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OFFICE

OF

TALENT MANAGEMENT

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

2014-2015

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OFFICE OF TALENT MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

2014-2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Welcome Letter from Suzanne M. Zenter, Chief Talent Officer/Assistant Superintendent 4 Employee Acknowledgement and Disclaimer 5

Statement of Sexual Harassment 6

SECTION ONE: Administrators, Certified, Support Staff, Nurses, Social Workers 7

Summer/Off Contract Employment 8

Employment to District (Retirees) 8

Re-Employment to District (Non-Retirees) 9

Group Insurance 10

Types of Leave 10

a) Bereavement Leave 10

b) Civic Duty Leave 10

c) Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 10

d) Long Term Leave 14

e) Medical Leave 15

f) Military Leave 16

g) Personal Leave 17

h) Professional Leave 18

Employee Benefits 18

a) Admission to Athletic Events 18

b) Medical Leave Buy Back 18

c) Medical Leave Bank 20

d) Personal Leave Buy Back 21

Work Related Travel (Certified and Support Staff Only 21

Grievance Procedures 21

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Professional Development 23

SECTION TWO: Administrators Only 30

Statement of Purpose 31

Definitions 31

Change of Assignments 31

Administrative Contracts – REFER TO POLICY GCB 31

Staff Protection 31

Personnel Files 32

Salary Schedule Implementation 32

Salary Increase 33

Return to Teacher Status and/or Re-Employment 34

Benefits 34

Leave for State or National Office 34

Vacation/Flex Time 34

Transportation Benefit 35

Professional Growth Stipend Benefit 35

SECTION THREE: Certified Only 36

Shared Contracts 37

Traveling Teachers 38

Mobile Relief Substitutes 38

Calendar Development 38

Professional Work Day 38

Early Release for Grading 39

Preparation/Planning Time 39

Part Time Teacher/Prep Period Pay Calculations 40

National Board Certified Teachers 40

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Curriculum Development 41

Sabbatical Leave 41

Pay for Performance 41

SECTION FOUR: Support Staff, Nurses and Social Workers 47

New Employees 48

On-Call Employees 48

Substitute Employees 48

Probationary Employees 49

Statement of Employment 49

Statement of Employment Lengths 49

Year Round Statement of Employment for Nine (9) and Ten (10) Month Employees 49

Support Staff Work Hours 50

Time Clocks 50

Compensatory Time 51

Vacation 51

Paid Holidays 52

Evaluations 52

Job Openings and Postings 52

Administrative Transfers 54

Gradation Appeal Process/Reclassification Appeal Process 54

Safety Equipment Reimbursement 55

Office of Talent Management Staff Directory 57

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Dear Gilbert Public Schools Family,

We are pleased to have you as a member of our staff, and we are confident that you will find your employment here both challenging and rewarding.

This employee handbook has been developed to help all employees understand expectations and is intended as a general reference guide, which outline the rules and practices governing your employment with the District.

It is not a contract or any part of a contract of employment, express or implied. This is a general publication prepared for all Gilbert Public Schools (GPS) employees.

Any and all statements and policies contained in this employee handbook are subject to unilateral change, in whole or in part, by the District at any time. The District retains the right to change, modify, suspend, interpret or cancel, in whole or in part, any of the published or unpublished personnel policies and procedures of the District without advance notice in its sole discretion without having to give cause, justification or consideration to any employee. Recognition of these rights and prerogatives of the District is a term and condition of employment and of continued employment.

This Handbook is for informational purposes only and has been prepared for your convenience and general guidance. It is not a contract of employment for any period of time between Gilbert Public Schools and any employee. The contents of this

Handbook and its terms are subject to change at any time with or without advance notice.

Each and every person is important in educating the children of the Gilbert community and we hope that your employment with the District will be satisfying, rewarding and enjoyable.

If you have any questions regarding this handbook or your employment at any time, please contact the Department of Talent Management.

Thank you for your dedicated service.

