School District of Colfax
Bylaws & Policies
 

3120 - EMPLOYMENT OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF

The Board of Education recognizes that it is vital to the successful operation of the District that positions created by the Board be filled with highly-qualified and competent personnel.

All employees other than the District Administrator or Professional Staff Members (Policy 0100 – Definitions) are considered Classified or Support Employees.

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

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

When any recommended candidate has been rejected by the Board, the District Administrator shall make a substitute recommendation.

All applications for employment shall be referred to the District Administrator.

Relatives of Board members may be employed by the Board, provided however, if the Board member will benefit financially either directly or indirectly, the Board member may not participate in any way in the discussion or vote on any matter relating to said employment.

Any professional staff member's intentional misstatement of fact material to his/her qualifications for employment or the determination of salary shall be considered by this Board to constitute grounds for dismissal.

The employment of professional staff members prior to approval by the Board is authorized by the District Administrator when their employment is required to maintain continuity in the educational program. Employment shall be recommended to the Board at the next regular meeting.

No candidate for employment to the professional staff shall receive recommendation for such employment without having proffered visual evidence of proper certification or that application for such certification is in process. For those staff members who will be instructing children in reading and/or language arts pre-school and/or grades kindergarten through sixth grade, their certificate must verify successful completion of instruction that includes the teaching of phonics.

There must also be verification that a satisfactory background check has been conducted by the Department of Public Instruction or appropriate State agency.

Any person who signs a contract to teach in the District must, within ten (10) days after signing the contract, file in the office of the District Administrator a statement showing the date of expiration and the grade and character of the certificate or license held.

The District Administrator shall prepare procedures for the recruitment and selection of all professional staff which include reporting newly hired employees to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

REQUIREMENTS FOR TITLE I TEACHERS

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

"Highly Qualified" means:
 

A.

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
   
 

B.

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)
   
 

C.

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, course work equivalent to an undergraduate major, a graduate degree, or advanced certification or credentialing
     
 

D.

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 IN DISTRICTS RECEIVING TITLE I FUNDING

All teachers in a District receiving Title I funds shall be "highly qualified" as described above. The District must have a plan and show annual progress towards meeting these teacher qualification requirements.

118.19, 118.21, 118.21(2), 121.02, Wis. Stats.
20 U.S.C. 6319
20 U.S.C. 7801

© Neola 2014