The Board recognizes that it is vital to the successful operation of the District that administrative positions created by the Board be filled with highly qualified and competent personnel. These personnel shall be appointed or re-appointed as prescribed by Florida statutes and in conformance with applicable State Board of Education Rules and Board rules.

The Board shall approve the employment, determine the compensation, and establish the term of employment for each administrator recommended by the Superintendent. Administrators shall recommend to the Superintendent the best qualified administrative applicants available.

Administrators are individuals who supervise the resources, operations, and management of school(s) and/or department(s) and meet established qualifications. Administrative personnel are generally high-level responsible personnel who have been assigned the responsibilities of systemwide or schoolwide functions, such as the District Superintendent, assistant superintendents, deputy superintendents, school principals, assistant principals, and others who perform management activities. Board classifications of administrative personnel are further described in Florida statute.

When interviews are conducted by interview teams, including those with community representatives, the team shall reasonably reflect the District's diverse racial, ethnic, and gender composition. The Superintendent shall monitor and ensure that appointments and assignments are consistent with the District's intent of maintaining a diverse workforce.

Pursuant to Florida statute the first ninety-seven (97) days of a principal’s or supervisor’s initial contract is a probationary period. During the probationary period, these certificated employees may be dismissed without cause or may resign from the contractual position without breach of contract.

District-based non-instructional administrators who are not certificated shall serve a probationary period of one (1) calendar year in duration. During the probationary period these employees may be dismissed without cause or may resign from the contractual position without breach of contract. A probationary employee who is recommended for termination during or at the conclusion of the probationary period shall not have rights of appeal or a written explanation.

Any person employed as an administrator shall meet those qualifications as enumerated in the Board-adopted job description. To be eligible for employment in an administrative position requiring certification, an individual must be of good moral character and hold a valid certificate issued pursuant to Florida law and the rules of the State Board of Education or a certificate issued by the Board. A copy of the certificate shall be filed with the District.

The Superintendent shall conduct employment history checks of all candidates for administrative positions. The employment history check shall include, but not be limited to, contacting each candidate's previous employer and screening the candidate through the use of the screening tools described in State law. If contact with (a) previous employer(s) cannot be made, the Superintendent shall document the efforts made to do so.

All administrators shall become familiar with the policies of the Board and other policies, regulations, memoranda, bulletins, and handbooks that pertain to their duties in the District. Any administrator employed by the Board who shall be guilty of any willful violation of the policies of the Board shall be guilty of gross insubordination and shall be subject to dismissal or other lesser penalty as the Board may prescribe.

Any administrative staff member's misstatement of fact material to qualifications for employment or the determination of salary shall constitute grounds for dismissal or disqualification from employment.

A candidate shall be disqualified from employment in any administrative position that requires direct contact with students if the candidate is ineligible for such employment under F.S. 1012.315.

F.S. 1012.01, 1012.23, 1012.315, 1012.32, 1012.33, 1012.55, 1012.56
ss. 25, 26, ch. 2008-108, L.O.F.

Adopted 7/17/07
Revised 10/7/08
Revised 3/20/12