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.
Investigatory Leave The Appointing Authority/designee may place an employee who is the subject of a disciplinary investigation on an investigatory leave with pay provided a reasonable basis exists to warrant such leave.
Insurance, Subcontractor's Public Liability and Property Damage The Contractor shall require each of its subcontractors to secure and maintain during the life of the subcontract, insurance of the type specified in this Contract, or, the Contractor may insure the activities of its subcontractors in the Contractor’s policy, as specified in this Contract.
Infertility Services This plan covers the following services, in accordance with R.I. General Law §27-20-20. • Services for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility if you are:
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.
Training and Professional Development 11.1 The Employer will develop and maintain an employee training and development plan and provide such plan to the Union upon request. Staff training is intended to provide an opportunity for classified staff employees for training sponsored by the University Training and Development and the UW Medical Centers Organizational Development and Training. Education/Professional Leave is intended to facilitate employee access to continuing education opportunities. Training and educational/professional leave may be used for the purpose of improving job performance, maintaining and increasing proficiency, preparing staff for greater responsibility, or increasing promotional opportunities within the framework of staff positions available at the University.
11.2 Any release time for training for employees accepted for such classes shall be in accordance with the Executive Order (currently No. 52) governing this matter. In the event that two or more employees request the same training period and supervision must limit the number of persons who may participate at one time due to work requirements, the selection will be made on a mutually agreeable basis within the department.
11.3 The training program is a proper subject for discussion by either departmental or University-wide Joint Union/Management Committees.
11.4 If the Employer requires an employee to receive training, reimbursement will be provided in accordance with the University travel rules. Employee attendance at Employer required training, either during or outside working hours, will be considered time worked and compensated in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
11.5 Employee attendance at training not required by the Employer and not covered by Executive Order 52, either on approved leave from or outside of working hours, will be voluntary and not considered time worked.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychologist and patient, and the particular problems you hope to address. There are many different methods I may use to deal with those problems. Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home. Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Because therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. When treating insomnia specifically, therapy might cause you to experience increased sleepiness and fatigue, especially in the early phases of treatment. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, significant reductions in feelings of distress, improved sleep, and less fatigue. But there are no guarantees as to what you will experience. Our first session will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you some first impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to follow, if you decide to continue with me for therapy. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions about whether you feel comfortable working with me. At the end of the evaluation, I will notify you if I believe that I am not the right therapist for you and if so, I will give you referrals to other practitioners who I believe are better suited to help you. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about my procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, I will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health professional for a second opinion. Please note that the psychological services I provide are not for emergency situations. For emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. My fee is $395 for an initial evaluation lasting 90 minutes, and $250 for each subsequent psychotherapy session (either in-person or over the telephone) lasting 45 minutes. I charge this same $250 per 45-minutes rate for other professional services you may need, though I will prorate the cost if I work for periods of less than 45 minutes in increments of 15 minutes, rounded to the nearest 15-minute increment (e.g., 22 minutes of service will be charged for 15 minutes whereas 23 minutes of service will be charged for 30 minutes). Other professional services include telephone conversations or email responses lasting longer than 15 minutes, and the time spent performing any other service you may request of me. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected to pay for any professional time I spend on your legal matter, even if the request comes from another party, at the same $250 per 45-minutes rate. I do not charge for time spent writing reports and progress notes as per the standard routine of my care of you. I also do not charge for any time I may spend collaborating with your other providers. From time to time, I may institute fee increases and these will be discussed and agreed upon ahead of time with a new Treatment Contract. If it has been more than one year since our last appointment, then you will re-initiate services at my current standard fee which may be higher than the fee you were previously paying. In addition, if it has been more than one year since our last appointment, you will be scheduled for another initial evaluation (90 minutes) and charged accordingly, with subsequent 45-minute psychotherapy sessions thereafter. You are responsible for paying your full session fee. I am not in-network with any insurance companies. If you decide to submit claims to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have, you may do so. However, be aware that the services provided will still be charged to you, not your insurance company, and you are responsible for the full payment. I have no role in deciding what your insurance covers. You are responsible for checking your insurance coverage, deductibles, payment rates, pre-authorization procedures, etc. Missed appointments, late cancellations (i.e., cancellations within 24 hours of service), and telephone session are not typically covered by insurance companies and therefore you will likely be responsible for the full session fee in these instances. If your insurance company doesn’t reimburse you, I am not responsible for refunding you any payment you expected to be reimbursed or otherwise. I will provide you a superbill after each session with the following information that you will need to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have:
Selection of Subcontractors, Procurement of Materials and Leasing of Equipment The contractor shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability in the selection and retention of subcontractors, including procurement of materials and leases of equipment. The contractor shall take all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure nondiscrimination in the administration of this contract.
a. The contractor shall notify all potential subcontractors and suppliers and lessors of their EEO obligations under this contract.
b. The contractor will use good faith efforts to ensure subcontractor compliance with their EEO obligations.
Grievance on Layoffs and Recalls Grievances concerning layoffs and recalls shall be initiated at Step 2 of the grievance procedure.
Labor-Management Cooperation When an Appointing Authority initiates a planning process or management study which is anticipated to result in layoff, the Appointing Authority will meet and confer with the Local Union during the decision planning phase and again during the implementation planning phase. The Appointing Authority and the Local Union shall enter into negotiations regarding a Memoranda of Understanding upon request of either party to modify this Agreement regarding the implementation plans which shall include, but are not limited to, the following: • Length of layoff notice; • Job and retraining opportunities; • Alternative placement methods; • Early retirement options pursuant to M.S. 43A.24, Subd. 2(i); • Bumping/vacancy options for part-time employees to preserve their insurance eligibility or contribution; and • Other methods of mitigating layoff or their effect on employees.
