform the Director of Human Resources no later than five (5) days afterthe event. Appropriate Central Office Administrators shall be contacted to determineappropriate action.

File Access

Access to an employeespersonnel file by persons (a) within the school system shall belimited to those officers of the school system as approved by the Superintendent andserving in a direct supervisory relationship to the employee and (b) outside the schoolsystem shall be limited to those given written permission by the employee or to anyonepossessing a court order or other applicable legal mandate. The employees personnelrecords are to be accessible to the Board of Education members only in committee orhearing procedures.

Personnel records are not to be removed from the central office except through a courtorder or other applicable legal mandate. A record of persons using the file shall be kept atall times.


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ASSIGNMENT

Certificated personnel shall be assigned to positions by the school system for which theirpreparation, certification, experience and aptitude fit in accordance with the following

rules and guidelines. They shall not be assigned outside the scope of their teachingcertificates or their major or minor fields of study except temporarily and for good cause.

1. Initial Assignments of Teachers/InstructorsAll assignments of instructional personnel shall be initiated by and made upon therecommendation of the principal in accordance with state standards. When avacancy occurs, the appropriate principal shall consult with Human Resourcesand shall review the completed applications and transfer requests, if any, of thosepersons whose certification and experience qualify them for the vacancy inquestion. After appropriate review, consultation and interviews as may benecessary, the principal shall recommend a candidate for the vacancy.

Theprincipals recommendation shall be made to the Human ResourceDepartment who, after review, shall make a recommendation to the PersonnelService Committee, and through that committee to the Board of Education forfinal action.

In making their recommendations, the principal and the Superintendent shall beguided by the following: a) Certification, b) Experience and c) Programmaticneeds of the school.

2. Assignment of Administrators and Support Staff PersonnelThe Superintendent, or designee, shall recommend candidates to fill normalvacancies for administrative and support staff positions in accordance with thefollowing procedures:

a. All vacancies for administrative and support staff positions shall beposted in each school or building and shall be advertised on the districtwebsite, Teach Georgia, various placement offices, and otherpublications as may be appropriate for the vacancy in question.

b. Applicants shall be interviewed by a Screening Committee appointedin accordance with the selection procedure of the Human ResourceDepartment. All qualified candidates shall be interviewed by theScreening Committee and the rankings of the committee shall besubmitted to the Superintendent. Upon receipt of the rankings from theScreening Committee, the Superintendent, at his/her discretion, mayalso interview any candidate to be recommended to the PersonnelServices Committee.


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c. The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the PersonnelServices Committee and through that committee to the Board ofEducation for final action.

TRANSFERS

Instructional personnel are assigned by the Superintendent, or a designee, to positions forwhich their preparation, certification and experience fit. A school system with a largenumber of instructional employees may find it desirable to move an employee to anotherlocation in order to accommodate the employee and/or the school system. Transferapplications are reviewed and acted on with primary consideration given to programmaticneeds of the students in a specific building. The Superintendent recommends transfers tothe Board.

1. Employee Initiated TransfersThis information will be posted on the Human Resource employment website

https://hr.bibb.k12.ga.us/hr.

2. Administration Initiated Transfers

The school system reserves the right to reassign and transfer personnel to otherpositions for the betterment of schools and departments for reasons such as:

a. Increases or decrease of enrollment in various grades;

b. Opening a new school or closing a school;

c. Changes in the organization of the school system which add oreliminate instructional, administrative or support positions;

d. Addition or elimination of programs;

e. Personnel adjustment;

f. Compliance with court orders.

3. Assignment of Surplus Administrative and Supervisory Personnel

Surplus personnel are those certified employees who do not receive a notice ofnon-renewal by April 15th, but whose current job assignment has been eliminatedfor reasons such as:

a. Cancellation of program due to loss of grants or decrease in studentenrollment;
https://hr.bibb.k12.ga.us/hrhttps://hr.bibb.k12.ga.us/hrhttps://hr.bibb.k12.ga.us/hr


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b. Reorganization of supervisory positions;

c. Closing of schools;

d. Reduction in force;

e. Elimination of programs.

As soon as administrative and supervisory personnel are identified as surplus, the HumanResource Department shall compile a roster of those individuals. As instructional,administrative or support staff positions become vacant, appropriate personnel will benotified.