Sincerely,

Suzanne M. Zentner, Ph.D., MBA Chief Talent Officer/Assistant Superintendent Department of Talent Management

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Employee Acknowledgment and Disclaimer

I acknowledge that I have received and reviewed a copy of the Gilbert Public Schools Employee Handbook. I understand that it is my responsibility to read the Handbook. If there are any policies or provisions provided to me that I do not understand, I will seek clarification from my immediate supervisor. I understand that this Handbook states the Gilbert Public Schools policies and procedures in effect on the date of publication. I also understand that these policies and procedures are continually evaluated and may be modified, revoked, suspended, terminated, or changed in whole or in part, with prior notification to staff and an effective date for the change.

I understand that this Handbook does not constitute an employment contract. I understand that nothing in this Handbook is intended to confer a property interest in my continued employment with the District beyond the term of my current contract (if any). I understand that I have an obligation to inform my supervisor of any changes in my personal information, such as phone number, address, etc. I also accept responsibility for contacting my supervisor if I have any questions, concerns or need further explanation.

The contents of this Handbook are presented as a matter of information only. The plans, policies and procedures described are not conditions of employment. The District reserves the right to modify, revoke, suspend, terminate, or change any or all such plans, policies, or procedures, in whole or in part, with prior notification to staff and an effective date for the change. The language which appears in this Handbook is not intended to create, nor is it to be construed to constitute a contract between the District and any of its teachers or a guarantee of continued employment.

In case of a direct conflict between this Handbook, rules, regulations or policies of the Board and any specific provisions of an individual contract, the individual contract will take precedence.

This Handbook is intended to provide teachers with information regarding policies, procedures, ethics, expectations and standards of the District; however, this Handbook should not be considered all-inclusive.

Copies of Board Policies and Administrative Rules are available on the District website at

www.gilbertschools.net under “Policy Manual.” It is important that each employee is aware of the policies and procedures related to his/her position. The rights and obligations of all employees are governed by all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited by enumeration, the following: Federal laws and regulations, the laws of the State of Arizona, Arizona State Administrative Code and the policies of the Gilbert Public Schools School Board.

If any contractual relationship between the District and an employee (or group of employees) conflicts with any provision of this Handbook, the contract shall govern with respect to that issue.

__________________________ _______________________

Printed Name Signature

______________

Date

(Supervisors are to maintain this page in the employee’s personnel file. After the employee ceases employment with the District, the District will maintain this record pursuant to its records retention schedule, or if none, for a period of no less than 7 years.)

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Gilbert Public Schools Statement on Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination in employment and educational opportunities on the basis of sex. It is prohibited by Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, by the Arizona Civil Rights Act, and by District policy. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. This includes employee to student actions, student to employee actions, employee to employee actions and student to student actions. If you feel you have been sexually harassed or you know someone who has been sexually harassed, you are encouraged to report it immediately to your supervisor, Associate Superintendent (certified employees), or Director of Human Resources (classified employees). Sexual harassment by District employees will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action.

Annual Public Notification of Nondiscrimination Gilbert Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in admission to its programs, services, or activities, in access to them, in treatment of individuals, or in any aspect of their operations. Gilbert Public Schools Career and Technical Education department does not discriminate in enrollment or access to any of the available programs. The lack of English language skills shall not be a barrier to admission or participation in the districts activities and programs. The Gilbert Public Schools also does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices. This notice is provided as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information regarding these laws may be forwarded to the designated compliance coordinator(s) at 140 S. Gilbert Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85296, or at the phone numbers listed below. For student related concerns, please contact:

Director of Special Education 480-497-3300, ext. 377 Director of Athletics 480-497-3300, ext. 363 Coordinator of Title I 480-497-3300, ext. 352

For employee related concerns, please contact:

Director of Department of Talent Management 480-497-3328 Refer to Governing Board Policy AC

CONSTRUCTIVE DISCHARGE NOTICE An Employee is encouraged to communicate to the employer whenever the employee believes working conditions may become intolerable to the employee and may cause the employee to resign. Under section 23-1502, Arizona Revised Statutes, an employee may be required to notify an appropriate representative of the employer in writing that a working condition exists that the employee believes is intolerable, that will compel the employee to resign or that constitutes a constructive discharge, if the employee wants to preserved the right to bring a claim against the employer alleging that the working condition forced the employee to resign. Under the law, an employee may be required to wait for fifteen calendar days after providing written notice before the employee may resign if the employee desires to preserve the right to bring a constructive discharge claim against the employer. An employee may be entitled to pay or unpaid leave of absence of up to fifteen calendar days while waiting for the employer to respond to the employee’s written communication about the employee’s working condition.

