Common use of Certification/Licensure Clause in Contracts

Certification/Licensure. A. Teachers are obligated to see that a certified transcript of credits and a copy of the teaching certificate or teaching license are filed in the office of the Board of Education no later the first student day of each school year, unless the teacher submits to the Board of Education proof that his/her license application has completed the LPDC process and is in approval process with ODE. B. Each bargaining unit member shall hold a legal certificate or teaching license issued by the Ohio Department of Education. C. The failure to have a valid certificate or license for his/her area(s) of assignment on file with the Board of Education or show proof that such is currently in process at ODE by the first student day of the school year shall result in the removal of the teacher from his/her regular assignments and any supplemental directly related to teaching responsibilities (i.e. Department Chairs, Building Technology Assistant, Yearbook Advisor, etc.) without further pay. During the period between the first student day of the school year and the actual date of removal, the teacher shall be paid according to the certified salary schedule and shall receive all other benefits afforded to bargaining unit members. During the period of removal, the teacher may remain under the insurance benefits if he/she pays to the Board the full amount of the premiums in advance. During this removal, the teacher shall not have access to any leave of absence. The teacher shall be reinstated to his/her former position with all previous seniority restored as soon as a valid certificate or license has been approved by the Ohio Department of Education, if prior to February 1st. Failure to have a valid certificate/license by February 1st shall result in the removal of the teacher from the employment of the Board. D. Master Teacher Committee: The master teacher committee is established for the purpose of designating teachers in the district as a master teacher. 1. The master teacher committee shall be comprised of a majority of practicing teachers. The odd-numbered committee shall be comprised of five (5) members as follows: three (3) teachers appointed by the Association in a manner determined by the Association and two (2) administrators holding Ohio Administrator Licenses. Teacher members of the committee shall not be current members the Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC). In order to transition to this membership configuration, the Association shall appoint members as the existing members are replaced. Priority for committee membership shall be given to teachers who have earned the Master Teacher designation. 2. The master teacher committee shall determine the time, location and number of committee meetings. The master teacher committee members shall annually review its Plan of Operation for the appropriate designation of a master teacher, including but not limited to the application and review processes, the dissemination of general information to local association members, and the appeal procedure. All decisions of the committee shall be made using the consensus decision-making process. 3. The Association shall determine the length of the term of office for the local association members serving on the master teacher committee. Terms of office for the master teacher committee shall be staggered to the greatest extent possible. The Association shall determine the process for removing a teacher member from office. In the event of an in-term vacancy or removal, the teacher member shall be replaced by the Association. 4. Under no circumstances is the involvement in the activities of the master teacher committee to be used for adverse employment decisions by the employer. Nothing in the master teacher committee process shall have an adverse impact on the educator’s performance evaluation as established in this Agreement. 5. As recommended by the master teacher committee and approved by the Superintendent, the Association’s master teacher committee members shall be provided on-going training by the employer to ensure consistent application of the master teacher criteria. 6. The master teacher committee shall be provided with adequate and secure space for the safe and secure storage of records, files and any other work and materials requiring storage and/or file space. The master teacher committee shall be provided with the equipment, paper and other materials necessary to perform its duties, as specified in the master teacher operating procedures. 7. The Association’s master teacher committee members shall receive thirty dollars ($30) per application reviewed. Payment for reviews will be limited to two (2) reviews per individual applicant per school year. One cumulative payment shall be made by the second pay in June following the end of each school year. 8. The master teacher committee shall determine its own appeals procedure. The master teacher committee appeals procedure is not subject to the grievance/arbitration procedure outlined in this Agreement.