Elements Unsatisfactory Needs Improvement Proficient Exemplary IV-A-1. Reflective Practice Demonstrates limited reflection on practice and/or use of insights gained to improve practice. May reflect on the effectiveness of lessons/ units and interactions with students but not with colleagues and/or rarely uses insights to improve practice. Regularly reflects on the effectiveness of lessons, units, and interactions with students, both individually and with colleagues, and uses insights gained to improve practice and student learning. Regularly reflects on the effectiveness of lessons, units, and interactions with students, both individually and with colleagues; and uses and shares with colleagues, insights gained to improve practice and student learning. Is able to model this element.
Discipline Procedure 1. Disciplinary action may be imposed for violation of written rules and regulations as set forth by the Board, incompetence, inefficiency, dishonesty, drunkenness, immoral conduct, insubordination, discourteous treatment of the public, neglect of duty, misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, any other failure of good behavior, or conviction of a felony.
2. No employee shall be disciplined without first having had the opportunity for a hearing, if the employee so requests, with an OAPSE representative of his/her choice present. The employee shall be given a written statement containing the charges and the time and place of the hearing. The written statement shall notify the employee of his/her rights to OAPSE representation. The employee must be given the opportunity to sign the statement acknowledging receipt of the statement and date received. Under emergency conditions as determined by the supervisor (including, but not limited to, health and/or safety of the employee or other employees; blatant insubordination; or refusal to work), the supervisor may immediately suspend an employee without pay for a period of up to three (3) work days without the formal hearing described above. An opportunity for a formal hearing with the supervisor must be provided within the suspension period. Failure to provide an opportunity for a hearing during the suspension period shall preclude the right of further discipline for the offense causing the initial suspension. Emergency suspensions will not be subject to Section 6 of this Article.
3. Disciplinary action of less than discharge should generally be progressive and corrective in nature.
A. Disciplinary actions shall be grievable. This Section shall supersede existing state law governing termination of employment (O.R.C. 3319.081).
B. In determining progressive and corrective action, just cause shall be construed and limited to the nature and seriousness of the offense, the effect the alleged conduct has on the Board’s operation, the discipline or lack thereof used in other similar situations known to the Board, and the appropriateness of the proposed penalty in view of the record and length of service of the charged employee. The enumeration of these factors is not intended to preclude either the exercise of good and sound business judgment or to minimize the importance of an employee’s property interest in his job.
Discipline Policy A Discipline Policy Committee will be formed upon the request of the Association or the Board of Education. The committee will be comprised of members appointed by the Board and the Association. By the appropriate means determined by the Board, families will be informed of the District's policies regarding student behavior and discipline procedures. The foregoing committees, study groups, or faculty councils shall serve as advisory, consultative and fact-finding bodies only, and the Board shall not be required to adopt any of the recommendations submitted. The Board agrees, however, that the Association and the teachers shall have the right to submit recommendations and views on these subjects.
DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES The Employer agrees to provide the employee with written notification of a disciplinary document that is to be made a part of the employee’s personnel file. In instances where the Employer desires to conduct an investigatory interview with an employee, the employee shall be entitled upon request to have an Association representative present at the interview. A copy of all disciplinary actions involving suspension or discharge will also be provided to the Association, unless the employee requests that the matter be kept confidential.
Attachment A, Scope of Services The scope of services is amended as follows:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT A. The Board of Education agrees to pay the actual tuition costs of courses taken by a teacher at accredited colleges or universities up to three courses per two (2) year fiscal periods from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008 and July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010 respectively, except as follows:
1. No teacher may be reimbursed for courses taken during the first year of teaching in Vineland.
2. Teachers taking courses in the second and third years of employment in Vineland will not receive remuneration until tenure has been secured. The remuneration will then be retroactive and will be paid to the teacher in a lump sum within sixty (60) days after the teacher has secured tenure.
3. All courses must be pre-approved by the Superintendent or his designee subject to the following requirements:
(a) A teacher must provide official documentation that he/she has obtained a grade of B or better;
(b) Reimbursement shall be paid only for courses directly related to teacher’s teaching field which increase the teacher’s content knowledge and are related to the teacher’s current certification, as determined by the Superintendent or his/her designee in his/her sole discretion; no reimbursement shall be paid for courses leading to a post graduate or professional degree in a field other than education or teaching. Further, effective September 1, 2010, all newly hired teachers shall not be eligible for reimbursement until they are tenured, and they shall not be eligible for retroactive reimbursement upon gaining tenure for courses taken prior to being tenured.
(c) The maximum total payments to be made by the Board shall not exceed $130,000.00. Courses shall be applied for no earlier than the following dates: Summer Session - April 1 Fall/Winter Session - June 1 Spring Session - October 1 Courses must, as set forth hereinabove in this sub-article 18.A.3, be pre-approved by the Superintendent or his designee, prior to the teacher commencing the course(s); and
(d) Teacher taking courses shall sign a contract requiring them to reimburse the Board for all tuition paid for a course if the teacher shall voluntarily leave the employ of the Board within one (1) full school/academic year of completion of said course, except that reimbursement shall not be required when the teacher shall voluntarily leave the employ of the Board due to a significant, documented life change.
4. Tuition reimbursement costs shall be a sum not to exceed the actual cost of college credits charged in an accredited public State college/University of the State of New Jersey.
B. When the Superintendent initiates in-service training courses, workshops, conferences and programs designed to improve the quality of instruction, the cooperation of the Vineland Education Association will be solicited. Notwithstanding the above, the initiation of in-service training courses, workshops, conferences and programs shall be determined solely at the discretion of the Board.
C. One professional leave day may be granted to a teacher upon request, according to the following guidelines:
1. The professional day may be for attendance at a workshop, seminar or visit to another school for the expressed purpose of self professional improvement for the job.