It shall be the responsibility of those persons identified as surplus to make application andbe screened for those vacant administrative and supervisory positions for which they arequalified and have interest. Surplus employees who previously held positions on the

support staff of the system or who held administrative/supervisory positions and who donot secure another such position through the application/screening process, will beassigned by the Superintendent upon approval of the Board of Education, toteacher/instructor vacancies.

COMPENSATION GUIDES AND CONTRACTS

Certificated personnel employed by the Bibb County Board of Education will becompensated based upon the salary schedules approved annually during the Board ofEducation budget approval process.

For certificated personnel, the total salary will be composed of the state salary and localregular supplement, as a minimum. Additional supplements may be paid for position,coaching and extended day or year when so authorized by contract.

Salaries for all certificated personnel not on twelve-month contracts shall be fixed on anannual basis and shall be paid in twelve monthly payments, beginning on the last workday of September, and thereafter, the last workday of each month through August.Personnel who work less than a full contract year will have their salary for the partialyear prorated based on the number of days worked divided by the normal number ofwork days in the contract year. This salary will be paid in equal installments over theremainder of the contract year. Any certified employee hired by Bibb County and notreceiving a paycheck from another district will receive 1/13 of their annual salary Augustto August.

Certificated personnel working on twelve month contracts shall be paid twelve equalmonthly payments beginning with the last workday in July.

Years of experience for local supplement purposes shall be the same as allowed for statesalary computation.


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Certified personnel who were on the payroll of the Board of Education at the beginningof the current school year, except those who have resigned or who have been terminated,will be issued a contract for the ensuing school year or will receive written notificationfrom the Superintendent prior to April 15th that they will not be rehired.

Extended Day/Year Contracts

The purpose of extended day/year is to provide students additional support servicesdesigned to enhance and strengthen these educational experiences. The purpose ofextended day/year supplements is to allow teachers to carry on activities which requiretime to be spent over and above the regular school day.

Definitions

Extended DayThe additional time available (maximum of one hour with additional

salary) for high school teachers to work beyond the regular 180-day school year toprovide students with supplementary services.

Extended YearThe additional time available (a maximum of 10 days with additionalsalary) for high school teachers to work beyond the regular 180-day school year toprovide students with supplementary services.

On-The-Job Work SitesLocations in the community where students are placedthrough a signed agreement between the school and the employer to work and learn.

EVALUATION

The following rules set forth evaluation procedures for all certified leadership, teachingand school service personnel.

The purpose of the evaluation process is to provide a means of identifying andreinforcing effective performance, of identifying and areas where development canimprove effectiveness, and of generating interaction between evaluator and evaluateregarding on-the-job performance. The development and dissemination of jobdescriptions for each position in the system combined with the process outlined in theGeorgia Teacher Evaluation Program and in the Georgia Leadership Program shall formthe basis of the evaluation system. Similar programs exist for counseling psychologists,social workers and media specialists.

All certified personnel shall be evaluated on an annual basis. Employees are informed ofthe evaluation process during the first weeks of the school year or upon employment.

In order to move to the next step on the state salary schedule, certified employees musthave a satisfactoryevaluation.


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All teachers and media specialist shall be evaluated by their principal on the appropriateinstructions for their positions. The evaluation process for teachers is set forth in TheEvaluation Manual prepared by the Georgia Teacher Evaluation Program (GTEP); thisbook contains a copy of the evaluation instruments for teachers. Based on the results

reached, the employee will be recommended for reemployment, a probationary contract,or termination as appropriate. The principal shall offer each person he/she evaluated ameaningful opportunity to discuss the evaluation and give appropriate feedback.

Certified leadership personnel shall be evaluated by their immediate supervisor on theappropriate Bibb Leadership Evaluation Instrument (BLEI). Based on the results reached,the employee will be recommended for reemployment, a probationary contract, ortermination as appropriate. The supervisor shall offer each person he/she evaluated ameaningful opportunity to discuss the evaluation and give appropriate feedback.

