UNION LEAVE/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/COURSE Sample Clauses

UNION LEAVE/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/COURSE. REIMBURSEMENT 1. Professional Development leave may be granted by the Superintendent for the purpose of attending educational conventions, professional meetings, training institutes, for visiting schools, conferences, workshops and other activities having a demonstrable relationship to the improvement of professional skills in the member's existing position, expertise or licensing. 2. Leave granted under this section will be paid at the employee's normal rate of pay. 3. A study committee comprised of an equal number of representatives of the Association and Administration shall meet to study and consider options regarding the possibility of no cost training for all bargaining unit employees. The study committee may recommend any such options to the School Committee for its consideration. 4. ESP shall be reimbursed up to $600 per employee for successfully completing one course taken during each year of the contract. Employees who have not taken courses in the previous year(s) during the term of the contract will receive priority. Such courses must be approved in advance by the Superintendent and must be in an area related to the work of the ESP. There shall be an overall cap of $5,000 paid to all ESP for course reimbursement each contract year. If the overall cap of $5,000 has not been exhausted, an employee may take a second course, subject to approval and provided an employee who has not received course reimbursement will receive priority. 5. The school administration shall provide members of the unit with professional development activities during scheduled professional development days, including early release days. Professional development activities may be designed specifically for ESP unit members, for the entire staff, or for a cross-section of staff members with common goals or training needs. The administration shall have the discretion to direct the ESP’s professional development activities during district professional development days and early-release days. In addition, the administration may also require, at district expense, unit members to participate in professional development that occurs outside of the district’s scheduled professional development time.