2. The request shall arrive in the office of the Superintendent of Schools at least ten (10) working days prior to the date requested and shall be reviewed by the immediate supervisor prior to submission. The Board reserves the right to deny a professional leave day before or immediately following a holiday or on a day which by its nature suggests a hardship for providing a substitute.
3. No more than two teachers from any one elementary school or from any one department in the secondary schools may be granted a professional leave for a given day.
4. The teacher may be required to submit a report to the Superintendent of Schools, Assistant Superintendent, supervisor (s), principal and staff regarding the activity of the professional day.
5. Costs incurred by the teacher for the professional day authorized under this Section shall be the teacher’s responsibility.
6. A maximum of 90 professional leave days may be authorized for the school year which shall be apportioned as follows: elementary, 35; grades seven and eight, 20; and high school, 35.
D. If the Board initiates a teacher’s attendance at a professional workshop, seminar or visit, the expenses shall be the responsibility of the Board. Further, this day shall not be subtracted from the 90 professional leave days granted to teachers of the Association.
E. The Board agrees to pay the full cost of courses taken by secretaries related to skills and knowledge improvement when such courses are required and approved by the Board.
F. The Board and the Association agree that it is important to communicate when developing and implementing current and future learning technologies, including but not limited to distance and on-line learning.
Adverse Weather Shall be only weather that satisfies all of the following conditions: (1) unusually severe precipitation, sleet, snow, hail, or extreme temperature or air conditions in excess of the norm for the location and time of year it occurred based on the closest weather station data averaged over the past five years, (2) that is unanticipated and would cause unsafe work conditions and/or is unsuitable for scheduled work that should not be performed during inclement weather (i.e., exterior finishes), and (3) at the Project.
Student Discipline 1. The parties recognize that part of the teacher's responsibility is to maintain control and discipline of students. The Board further recognizes its responsibility to give support and assistance to the teacher with respect to the maintenance of control and discipline in the classroom and school in accordance with established Board policies, administrative regulations, building procedures and state statutes; however, the Board shall not be obligated when any disciplinary actions employed by any teacher is contrary to law, Board policy, or administrative regulations.
2. The Board shall set all policies on matters of discipline. A team, minimally consisting of building administrators and teachers, shall develop disciplinary procedures for their respective buildings that are consistent with state statutes, Board policies, and administrative regulations. These disciplinary procedures shall be completed or updated and reviewed by each faculty prior to a date established by the principal. These shall be distributed to students, teachers, and parents no later than October 1 of each year, and it shall be the responsibility of the administration and teachers to enforce these policies, regulations, and procedures.
3. The District and Association shall work together to promote a safe work environment including the right to be free from violent behavior or threatening violent behavior. (2019) When an offense, persistent misbehavior, or the disruptive effect of misbehavior makes the continued presence of a student in the classroom intolerable, the student may be referred by the teacher to the principal or his/her designee for disciplinary action. In such case, an account of the problem or incident will be communicated as soon as feasibly possible, given instructional and safety responsibilities, by the teacher to the principal or his/her designee. The communication should include what previous corrective action, and/or parent communication if any, has been taken by the teacher. The principal or his/her designee shall communicate the disposition of the referral as soon as feasibly possible given administrative and safety responsibilities. In cases when the disruptive effect of the student’s behavior is so extreme as to preclude the instructional process, the teacher shall immediately communicate the need to remove the child temporarily from the classroom until such time as the student, teacher, and principal or other appropriate authority, resolves the situation. (2009)
SCOPE OF SERVICES/CASE HANDLING A. Upon execution by GPM, attorneys are retained to provide legal services for the purpose of seeking damages and other relief in the Litigation. Client provides authorization to seek appointment as Lead Plaintiff in the class action, while the Attorneys will seek to be appointed Class Counsel. If this occurs, the Litigation will be prosecuted as a class action.
B. If you obtain access to non-public information during the pendency of the Litigation, you must not engage in transactions in securities.
C. Attorneys are authorized to prosecute the Litigation. The appointed Lead Plaintiffs will monitor, review and participate with counsel in the prosecution of the Litigation. The Attorneys shall consult with the appointed Lead Plaintiffs concerning all major substantive matters related to the Litigation, including, but not limited to, the complaint, dispositive motions and settlement. Because of potential differences of opinion between Clients concerning, among other things, strategy, goals and objectives of the Litigation, the Attorneys shall consult with the appointed Lead Plaintiffs as to the courses of action to pursue. The Client agrees to abide by the decisions of the appointed Lead Plaintiffs, which shall be final and binding on all Clients.
D. GPM is given the authority to opt the Client out of any class action proceeding relating to the claims authorized herein and/or pursue the Client claim individually in a group action, if the Client is not appointed Lead Plaintiff and GPM is not appointed Class Counsel.
E. The Attorneys shall provide sufficient resources, including attorney time and capital for payment of costs and expenses, to vigorously prosecute the Litigation.
F. Any recovery from defendants that the Attorneys are responsible for will be divided among class members based on the recognized loss by each class member as calculated by a damage allocation plan which will be prepared by a financial expert or consultant, provided to the appointed Lead Plaintiffs, be subject to the Court's approval and will account for such factors as size of securities ownership, date of purchase, date of sale and continued holdings, if any. Under the rules governing class action litigation, while the Lead Plaintiffs recover according to the same formula as other class members, the Court may approve, upon application therefore, reimbursement of the Lead Plaintiffs’ reasonable costs and expenses directly related to the representation of the class. Examples are lost wages and travel expenses associated with testifying in the action.
Adverse Developments Since June 30, 2009, there has been no material adverse change in the business, operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company; nor has there been since such date, any damage, destruction or loss, whether covered by insurance or not, materially or adversely affecting the business, properties or operations of the Company.