CERTIFIED EMPLOYEE COMPLAINT POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Board Policy Descriptor Term: GAE

PersonnelGrievance Procedure Date: April 15, 2004

Purpose: Informal Resolution Preferred

Certified personnel shall have the right to present and resolve complaints relating tocertain matters affecting the employment relationship at the lowest organizational levelpossible. The board of education encourages all certificated employees to resolve theircomplaints informally in a spirit of collegiality where possible. This policy is availablewhere such efforts do not succeed or, where for any other reason, the certificatedemployee desires to pursue this procedure.

Definitions

(a) First Level Administratormeans the principal of a school with respect toteachers and other certificated personnel assigned to that school. With respect to othercertificated personnel, the employees immediate supervisor shall be the First LevelAdministrator.In the event that the subject of the grievance is the First LevelAdministrator or requests relief which the First Level Administrator cannot grant, thegrievance shall be referred to the Second Level Administrator. For example, a grievancefiled by a teacher against the principal shall not be heard by the principal, but shall bereferred to theprincipals immediate supervisor. In any case not covered by thisparagraph, the First Level Administrator shall be the supervisory certificated persondesignated by the Superintendent.


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(b) Second Level Administratormeans the immediate supervisor of the First LevelAdministrator.

(c) Central Office Administratormeans the Superintendent of Schools.

(d) Complaintmeans any claim or grievance by a certificated employee which (i) isfiled pursuant to this policy; (ii) which comes within the scope of the policy; and (iii) isnot otherwise excluded as hereinafter provided.

Scope of Complaint; Exclusions

(a) Scope. Unless excluded by paragraph (b) hereof, this complaint and grievanceprocedure is applicable to a claim by any professional certificated by the ProfessionalStandards Commission who is affected in his or her employment relationship by analleged violation, misinterpretation, or misapplication of statutes, policies, rules,

regulations, or written agreements of this school district or with which the district isrequired to comply.

(b) Exclusions. This procedure shall not apply to:

(1) Performance ratings contained in personnel evaluation and professionaldevelopment plans pursuant to O.C.G. A. 20-2-210;

(2) Job performance;

(3) Termination, nonrenewal, demotion, suspension, or reprimand of anyemployee, as set forth in O.C.G.A. 20-2-940, et seq.;

(4) The revocation, suspension, or denial of certificates of any employee, as setforth in O.C.G.A. 20-2-790;

(5) Any complaint which has already been the subject of a hearing under thetribunal statute, O.C.G.A. 20-2-1160, regardless of whether any appeal wastaken to the State Board of Education or to the courts.

Hearing Rights; Evidence; Representation; Decisions; Records

(a) Evidence. The complainant shall be entitled to an opportunity to be heard, topresent relevant evidence, and to examine witnesses at each level. The complainant maynot present new or additional evidence at the Level II, Level III, or Board hearings unlessthe evidence is submitted in writing by close of business on the 5th day prior to thehearing to the administrator hearing the complaint at that level, or to the Superintendent ifat the Board level. If a grievance is appealed to the Board of Education, it shall considerthe complete record made below together with any additional evidence submitted to it inthe hearing but shall decide the case de novo.


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(b) Representation. The complainant and the administrator against whom thecomplaint is filed or whose decision is appealed shall be entitled to the presence of anindividual of his or her chose to assist in the presentation of the complaint to the CentralOffice Administrator and the Board of Education. The complainant may not utilize an

assistant at any lower level.

(c) Hearing Officer. The board of Education may appoint a member of the State Barto serve as a law officer to rule on all issues of law and other abjections, but such attorneyshall not participate in the presentation of the case for either party.

(d) Overall Hearing Time Schedules. The overall time frame from the initiation ofthe complaint until rendition of the decision by the local board and notification thereof tothe complainant shall not exceed sixty (6) days.

(e) Records. A grievance shall be filed with the First Level Administrator on the

form furnished by the School District. Upon receipt of a grievance, the First LevelAdministrator shall prepare a file folder into which shall be placed all subsequentdocuments created in the grievance process, which file folder shall be forwarded to thenext level if there is an appeal. Upon completion of a grievance, the file shall beforwarded to the Superintendents office.

Accurate records of the proceedings at each level shall be made. The proceedings shall berecorded by mechanical means, and all evidence shall be preserved and made available tothe parties at all times. The cost of preparing and preserving the record of the proceedings(all documents and tape recordings) shall be borne by the Board of Education. All othercosts and fees shall be borne by the party incurring them unless otherwise agreed upon bythe parties. All costs of transcripts and the record on appeals to the state board ofeducation, the superior court and appellate courts shall be paid by the party required to doso by the laws relating thereto.