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SECTION ONE:

ADMINISTRATORS, CERTIFIED, SUPPORT STAFF, NURSES, SOCIAL

WORKERS

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SUMMER/OFF CONTRACT EMPLOYMENT Revised 4/2014

The District recognizes that, in order to provide a quality educational program, certain positions may require additional contract days. Employees who work additional contract days will be paid on a stipend basis. The District shall advise the employees of the task(s), rate of pay and total hours to complete the task. The District may first offer these positions to the employees to whom such task(s) are most relevant. An application process will be used when appropriate. EMPLOYMENT TO DISTRICT (Retirees) Revised 4/2014 A. Retired Employees Individuals who are hired by the District and who retire and draw benefits from the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) may return to the workforce. Retirement benefits are not affected if the employee returns to work with an ASRS employer under the following circumstances: 1. For the first fiscal year of retirement employees may work part-time for the entire year at fewer than 20 hours per week.

2. Employees may work full-time (20 hours or more a week) for up to 19 weeks in the first fiscal year of retirement and may also work the remainder of the year at fewer than 20 hours a week. The weeks of 20 or more hours do not need to be consecutive.

Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) – Alternate Contribution Rate (ACR) The salary of employees, who draw benefits from ASRS, will be reduced by the alternate contribution rate as determined by ASRS.

B. Phased Retirement Employees – See Policy GPR The Governing Board recognizes the value that experienced staff members provide to Gilbert Public Schools (GPS). In an effort to recognize these contributions to the District, the following policy is adopted allowing certified employees to draw benefits from the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and phase in their retirement as an employee through a third (3rd) party contracted employer. Employment with a Phased Retirement Vendor GPS has a contract with a private third (3rd) party employer, who provides ASRS retired staff members to GPS on an as needed basis. Phased retirement employees will become employees of the phased retirement vendor and will be placed in the District in a position for which they are highly qualified. The phased retirement vendor shall be responsible for the phased retirement employee’s salary and benefits (e.g., medical days, vacation days, and performance pay pursuant to Proposition 301). Participants enrolled in the phased retirement program by April 1, 2014 will be limited to four (4) years of participation. Participants enrolled in the phased retirement program by April 1, 2015 will be limited to three (3) years of participation. Participants enrolled in the phased retirement program by April 1, 2016 will be limited to two (2) years of participation. Participants enrolled in the phased retirement program after April 1, 2017 will be limited to one (1) year of participation. Participants who entered into the phased retirement program prior to July 1, 2013 will be allowed to participate as outlined in the 2012-2013 Memorandum of Understanding (see policy exhibit GPR-E). Qualifications Individuals applying to this program must be eligible to retire from the ASRS and have been employed by the District for a minimum of ten (10) years. This regulation sets forth the District’s procedures for transitioning and approving current employees into the phased retirement program. The District will contract a third (3rd) party employer and the phased retirement employee will become an employee of the third (3rd) party employer.

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Application Process to this Program Eligible individuals wishing to apply to the phased retirement program must submit the following to the Department of Talent Management Department on or before April 1:

1. Letter of Interest explaining intentions to becoming a phased retirement employee 2. Current resume for the phased retirement vendor to review 3. Letter of retirement to inform GPS of the employee’s intent to separate formal employment with GPS.

The District will review this application and notify the individual and the phased retirement vendor of the District’s decision regarding their application on or before April 15. Transitioning from GPS to a Phased Retirement Employee Prior to becoming a phased retirement employee, the District will buy back the retiree’s medical leave days, if eligible, at the rate outlined in the Employee Handbook. Insurance Coverage The phased retirement contracted employees may obtain insurance coverage by one of the following options:

1. Purchase insurance through the Gilbert Public Schools Employee Benefit Plan via the Benefit Extended Plan

2. Purchase insurance through the ASRS 3. Purchase insurance through COBRA 4. Purchase insurance through the phased retirement vendor or 5. Purchase insurance through an alternative outside insurance company.

