REDUCTION IN FORCE/LAYOFF ALL EMPLOYEES

Transcription

1 Page 1 REDUCTION IN FORCE/LAYOFF ALL EMPLOYEES PURPOSE To establish the procedure for the reduction in force (RIF) of all employees of Goochland County Public Schools (GCPS) when there is a need for abolishment, elimination or change of positions because of a lack of funds, insufficient student enrollment, deletion of a program, organizational restructuring, and/or expiration and/or reduction of special and/or pilot programs funded by special grants such as federal funds. DEFINITIONS The definitions in this section shall apply for purposes of this regulation. Administrative/Supervisory Personnel An employee, whether full-time or part-time, who is required to, and does, hold a current teaching certificate issued by the Virginia Department of Education, and has been issued an administrator s or supervisor s contract, including but not limited, to principals and assistant principals. Business Day A day when GCPS offices are open. Employment Actions Reduction in Force (RIF) The action taken to reduce the number of positions in the school system. Displacement The reassignment of an employee from a position by application of procedures in this regulation.

2 Page 2 Layoff Termination that results from displacement or reduction in force. Organizational Restructuring Significant changes in duties and responsibilities associated with the positions in a school, department or office. In such a reorganization, incumbents shall be displaced by applying reduction-in-force procedures. When information needed to make a decision about reduction-in-force, layoff, or recall is unclear, the Superintendent shall make the decision based on the best available information and the spirit of this regulation. Endorsement Areas and Areas Not Requiring a Specific Endorsement Subject or Program Area The teaching endorsement or educational administrator endorsement on the employee's current Virginia teachers license. Grade Area The teaching endorsement on the employee's Virginia teacher s license relating to elementary, middle, and high school education. Teacher Non-classroom Subject Area The specific certificate endorsement of a teacher having responsibilities outside the classroom. This area includes positions such as librarian, counselor, and reading teacher. Curriculum Resource, School-Based Resource, or Specialty Area A teaching area that may or may not require a specific certificate endorsement. Assignments in this area are not interchangeable, and designations for layoff shall be determined by the Superintendent.

3 Page 3 Highly Qualified Highly Qualified Teacher A highly qualified teacher is defined as a teacher who maintains either a valid collegiate professional or postgraduate professional teaching license or a valid provisional or special education license and has passed Praxis II examination, if applicable to his or her teaching endorsement or highly qualified special education status. In addition, a highly qualified teacher currently teaches in his/her endorsed subject areas. Highly Qualified Instructional Assistant A highly qualified instructional assistant is defined as an instructional assistant who possesses any one of the following: two years of accredited college or university credit equal to 48 semester hours, an associate s degree or higher, or passing scores on the ParaPro Assessment. Instructional Assistant An employee, whether full-time or part-time, who is paid on the instructional assistant salary scale. Service Teacher Service The period of service from the effective date of employment as a teacher, beginning with the most recent term of continuing employment in a teaching position in GCPS, including authorized leave(s) of absence. Part-time service shall be determined by adding percentages of contract per year until a full year can be credited. Administrator Service The period of total service in an administrative or supervisory position in GCPS.

4 Page 4 Instructional Assistant Service The period of service from the beginning of the most recent term of continuing employment as an instructional assistant in GCPS, including authorized leave(s) of absence. Support staff Any position, whether full-time or part-time, with Goochland County Public Schools for which the Virginia Department of Education does not require any type of certificate issued by the Virginia Department of Education which includes, but is not limited to, psychologists and nurses. Teacher A person who is required to, and does, hold a current teaching certificate issued by the Virginia Department of Education, who is employed on a contractual basis, whether full-time or part-time, by GCPS and who has been placed on the teacher s salary scale by formal action of the Goochland County School Board. REDUCTION-IN-FORCE PROCEDURES Teachers and Administrators If a reduction in force becomes necessary, the determination of those positions to be eliminated and/or those employees to be laid off, within elementary and secondary teaching groups shall be based upon the employee s current teaching or administrative assignment within a particular area of endorsement. The following criteria, in addition to those set forth in this policy, shall be utilized in the following order: Temporary employees Probationary teachers o Probationary teachers with provisional certification o Probationary teachers with full Virginia certification Continuing contract personnel