(f) Decisions. Each decision shall be made in writing and dated, and shall containfindings of fact and reasons for the particular decision reached.

(g) Service. The decision at each level shall be sent to the complainant within five(5) days of the decision by certified mail, statutory overnight delivery, or hand deliveryby a person designated by the Superintendent or his designee. All other notices shall beserved by ordinary mail or hand delivery. Service is deemed to have been made on thedate of hand delivery of the date of depositing the decision in the mail or statutoryovernight delivery.

(h) Appeals. All appeals from one level to the next shall be placed in writing anddelivered to he next level administrator by close of business on the 10th day following thedate of the decision being appealed.


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Level I; Presentation; Time; Contents.

The complaint shall be presented in writing to the Level One Administrator within ten(10) calendar days after the most recent incident upon which the complaint is based. Thecomplaint shall include the following:

(a) The mailing address of the complainant to which all notices and otherdocuments may be mailed;

(b) The intent of the complainant to utilize this complaint procedure, clearlystated;

(c) A reference or description of the statute, policy, rule, contract provision orregulation that is alleged to have been violated, misinterpreted ormisapplied; and

(d) A brief statement of the facts reasonably calculated to show how muchstatute, policy, rule or regulation was violated or misapplied, and how itsubstantially affects the employment relationship of the complainant.

(e) A statement of the relief desired.

Level I Level Hearing and Decision.

The Level I Administrator shall enter the date of filing on the complaint, and shall givenotice to the complainant of the time and place of the hearing, either by mail or handdelivery. When notice is given by mail, it shall be sent by first class mail to the addressset forth in the complaint. If no address was included in the complaint, the notice shall besent to the last known address of the complainant on file with the Board of Education.The decision shall be made on the complaint within six (6) calendar days of the hearing;shall be dated, and a copy shall be sent to the complainant as provided in (g) above. Theoriginal decision shall be placed in the grievance folder.

Appeals to Levels II and III.

A complainant dissatisfied with the decision at Level I and the complainant or the Level Iadministrator dissatisfied with the decision at Level II may file a written notice of appealwith the Second Level Administrator or the Central Office Administrator by close of

business on the 10th day following the date of the decision being appealed. A deputysuperintendent may appeal directly to the Board of Education. The next leveladministrator shall enter the date of the filing on the appeal and shall notify the parties ofthe time and place of the hearing. The next level administrator shall conduct a hearingand render a decision in writing within ten (10) calendar days of the date of the filing ofthe appeal. The decision shall be served on the complainant within ten (10) days of thedecision as provided in (g) above.


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Appeal to the Board of Education.

A complainant or the Level I administrator dissatisfied with the decision of the Central

Office Administrator may appeal to the Board of Education by filing a written notice ofappeal in the superintendents office by close of business on the 10 th day following thedate of the decision being appealed. The Superintendent shall enter the date of filing onthe appeal, and shall promptly give notice to the complainant in writing of the time andplace of hearing before the Board of Education. The complainant and administratorsagainst whom the grievance is filed or whose decision is being appealed shall be entitledto appear before the Board of Education and be heard. The Board may direct that a pre-hearing conference be held prior to the hearing to identify issues and facilitatepresentation. The Board shall render its decision in writing within ten (10 calendar daysafter the hearing, and perfect service thereof on the complainant as provided in (g) above.

Appeals to State Board.

Appeals to the state board of Education shall be governed by the state board policygoverning appeals and O.C.G.A. 20-2-1160.

Reprisals Prohibited.

No certificated personnel shall be subjected to reprisals as a result of filing any complaintunder this policy. Any claim of a reprisal may be referred to the Professional PracticesCommission.

Collective Bargaining Disclaimer.

Nothing in this policy shall be construed to permit or foster collective bargaining.

Repeals.

