3231 - OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES OF STAFF

Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township

Bylaws & Policies

3231 - OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES OF STAFF

The School Board directs the Superintendent to promulgate the following guidelines so that staff members may avoid situations in which their personal interests, activities, and associations may conflict with the interests of the District. If nonschool activities threaten a staff member's effectiveness within the school system, the Board reserves the right to evaluate the impact of such activity upon a staff member's responsibility to the students and to the Board.

	A.	Staff members should not give school time to an outside activity without valid reason to be excused from assigned duties.
	B.	Staff members shall not use school property or school time to solicit or accept customers for private enterprises without written administrative permission.
	C.	Staff members shall not campaign on school property during duty hours on behalf of any political issue or candidate for local, State, or National office except on election day at election polls on school property.
	D.	Staff members may not accept fees for tutoring when such tutoring is conducted during the normal work day.
	E.	Approval for tutoring outside the school day must be given by the Superintendent.

Research and Publishing

	A.	Professional staff members are encouraged to contribute articles to professional publications and to engage in approved professional research.
	B.	Publications and productions shall be subject to the following copyright provisions:

Rights to copyrights or patents of books, materials, devices, etc. developed by professional staff members on their own time will be relinquished by the Board upon request of the staff member provided that:

			a.	the books, materials, devices, etc. were prepared without the use of District data, facilities, and/or equipment;
			b.	the District is granted the privilege of purchasing the materials or products free of any copyright or royalty charges;
			c.	the staff member does not become involved in any way in the selling of the product to the District.

The final decision regarding whether materials were produced independently of any work assignment, and/or without using school equipment, facilities, data, or equipment rests with the Superintendent who shall submit such decisions to the Board.

Professional staff members who desire to publish or produce materials on their own time should make such action known to the Superintendent prior to the time such work is started in order that proper procedures can be established to assure that District interests and the interests of the staff member are protected.

		2.	All books, materials, devices, or products which result from the paid work time and/or prescribed duties of professional staff members shall remain the property of the District. The District shall retain all rights and privileges pertaining to the ownership thereof.
			In the event that any of these products have commercial possibilities, the Superintendent is authorized to secure copyrights, patents, etc. which will ensure the ownership of the product by the District.

The Superintendent is authorized to negotiate with appropriate agencies for the production and distribution of products with commercial appeal. Such negotiations shall ensure fair and appropriate compensation, including sharing of royalties, for the staff member(s) who developed the products.

I.C. 35-44-2-4(f)