In-Service Education The parties recognize the value of in-service both to the employee and the Employer and shall encourage employees to participate in in-service. All employees scheduled by the Employer to attend in-service seminars shall receive regular wages.
Dependent Care Assistance Program The County offers the option of enrolling in a Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) designed to qualify for tax savings under Section 129 of the Internal Revenue Code, but such savings are not guaranteed. The program allows employees to set aside up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) of annual salary (before taxes) per calendar year to pay for eligible dependent care (child and elder care) expenses. Any unused balance is forfeited and cannot be recovered by the employee.
Volunteer Peer Assistants 1. Up to eight (8)
Special Education Teachers Elementary/Secondary Special Education Coordinators shall be compensated for an extended work day in the amount of four thousand dollars ($4,000).
Orientation and In-Service Program The Hospital recognizes the need for a Hospital Orientation Program of such duration as it may deem appropriate taking into consideration the needs of the Hospital and the nurses involved.
Training and Education SECTION 1 – Law Enforcement Supervisors’ Training
Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) Consulting Teachers (CT) will be assigned to all new teachers with no prior teaching experience and tenured teachers rated ineffective on the qualitative measures at the end of the previous school year and recommended by the PAR Panel. Evaluations for Probationary and Ineffective Teachers:
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.
Distance Education 7.13.1 Expanding student access, not increasing productivity or enrollment, shall be the primary determining factor when a decision is made to schedule a distance education course. There will be no reduction in force of faculty (as defined in Article XXIII of this Agreement) as a result of the District’s participation in distance education.
7.13.2 Courses considered to be offered as distance education shall be defined in accordance with the Board of Governors’ Title 5 Regulations and Guidelines. Generally, this definition refers to courses where the instructor and student are separated by distance and interact through the assistance of communication technology (reference section 55370 of Title 5 California Code of Regulations). The determination of which courses in the curriculum may be offered in a distance education format, in addition to instructor/student contact requirements, shall be in accordance with the Title 5 California Code of Regulations.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Section 1. The Employer agrees to provide to the Union the statistical and program evaluation information provided to management concerning Employee Assistance Program(s).
Section 2. No information gathered by an Employee Assistance Program may be used to discipline an employee.
Section 3. Employees shall be entitled to use accrued sick leave for participation in an Employee Assistance Program.
Section 4. Each university will offer training to local Union Stewards on the Employee Assistance Program available in their university, on university time, where an Employee Assistance Program is available.