All policies and parts of policies in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.LEGAL REF.: O.C.G.A. 20-2-989.5

SEPARATION

Termination

The contract of employment of a teacher, principal, or other professional employeecertificated by the Professional Standards Commission, or any other school boardemployee having a contract for a definite term may be terminated by the Superintendentupon written notice for any of the following reasons:


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1. Incompetency;

2. Willful neglect of duties;

3. Immorality, acts which are contrary to good morals, inconsistent with the

rules and principles of morality and which are inimical to public welfareaccording to the standards of a given community;

4. Inciting, encouraging or counseling students to violate any valid state law,municipal ordinance, or policy or rule of the Board of Education;

5. Conviction of any crime involving moral turpitude;

6. Violation of any rule or regulation of the Board of Education;

7. Failure or refusal to comply with all reasonable orders, requests or directions

of the Superintendent or other superior official;

8. Persistent failure or refusal to maintain orderly discipline of students;

9. Revocation by competent state authority of the certificate of the employee;

10. For failure to secure and maintain required educational training;

11. For reduction in staff due to loss of students or cancellation of programs; (Ref.Policy GBKA)

12. For any other good and sufficient cause.

When the Superintendent proposes to terminate the contract of a teacher or othercertificated employee, the notice, hearing and other procedural due process rights of theemployee shall be as provided in subsections (b) through (f) of Code Section 20-2-904 ofthe Official Code of Georgia Annotated. (Ref. Bibb BOE Policy GBN)

Suspension Pending Discharge

The Superintendent may temporarily relieve from duty any teacher or other schoolemployee referred to above for any reasons specified in this policy, pending hearing bythe board, pursuant to the requirements and conditions of subsection (g) of Code Section

20-2-940 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

Nonrenewal of Contract

When the Superintendent proposes not to renew the contract for the coming year of anyteacher or other professional school employee certificated by the Georgia State Board of


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Education who does not have tenure, he/she shall give written notification of the tentativedecision to nonrenew not later than April 15. If the teacher or other school employeedesires to contest such nonrenewal, the rights and procedures set forth in Code Sections

20-2-940 and 20-2-942 shall govern all actions of the employee or the school district.

Administrative LeaveIn situations deemed necessary by the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent ofSupport Services, an employee may be removed form work for a period of time. Whileon administrative leave, the employee will follow directives of the building administrator,and/or Central Office Administration.

ResignationAny teacher who resigns and ceases work without giving two (2) weeks notice to theBoard may forfeit all compensation for that length of time. As used in this policy, two (2)weeks shall mean ten (10) regular school days. Please contact the Human Resourcedepartment for exceptions and consequences.

Teachers who expect to resign at the end of a school year are encouraged to submit theirresignations as soon as possible. Teachers who receive a renewal contract have ten (10)days to indicate acceptance of the position by signing the contract and returning theoriginal to the building administration who in turn will forward it to the Human Resourcedepartment. Failure to execute and return the contract within the allotted ten (10) days,unless extended by the Superintendent, shall be understood as a refusal of the offer ofemployment and will be treated as a resignation by the School District.

Resignations by any school board employee shall be accepted by a principal, immediatesupervisor, the Director of Human Resources, the Assistant Superintendent of HumanResources and Professional Learning, or the Superintendent on behalf of the Board ofEducation and shall be reported to the Board as an information item on the agenda of thePersonnel Services Committee. (Ref. Bibb BOE policy GBO)

SUSPENSION

Certificated personnel may be suspended from work without pay for up to sixty (60) daysby Board action in accordance with Bibb BOE policy GBK.

When the Superintendent proposes to suspend the contract of a teacher or othercertificated employee, the notice, hearing and other procedural rights of the employeeshall be a provided in subsections (b) through (f) of Code Section 20-2-940 of theOfficial Code of Georgia annotated.

LEAVES AND ABSENCES

Personnel of the school system may wish or be required to be absent for several reasons:


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1. Those beyond their control, such as personal sickness or injury, pregnancy,jury duty, military service or emergencies;

2. Those governed by compassion or conviction, such as family illness,bereavement and other personal reasons;

3. Those stemming from occupational status such as attendance at meetings,conventions, courses, seminars, and other types of study;

4. Those provided by scheduled vacations.

5. If an employee is absent more than three (3) days, after the third day anEmployee Change Form must be initiated and proof of absence may berequired.

