The Board recognizes that it is vital to the successful operation of the District that positions created by the Board be filled with qualified and competent personnel. Instructional personnel shall be appointed or re-appointed as prescribed by Florida statutes and in conformance with applicable State Board of Education Rules and Board policies. Any person employed in an instructional position requiring certification shall possess a valid certificate issued pursuant to Florida law and shall file the certificate with the District.

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.

The instructional staff member's initial contract shall be a probationary period, during which the employee may be dismissed without cause. A probationary employee who is recommended for termination during or at the end of the probationary period shall not have rights of appeal or a written explanation. Probationary instructional staff shall be entitled to benefits that are provided to other employees in the same work position.

The Superintendent shall conduct employment history checks of all candidates for instructional staff 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.

Qualifications of instructional personnel shall be as required by law and State Board of Education Rules. All instructional staff members shall become familiar with the policies of the Board and other such policies, regulations, memoranda, bulletins, and handbooks that pertain to their duties in the District. Any instructor 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 such other lesser penalty as the Board, on the recommendation of the Superintendent, may prescribe.

Any instructional staff member's misstatement of fact material to qualification for employment or the determination of salary shall constitute just cause for dismissal.

Duties and minimum performance standards shall be:

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

The Board shall approve employment, upon recommendation of the Superintendent, except for good cause (F.S. 1012.22(1)).

Upon Board approval of employment, each instructional staff member shall execute a written contract as required by State law and Policy 3128 - Contracts: Instructional Personnel.

Any person employed in a position requiring certification shall posses a valid certificate issued pursuant to Florida law or issued by the Board or shall have a receipt from the Florida Department of Education acknowledging that an application has been filed and that issuance of the certificate is pending and shall file said certificate with the Superintendent.

If it appears that the applicant is eligible for proper certification, appointment may be made subject to the conditions set forth in the annual contract of employment as approved by the Board.

Any person who does not hold a valid Florida certificate at the time of employment shall be required, upon initial employment, to make application to the Florida Department of Education for such a certificate, through the Personnel Services Office of the District. When such certificate is received, it must be filed with the office of the Superintendent. If the Department of Education declines to issue a certificate, the person's contract shall be terminated immediately. Failure to file such certification, except for good cause as determined by the Superintendent, shall result in the termination of employment.

The staff member shall be responsible for filing the certificate with the Superintendent and for maintaining a valid certificate.

The Superintendent is hereby authorized to select and recommend noncertificated instructional personnel for appointment, pursuant to F.A.C. 6A-1.0502. To be eligible for employment under this provision, such individuals must possess expert skill in or knowledge of a particular subject or talent, but not hold a Florida teaching certificate.

The Board may employ personnel including, but not limited to, speech pathologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. To be eligible for employment these individuals must hold an educator’s certificate or license to practice in the State of Florida.

Federal law requires that all teachers of core academic subjects meet "highly qualified" criteria. The Board will comply with Federal and State standards in the employment of instructional personnel.

All core area teachers employed by the District shall be "highly qualified". Core area teachers are defined in State and Federal law to include:

This also includes Exceptional Student Education teachers who teach core area subjects.

The District must have a plan and show annual progress towards meeting these teacher qualification requirements.

The Superintendent shall designate a certification contact person to work directly with the Bureau of Teacher Certification, Florida Department of Education, to assist personnel with certification issues.

F.S. 1012.01, 1012.22(1), 1012.24, 1012.27(6), 1012.315, 1012.32, 1012.33
F.S. 1012.55, 1012.56, 1012.42
F.A.C. 6A-1.0502, 6A-1.0503
20 U.S.C. 6301
ss. 25, 26, ch. 2008-108, L.O.F.

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