JCBE/POLICY FILE: 520

Approved: 11/20/79

Revised: 4/28/88

GENERAL CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL

It is the Board's goal to build a professional staff which is competently trained, physically and mentally healthy, unified in purpose and devoted to the cause of public education. Merit, based upon ability, professional preparation and demonstrated competence, shall be the criteria upon which employees are chosen and shall determine how employees' talents are used.

The purpose of the Board's personnel administration policy is the regulation of all activities to which laws apply. Board policies and administrative procedures bearing upon the eligibility, selection, assignment, rating, promotion, transfer, tenure, resignation, dismissal or retirement of all school system employees. Personnel administrators must make every effort to file complete and reliable information on each applicant; maintain affirmative action, equal opportunity employment standards; and maintain current knowledge of vacancies and transfer requests to obtain the most qualified personnel and use employees' talents in the most beneficial way.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES, CREDENTIAL AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS AND NOMINATION TO APPOINTMENT

According to the Code of Alabama (16-6-23), the county superintendent of education is ultimately responsible for personnel recommendations, in writing, to the Board. Job applicants shall file written applications with the Certificated Personnel Department and upon notification by that department shall be interviewed by the Division Superintendent for Personnel or a designee. After the Division Superintendent selects the best qualified applicants, those administrators who will work most closely with the employee will be included in the final selection process. The Division Superintendent for Personnel shall make the division's recommendation to the Superintendent.

To be employed in a teaching position in the Jefferson County public schools, an applicant must have earned a valid certificate issued by the state superintendent of education. It is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain and keep current a valid certificate issued by the state superintendent of education. Applicants for professional positions which do not require a teaching certificate or are nonteaching positions are responsible for obtaining and keeping credentials appropriate to their profession. Evaluations of the applicant's fitness and ability from former employers, instructors, school records or college placement bureaus shall be reviewed and held in confidence prior to any appointment. Confidentiality of files shall be protected through adherence to JCBE/POLICY

FILE: 522, Personnel Records.

Employment is contingent upon the appointee's filing a health certificate from a licensed medical doctor stating that the appointee is physically able to perform assigned duties. In accordance with the Code of Alabama, 16-22-3, as amended in 1982, a physical examination for tuberculosis shall be required of all new employees of the Board.

ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER

Teachers shall be assigned to the grades or subjects in their areas of certification. To meet the accreditation requirement of the State Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and

Schools, all teachers in accredited schools must teach subjects in which they are certified.

Recommendation for appointments to specific positions shall be made by the Division Superintendent for Personnel in writing. Appointments approved and signed by the Superintendent or a designee shall be sent to the appointees who must accept the positions in writing within ten days of the receipt of the appointments or the position shall be forfeited and other applicants shall be considered. Appointments are temporary until approved by the Board.

In accordance with the public school laws of the Code of Alabama, 16-24-5, any tenured teacher, upon recommendation of the Superintendent and approval of the Board, may be transferred for any succeeding year from one position, school or grade to another by being given written notice of such intention to transfer by the Board. Such transfers shall be without loss of status, salary or violation of contract and they may not be for political or personal reasons, or be arbitrary in nature. Personnel administrators shall maintain current information on employee requests for transfer and shall process them according to procedures established by the Personnel Division. Provisions are outlined in the Alabama public school laws (CODE OF ALABAMA, 16-24-6) for a tenured teacher to contest an intended transfer, to obtain a hearing and according to the Code of Alabama, 16-24-7, to appeal a decision to transfer.

Subsequent to the approval date of this policy, no two members of immediate family shall be eligible for appointment to positions in the same school or department where one family member is a supervisor.

JCBE/POLICY FILE: 520

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, TENURE AND TERMINATION

Teachers' contracts or official Board minutes shall indicate the number of days of service required to receive the stated annual salary. The school calendar adopted by the Board by the last Board meeting in April shall include dates for teachers to report to duty, dates their service for the year will be completed, nonduty days and other special dates.

In accordance with the state school laws, (CODE OF ALABAMA, 16-24-12), any teacher employed with the Board shall be deemed re-employed for the succeeding school year unless otherwise notified in writing on or before the last day of the current school term. It shall be presumed that the teacher has accepted re-employment unless written notification to the contrary has been forwarded to the Board on or before June 15.

Returning nontenured teachers shall be issued a written contract for the coming year on or prior to the last day of the current school year. All nontenured teachers shall be assessed and evaluated each year. After three consecutive years of continuing service the nontenured instructor gains tenure upon being employed for a fourth consecutive year. Principals or supervisors without teacher tenure who serve three consecutive years as principals or supervisors also attain tenure as a principal or supervisor upon employment in that capacity for the fourth consecutive year.

Contracts of tenured employees shall remain in full force and effect unless superseded by a new contract signed by the employee and the Board, or cancelled as provided in the (CODE OF ALABAMA, 16-24-9 or 16-24-10), or superseded by the retirement of the employee. (CODE OF LABMA, 16-24-3, and CODE OF ALABAMA, 16-25-14)

RESIGNATIONS

Any employee who intends to resign from the Board of Education should notify in writing the Division Superintendent for Personnel at least two weeks prior to the proposed effective date of resignation. A copy of the notice of resignation should be given to the appropriate department head or principal by the resigning employee. The resignation becomes official upon its acceptance by the Board.

PAYROLL DEDUCIIONS

Both mandatory and voluntary deductions shall be made from the contract salaries of certificated personnel. The mandatory deductions shall include retirement, federal income tax, state income tax, city tax and social security. Appropriate forms shall be available upon which individual employees may request deductions for hospital-medical insurance, United Way Campaign, Credit Union, organization dues, professional dues, union dues, annuities by law or contract. The organization or institution receiving the payroll deduction must give notice annually to the employee stating the amount of the deductions and that the payroll deductions are the option of the employee. If an employee decides to stop payroll deductions, the employee must give the Board written notice.