The Board of Education recognizes that absences for any such reasons are justifiable and

will, to the extent that the welfare of the educational program and the fiscal resources ofthe school system, allow and look with favor upon establishing mutually agreeablearrangements for employee absences. Teachers and Paraprofessionals are required todocument their absences in the Smart Find Express Employee Substitute ManagementSystem.

Unauthorized Leave

1. Definition

Unauthorized leave is defined as non-performance of those duties andresponsibilities assigned by the school system and its representatives. Suchunauthorized leave may include but is not limited to collective refusals toprovide service, unauthorized use of sick leave, unauthorized use of otherleave benefits, non-attendance at required meetings and failure to performsupervisory functions.

2. Disciplinary Action

Unauthorized leave shall constitute a breach of contract and, therefore,may result in the initiation of termination procedures, suspension withoutpay or such disciplinary action as may be deemed appropriate.

3. Verification of Absence

The Superintendent or the supervisor of the employee may require aphysicians or other verification as to the employees claimed reason forabsence in any situation in which it is believed that no valid grounds existfor the employees claim for absence. Such verification shall be madewithin five (5) days of absence.


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Types of Leave

The following types of leaves may be granted, provided they are approved by theSuperintendent:

1. Sabbatical leave may be granted to the professional staff for graduatestudy, if the staff member has served in the Bibb County Schools for sevenconsecutive years. (Policy GBRHA)

2. Exchange teaching leave of absence may be granted to the professional fora period of one year. The purpose of this leave is to exchange a teacherwith another system or another country; (Policy GBRHA)

3. Association leave may be approved for delegates of the GeorgiaAssociation of Educators (GAE) and the Professional Association of

Georgia Educators (PAGE); (Policy GBSA)

4. Personal leave may be granted for up to a maximum of five (5) (40 hours)of earned sick leave for personal reasons within any one leave year.Employees who are employed on a regular schedule are eligible for thisleave; (Policy GBRI)

5. Sick leave may be granted when an employee is unable to perform theirduties. Short-term sick leave is an absence from duty for ten (10) or lessconsecutive working days. A long-term leave is an absence from duty foreleven (11) or more consecutive working days;

6. Eligible employees may take Family and Medical Act Leave for the birthor adoption of a child, care of eligible relatives who have a seriousmedical condition, and for the employeesown serious medical condition.(Policy GBRIG)

7. Maternity and Adoption leave will be granted to employees who are noteligible for Family and Medical Leave Act for maternity or adoptionpurposes. (Policy GBRIC)

8. Family illness leave may be used for absence due to illness or death in theimmediate family, of a full-time employee;

9. Bereavement leave is allowed an employee for three days in case of deathin the immediate family; (Policy GBRIF)


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10. Emergency and legal leave may be granted, if an employee has juryservice or they are subpoenaed to testify in a criminal case; (PolicyGBRIA)

11. Military leave may be granted to employees for a temporary assignment or

for a long-tem leave. (Policy GBRID)

12. Vacation/holidays are carried by full-time, twelve month employees or afiscal year basis. (Policy GBRK)

Each employee shall notify his or her principal, director, or other first line supervisor notlater than one hour before named duty time on the day that he or she is unable to reportfor duty for any reason, unless having given notice the previous day or earlier, so that asubstitute may be obtained if necessary. Failure to provide adequate notice or asatisfactory reason for not doing show may result in a salary deduction of a full dayssalary.

For absence above the amount which is authorized in accordance with rule and policies orwhen suspended without pay, an employee shall forfeit his or her salary at a daily rate ofpay. Daily rate of pay will be determined by the division of the annual salary by thenumber of work days in the employees regular work year.

All employee absences shall be approved by the appropriate principal or director andreported to the Central Office on official, certified time and attendance reports.

Sabbatical Leave

Professional employees who have served in the Bibb County Public Schools for seven (7)consecutive years may, with the recommendation of the Superintendent, be grantedleaves of absence for graduate study. During any one year period, no more than five (5)leaves with pay will be approved.

Professional employees granted leaves of absence for graduate study are subject to thefollowing regulations:

1. An applicant must have a six-year professional certificate or an approvedsix-year program and be accepted by an institution of higher learning as acandidate for the doctoral degree, with one year or less required tocomplete, including the dissertation, and all other qualifications for thedoctoral degree. The applicant may have been approved for a specialprogram. This exception must have special approval by theSuperintendent.

