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.
Transition Assistance If this Contract is not renewed at the end of this term, if the Contract is otherwise terminated before project completion, or if particular work on a project is terminated for any reason, Contractor shall provide transition assistance for a reasonable, mutually agreed period of time after the expiration or termination of this Contract or particular work under this Contract. The purpose of this assistance is to allow for the expired or terminated portion of the services to continue without interruption or adverse effect, and to facilitate the orderly transfer of such services to State or its designees. The parties agree that such transition assistance is governed by the terms and conditions of this Contract, except for those terms or conditions that do not reasonably apply to such transition assistance. State shall pay Contractor for any resources utilized in performing such transition assistance at the most current Contract rates. If State terminates a project or this Contract for cause, then State may offset the cost of paying Contractor for the additional resources Contractor utilized in providing transition assistance with any damages State may have sustained as a result of Contractor’s breach.
Professional Engineering and Architect’s Services Professional Engineering and Architect’s Services are not permitted to be provided under this Agreement. Texas statutes prohibit the procurement of Professional Engineering and Architect’s Services through a cooperative agreement.
Audit Assistance Each of the Parties and their respective Subsidiaries are or may be subject to regulation and audit by a Governmental Authority (including a Taxing Authority), standards organizations, customers or other parties to contracts with such Parties or their respective Subsidiaries under applicable Law, standards or contract provisions. If a Governmental Authority, standards organization, customer or other party to a contract with a Party or its Subsidiary exercises its right to examine or audit such Party’s or its Subsidiary’s books, records, documents or accounting practices and procedures pursuant to such applicable Law, standards or contract provisions, and such examination or audit relates to the Services, then the other Party shall provide, at the sole cost and expense of the requesting Party, all assistance reasonably requested by the Party that is subject to the examination or audit in responding to such examination or audits or requests for Information, to the extent that such assistance or Information is within the reasonable control of the cooperating Party and is related to the Services.
PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT The parties’ support the principle of continuing training of teachers, participation by teachers in professional organizations in the areas of their specialization, leaves for work on advanced degrees or special studies, foreign travel and participation in community educational projects.
Tuition Assistance Bargaining unit employees can enroll in university or college, vocational technical school or extension courses. The course may be by correspondence or attendance at classes during non-working hours or during working hours with approval of the Agency Head and/or his/her Designee. Where practicable, in relation to work requirements, the Employer shall be liberal with the approval of requests for accrued/unused vacation leave, flex-time scheduling, compensatory time, or leave without pay for the purpose of enabling employees to attend classes conducted during an employee's regularly scheduled work hours.
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.
Emergency Assistance Both Parties shall exercise due diligence to avoid or mitigate an Emergency to the extent practical in accordance with applicable requirements imposed by the Standards Authority or contained in the PJM Tariffs and NYISO Tariffs. In avoiding or mitigating an Emergency, both Parties shall strive to allow for commercial remedies, but if commercial remedies are not successful or practical, the Parties agree to be the suppliers of last resort to maintain reliability on the system. For each hour during which Emergency conditions exist in a Party’s Balancing Authority Area, that Party (while still ensuring operations within applicable Reliability Standards) shall determine what commercial remedies are available and make use of those that are practical and needed to avoid or mitigate the Emergency before any Emergency Energy is scheduled in that hour.
Professional Development and Training The Company shall pay for or reimburse the Executive for any reasonable professional development or training.
Relocation Assistance The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, (42 U.S.C. § 4601), prohibits unfair treatment of persons displaced or whose property has been acquired because of Federal or Federal-aid programs and projects.
