EMPLOYMENT OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF

EMPLOYMENT OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF

po3120Adopted December 12, 2005Revised July 21, 2025

3120 - EMPLOYMENT OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF

The School Board recognizes that it is vital to the successful operation of the School Corporation that positions created by the Board are filled with qualified and competent personnel.

The Board shall approve the employment of and also, when not covered by the terms of a negotiated agreement, fix the compensation and establish the term of employment for each professional staff member employed by this Corporation.

Such approval shall be given only to those candidates for employment recommended by the Superintendent.

Anti-Nepotism

"Relatives" include: children, stepchildren, siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, spouse, domestic partner, parents, stepparents, in-laws, or bona fide dependents/living in the same residence of a staff member.

Relatives of staff members may be employed by the Corporation, provided the relative being employed is not placed in a position in which the relative would be supervised directly by the staff member.

Non-Fraternization

Corporation employees may not date, develop romantic relationships with or have sexual relations with individuals who are the employee's supervisor or those whom they supervise.

The Superintendent shall prepare administrative guidelines for the recruitment and selection of all professional staff.

VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

If a staff member is a volunteer firefighter and has notified the Corporation in writing, the Corporation may not discipline the staff member for:

  1. absence from duty by reason of responding to a fire or emergency call that was received prior to the time the staff member was to report to duty;

  2. leaving to respond to a fire or an emergency call if the staff member has prior supervisor authorization to leave duty in response to a call received after reporting to work;

    However, when an emergency call is received while the staff member is on duty, the staff member should notify the principal before leaving so coverage can be arranged.

  3. an injury or absence from work because of an injury that occurs while the staff member is engaged in emergency firefighting or other emergency response, provided the staff member's absence from work due to each instance of emergency firefighting activity or other emergency response does not exceed six (6) months from the date of injury.

The Corporation may require that the staff member present a written statement from the officer in charge of the volunteer fire department at the time of the absence confirming the staff member was engaged in an emergency call at the time of the absence.

REQUIREMENTS FOR TITLE I TEACHERS

All teachers newly hired for a Title I supported program must be "highly qualified."

"Highly Qualified" means:

  1. full State certification as a teacher or passed State teacher licensing exam and holds current license to teach; certification or license requirements may not be waived on emergency, temporary, or provisional basis;

  2. for elementary teachers new to the profession, this also requires:

    1. at least a bachelor’s degree;

    2. passing a rigorous State test on subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, math, and other areas of elementary curriculum (State certification test may suffice);

  3. for secondary or middle school teachers new to the profession this also requires:

    1. at least a bachelor’s degree, and

    2. passing a rigorous State test in each of the subject areas s/he will teach (State certification test may suffice), or

    3. for each academic subject taught, having an academic major, coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major, a graduate degree, or advanced certification or credentialing;

  4. for elementary, middle, or secondary school teachers with prior experience, this also requires:

    1. at least a bachelor’s degree, and

    2. meets standards for new teachers (above), or

    3. demonstrates competence in all academic subjects s/he teaches based on a uniform State standard of evaluation (standard for academic subject matter and teaching skills set by the State).

REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS GENERALLY

The highly qualified status requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act have been replaced by the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Although the reporting of highly qualified teacher status by the Corporation is no longer required, teachers in Title I programs must be highly qualified. Additionally, ESSA requires teachers be ''properly licensed." In order to ensure teachers are properly licensed, refer to https://www.in.gov/doe/educators/educator-licensing/what-can-i-teach-with-my-license/ for the most recent "assignment code" language.

Although the requirements concerning highly qualified teachers have been removed from the IDEA and Article 7 regulations, the requirement that students be taught by teachers appropriately licensed to teach the subject area remains.

A special education teacher must hold the appropriate licensure based on a student's disability to be assigned as the student's teacher of record. A special education teacher may teach a core academic subject only if the student is being taught to alternate achievement standards. A teacher who holds any special education license is properly licensed to teach any applied course.

Revised 5/16/16

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