2. The application must be filed with and approved by the Superintendentone semester in advance of the effective date. It must contain a statementof the definite purpose for which the leave is desired, the name of the


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institution of higher learning the applicant will attend, the field ofspecialization, and the research area for the doctoral dissertation.

3. The applicant must file with the Superintendent a written agreement toremain in the service of the Bibb County Public Schools for a period of

three years after the expiration of the leave. If an applicant resigns withinthree years, he/she shall refund to the Bibb County Public Schools suchproration of the salary paid during the leave as the unexpired portion ofthe three years shall bear to said period. A refund shall not be required,however, in the event of the death or requested resignation of theapplicant. It is provided further that the applicant must be eligible for acontinuation of employment in the school system for three years prior tothe applicants retirement from service after the expiration of leave.

4. Leave may be granted for twelve calendar months or for the portion of thetwelve months which is necessary to complete the requirements, including

the dissertation for the doctoral degree. Leave shall not be granted to thesame individual more than once in eight consecutive years.

5. While on leave an oral or written report shall be made each semester to theSuperintendent. This report shall state the schedule of courses andprogress made toward the completion of the courses for doctoral degree. Ifat any time such reports are unsatisfactory, the leave may be terminatedimmediately.

6. When approved by the Superintendent, personnel on leave shall be paid intwelve installments one-half the regular salary which would have beenpaid if the employee had remained on active duty. Tenure, salaryincrements, and the assignment will be maintained. During the period ofsuch leave the employee shall not engage in teaching or otherremunerative employment. If a fellowship is granted, the services requiredof the student must not interfere with the scheduling of the regularacademic load and must not increase the period of time required tocomplete the requirements for the degree.

7. The improvement of instruction, supervision, and administration of theBibb County Public Schools shall be the only reason for granting thisleave. Therefore, an application for leave shall be approved by theSuperintendent when in his/her judgment the professional competency ofthe applicant will be improved and this improvement will benefit the BibbCounty Public Schools.

Exchange Teaching

Teachers may, at the direction of the Superintendent, be granted a leave of absence forone year for the purpose of exchange teaching, subject to the following conditions:


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1. Exchange will be limited to systems or countries approved by theSuperintendent.

2. The Superintendent will establish the limit on the number of teachers

exchanged annually;

3. Leave will be granted only if the cooperating school system furnishes ateacher to take the place of the one released by the board. Teachersparticipating in the exchange program will draw their salary from thesystem in which they do their teaching;

4. Leaves of absence for exchange teaching will not exceed one year.

Personal Leave (Policy GBRI)

Personnel employed on a regular schedule basis and assigned to the operations ofprograms for the school system may utilize earned sick leave for personal reasons withinany one leave year in accordance with the following schedule:

0 to 9 years experience 3 days

10 to 19 years experience 4 days

20 + years experience 5 days

Only years of experience in Bibb County shall be counted to determine eligibility for thefourth and fifth days of personal leave.

Employees requesting personal leave shall not be asked to disclose a reason when makinga request. Approval or disapproval of the request for personal leave cannot beconditioned upon any required imposed upon the employee to disclose the specificpurpose of the leave. Requests for personal leave shall be received by the employeesimmediate supervisor one (1) week in advance of the request leave date.

Certain periods of time are of special importance for school based employees to be on thejob. Requests to use personal leave on such days will be honored only for unique andunavoidable events and only if the request is made and documentation of need issubmitted at least ten (10) days in advance. Such days covered by this paragraph are:

1. The first ten (10) working days beginning with the first day that all schoolbased personnel report for duty;

2. The last ten (10) working days for all school based personnel;


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3. One working day before and after any holiday.

Personal leave authorized and used under provision of this rule will be deducted from theemployees accrued sick leave.

Personal leave used over and above that which is authorized under provisions of this rulewill result in a deduction of one dayspay for each additional day of absence.

The immediate supervisor shall use discretion in approving personal leave requests withless than the required notice in emergency situations.

Emergency and Legal Leave

Employees shall be allowed a leave of absence without loss of pay and without deductionof any amounts otherwise received as compensation for service as a teacher, for thepurpose of attending any court as a juror or when subpoenaed to testify in a case arising

out of the employee

s duties. An employee who serves as a juror or witness as providedin this policy shall not have the jury or witness leave deducted from sick, personal orannual leave. Employees shall not be required to pay the cost of employing a substituteteacher to serve in their absence while on such jury or witness leave. Any juror or witnessfee paid for court service shall be retained by the employee.