5 Page 5 Any and all unendorsed employees (any uncertified employee and/or any employee not employed in his/her area of endorsement or certification) shall be designated for elimination, reassignment or layoff first, beginning with unendorsed employees having the least service. In Title I schools, teachers who are not highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind Act shall be ranked by length of service for RIF, beginning with the least senior teacher who is not highly qualified. If all teachers are highly qualified, the teacher(s) with the least service in GCPS shall be designated first for reassignment or layoff. If two or more teachers have the same length of service, they shall be ranked as follows: * Length of service in Goochland County * The individual's teaching endorsements * Extended responsibilities * Quality of job performance, including present and past evaluations * Special or unusual skills, certifications or experiences that contribute to school programs, when such factors exist * Length of total service in public school For layoff designation, the service in a non-classroom teacher-scale position, such as librarian, counselor, or reading teacher, shall be the period of service during which the employee has worked continuously in that position in GCPS. If two or more employees have the same length of service in an administrative or supervisory position, they shall be ranked as follows: * Length of service in Goochland County * Extended responsibilities * Quality of job performance, including present and past evaluations * Special or unusual skills, certifications or experiences that contribute to school programs, when such factors exist * Length of total service in public school

6 Page 6 If two or more instructional assistants have the same length of service, they shall be ranked as follows: * Length of service in Goochland County * Extended responsibilities * Quality of job performance, including present and past evaluations * Special or unusual skills, certifications or experiences that contribute to school programs, when such factors exist * Length of total service in public school Reduction of Non-Certificated Staff Reduction of non-certificated staff may occur because of one or more of the following reasons: * Decrease in student enrollment * Changes in curriculum * Decline in subject or grade level enrollment * Budget limitations * Expiration and/or reduction of special and/or pilot programs funded by special grants or federal funds. Instructional assistants in Title I schools who are not highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind Act shall be designated for reassignment or layoff first, beginning with those employees who are not highly qualified and have the least service in GCPS. If a RIF becomes necessary, the determination of those employees to be released will be within programs or categories, i.e., instructional assistants, custodians, etc. Within each of the categories, any or all of the following factors will be utilized in determining the order of release. These factors are: 1. Length of service in Goochland County 2. Quality of job performance, including past and present evaluations 3. Special or unusual contributions to the mission of GCPS.

7 Page 7 DETERMINATION OF NEED FOR REDUCTION IN FORCE Step 1: Upon a determination of a need for a Reduction in Force (RIF), the Superintendent shall prepare and present to the School Board a Resolution declaring the need for a RIF as well as the reason(s) for the RIF. Step 2: Once the Resolution has been approved by the School Board, prior to any reassignment or layoff of any employee, the Superintendent shall provide written notice to any employee whose position may be affected as a result of the RIF of the employee s status for purposes of a RIF. The written notice may be hand delivered or sent by first class mail. If the employee disputes his or her status for purposes of a RIF, that employee shall have ten (10) business days from the date of the notice to notify the Superintendent in writing. If the employee fails to respond within this time, the employee s status for purposes of a RIF shall be deemed accepted by the employee. If the employee contests the designation, the Superintendent and the employee shall attempt to resolve the dispute, but final designation of status for purposes of a RIF remains with the Superintendent. Step 3: Employees who are laid off shall be given thirty (30) calendar days notice, when possible, prior to effective date of layoff. The notice of layoff shall be in writing and hand delivered or mailed by first class mail to the employee's work location or home address. REASSIGNMENT An employee who is affected by a RIF, will be given priority for an assignment in a vacancy within his or her areas of endorsement. The affected employee must have full Virginia certification in all areas of endorsement and must have successfully completed six (6) semester hours or six (6) continuing education units, or a combination thereof, of approved courses in the endorsement area that he or she

8 Page 8 may be assigned to within the past five (5) years, or the employee must have taught for one (1) year within the last five (5) years in the endorsement area to which he or she may be assigned. An employee who fails to respond to a notice of reassignment, by hand or first class mail, within ten (10) business days from the date of the notice shall be deemed to have accepted that reassignment. An employee who rejects a reassignment offered during the displacement process shall be terminated without any recall rights. Revised: March 10, Revised: December 8, 2009.