The purpose of the Classified Employees Staff Development Program is to establish new job skills and improve existing job skills among classified employees. Employees will be provided financial and/or released-time incentives to participate in approved skill building activities. The program will also help administrators and supervisors to determine what new skills are needed within the various work units to improve services provided to our students, parents, and community.

All classified employees are eligible to request participation in the program. Incentives, as part of this program, will be offered for employee participation in skill building activities if the activities either:

Each year each division director/supervisor will survey employees to obtain their ideas as to what skills within the division need to be added or improved. An analysis of needed skills will then be completed by the supervisor. The supervisor also will use information other than the survey results in completing the analysis. The analysis of training needs will be sent, along with the results of the survey, to each employee of the division by August 15^th of each year. The analysis will communicate to employees training needs that will be of importance to the supervisor in approving employee requests for participation in the program.

To be eligible to participate, an employee must have completed his/her probationary period and must complete and submit a classified staff development proposal form. If more than one (1) employee is requesting to participate in a common activity, one (1) form may be submitted for the group. The proposal form will be submitted to the division director/supervisor who will approve or disapprove participation and will so notify the person or persons submitting the proposal.

If a proposal is not approved by the division director/supervisor and the employee wishes to appeal the decision, the proposal may be submitted to the Classified Staff Development Review Committee. The Committee will meet with the employee and supervisor to hear all concerns related to the proposal and will make a decision as to whether or not the proposal is to be approved. Decisions concerning approval or disapproval by division directors/supervisors or the Review Committee are not subject to the grievance procedure.

The Review Committee will be composed of ten (10) members. The OAPSE President will appoint one (1) representative from each of the four (4) divisions. The OAPSE President may also serve on the committee or appoint a representative. Administrators included on the committee will be the Executive Director for Personnel Services, the Director of Transportation and Custodial Services, the Director of Food Services, an individual designated y the Director of Business Services and another administrator appointed by the Superintendent.

The committee will meet when needed to hear appeals concerning individuals who have had proposals rejected by division directors/supervisors. Procedures related to receiving and considering appeals may be established by the committee. The committee will also meet at least twice a year to examine the effectiveness of this program and to make any needed recommendations as to changes.

If approved, the employee will receive payment of or reimbursement for all registrations, fees, materials (textbooks, manuals, etc.) and travel related to the activity and requested in the proposal. If the activity takes place during the employee’s regular work day, the employee will be released with pay and if possible, a substitute will be provided. If the activity is not during the employee’s work day, the employee will be given a stipend paid at his/her straight hourly rate, or granted compensatory time, as determined by the division director/supervisor. Whenever an employee accumulates a total of fifteen (15) hours of training time beyond his/her work day as certified by the division director/supervisor, the employee will receive a payment of $75 as an honorarium for his/her additional efforts.

Each participating employee will be required to submit a form certifying that s/he did attend all training activities for which payment was made or will be reimbursed and a form evaluating the activity. If the forms are not submitted, reimbursements under this program will not be made and the employee will not be eligible for participation in the future. If the employee falsifies the forms or does not attend scheduled activities, the employee may be subject to disciplinary action. If the employee fails to achieve a passing grade (when given), the hours will not count toward the honorarium.

Wages paid to employees when participating in approved activities will be taken from the appropriate overtime account. Costs of substitutes for activities during the work day will be taken from the appropriate temporary employee account. An exception to the two (2) above statements will be that all costs for Food Service employees will be taken from the Classified Employee Staff Development account. The costs for registration, fees, materials, and honorariums will also come from the Classified Employee Staff Development account.

Each year by August 1^st, each division director/supervisor will also submit to the Superintendent a report describing the inservice program for that division. Each division will have the equivalent of at least four (4) half-days of inservice during each school year. The Classified Employee Staff Development Review Committee will review inservice plans prior to submission to the Superintendent and will make suggestions to division directors/supervisors and will help facilitate any District-wide activities.