Sick Leave and Sick Leave Benefits

Employees are required to call their principal, supervisor, or designee as soon as theylearn they will be absent, reporting the reason for their intended absence and theestimated duration. All employees are responsible for following any other reporting

procedures established by their principal, director, or supervisor, including contacting theBibb County employee substitute management call-in system.

1. Accrual and Accumulation of Sick Leave Benefits

Professional employees assigned to the operation of programs for theseveral schools on a regularly scheduled basis are eligible for sick leavebenefits. Leave will be credited to each employees leave balance at therate of .06586 hours for each hour worked or in a paid status, up to amaximum of 40 hours per week. Leave will be charged on an hourly basisfor each hour not present for duty and properly chargeable to sick leavebenefits.

Unused sick leave may be carried forward to the next fiscal year up to amaximum of 480 hours for employees on a 12-month (244 days) contractand 384 hours for persons employed less than 12 months.


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2. Advanced Sick Leave Benefits

The Superintendent may authorize an additional advance of sick leavebenefits in addition to the benefits which will be earned by the employeein the current leave year, but not in excess of twelve (12) such additional

days. Such advance of sick leave benefits shall be done only in cases ofserious disability or illnesses for employees with long and faithful tenure.Each application for advanced sick leave benefits under this paragraphshall be carefully reviewed by the employeesprincipal or immediatesupervisor and the Superintendent. This review shall consider the years ofservice of the employee and his/her past history, with particular attentionto the recognition of the seriousness of the sick leave request.

3. Pay for Unused Sick Leave Benefits (Classroom Teachers and Media

Specialists)

In order to encourage classroom teachers and media specialists to conservesick leave and to reduce the cost of providing substitute teachers, theboard of education will pay them a sum of money calculated bymultiplying the daily rate of pay of a substitute teacher times one-half thenumber of days of sick leave benefits the employee would have accrued inthat fiscal year, but which cannot be carried forward because of themaximum limits set forth above. In lieu of being paid for any days of sickleave benefits which cannot be carried forward because of the maximumlimits set forth above, an employee may elect, at his/her option, to placesuch forfeited sick leave in a Retirement Bankand such days will beavailable for use to increase the employees creditable service forretirement in accordance with the law and rules governing the TeachersRetirement System. An employee may not subsequently elect to be paidfor any days which have been put in the Retirement Bank.

4. Use of Accrued Sick Leave Benefits

Sick leave benefits can be used for any authorized period of sick leave asset forth below, but only up to the amount of benefits accrued as of thetime of taking leave plus any benefits that may be advanced by theSuperintendent. Employees are prohibited from engaging in other workwhile on sick leave.

5. General Regulations for Sick Leave

a. Availability: Sick leave pay may be granted when an employee isunable to perform his/her duties for any of the following reasons:

(1) Sickness;


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(2) Injury;

(3) Pregnancy and confinement; (see Bibb BOE policyGBRIC)

(4) Medical, dental or optical examination or treatment;

(5) The repair or adjustment of prosthetic appliances;

(6) FMLA Leave (Policy GBRIG)

(7) The employees exposure to a contagious disease whichwould make his/her presence at work a danger to the healthof others;

(8) Employees absent as a result of illness from vaccination or

immunization whether or not it is required as a condition ofemployment will be charged with sick leave;

(9) Personal leave. (Policy GBRI)

(10) Illness in the employees immediate family. Immediatefamily includes child, spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling,grandchild, mother, father, son or daughter-in-law, uncle,aunt, surrogate parent or other relative living in the samehousehold as the employee.

b. Appointment and/or Physical Examination: Requests for leavefor medical, dental, or optical treatment should be submitted to theprincipal or supervisor prior to the beginning of leave.Appointments with doctors, dentists and opticians should bescheduled outside duty hours when possible. If sick leave for thistype of appointment exceeds four hours, the employee mustprovide a statement from the doctor stating that the employee wasactually incapacitated to perform duties as a resu

Documents

Certified Handbook 6-17-11 (2)