Duties Phased retirement employees shall perform all duties required of contracted Gilbert Public Schools employees and will be evaluated by the approved District evaluation system. Phased retirement employees will be expected to adhere to District policies and procedures. Salary Schedule Placement Phased retirement contracted employees will be paid a salary in accordance with the rate that is established in the agreement with the phased retirement vendor. Alternate Contribution Rate The net salary of phased retirement participants is subject to changes in the ASRS Alternate Contribution Rate (ACR). The District shall not incur the cost of the ACR. Re-employment at the Conclusion of Phased Retirement At the conclusion of phased retirement, any employees seeking re-employment by the District must complete all requirements to become a part of the District applicant pool. This includes completing the application and interview process. Placement on the salary schedule will be at a maximum of Step 5, with the exception of hard to fill positions, which may be up to Step 10. If rehired, participants in the phased retirement program prior July 1, 2013 will be placed on the salary schedule at the same step and range at the time of retirement.

RE-EMPLOYMENT TO DISTRICT [non retirees] Revised 4/2014 Employees who resign with more than five (5) years service to the District and are re-employed in a similar position within three (3) years after that resignation may be re-employed at the same grade and step in which they resigned from the District. Employees shall not lose any right to any other benefits provided by law or the rules and regulations of the governing board on their return to the school district.

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GROUP INSURANCE Revised 4/2014 The District shall continue to provide group insurance coverage for each full-time employee as defined by the Trust Document. The Governing Board shall continue to give consideration to recommendations on specific details on insurance programs presented through the Superintendent from the District Insurance Committee. Committee membership is defined by the Plan Document of the Gilbert Employee Benefit Trust. Employee contribution rate will be determined annually by recommendation of the Employee Benefit Trust Committee and approved by the governing board. Employee Benefit Guide may be viewed on the GPS website under Human Resources/Department of Talent Management. TYPES OF LEAVE

a. BEREAVEMENT LEAVE Revised 4/2014 An employee may use up to two (2) days leave which would not be deducted from their personal, vacation or medical leave to attend the funeral of an immediate family member (spouse, parents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren). An Absence Approval Form (AAF) must be filled out by the school as Medical. Once the Payroll Department has received the Absence Approval Form (AAF) the absence will be changed to Bereavement. An employee may use medical or personal leave if bereavement leave is needed for someone who is not an immediate family member. If more than two (2) days are needed the employee shall notify the Department of Talent Management via Absent Approval Form (AAF) or email to indicate what type of leave will be used i.e. medical, personal, vacation, etc.

b. CIVIC DUTY LEAVE Revised 4/2014

Any employee called to serve jury duty shall be granted paid leave for such service. Individuals so called are to report their anticipated absence to their site administrator as soon as possible. An Affidavit of Proof of Service must be provided to their immediate supervisor. Upon returning from jury duty, the employee shall complete the normal absence report and provide documentation of their duty. If an employee is subpoenaed to appear in court, for guidance, he/she may contact the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer for the Department of Talent Management or their designee prior to the court appearance. If the subpoena is for a school related item, the employee shall be granted school business days. If the subpoena is for a non-school related item, the employee shall use all accumulated leave. If all leave is exhausted, the employee shall meet with the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer for the Department of Talent Management to determine compensation related to this leave.

c. FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA) The District shall fully comply with the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act and all interim and final regulations interpreting the FMLA issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. Accordingly, all portions of this procedure that pertain to the FMLA shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the FMLA and its regulations. Subject to the conditions set forth herein, any eligible employee (having completed twelve (12) months and one thousand two hundred and fifty [1,250] hours of service with this district) of the District may take up to twelve (12) weeks of leave (FMLA leave) during any twelve (12) month period, without pay, for any one or more of the following reasons:

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• Because of the birth of a child of the employee and in order to care for such child. The leave may start before the birth of a child, but it must be verified by a doctor’s certificate.

• Because of the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.

• In order to care for the spouse or a son, daughter, or parent of the employee, if such person has a serious health

condition.

• Because of a serious health condition that renders the employee incapable of performing the functions of his/her job.

Calculations of the twelve (12) month period: For the calculation of the twelve (12) month period used to determine employee eligibility for FMLA, this Plan uses:

• A rolling twelve (12) month period measured backwards in time from the date the employee uses any FMLA leave.

Serious medical condition means an illness, injury, impairment, or physical condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical facility, or outpatient care with continuing medical treatment by a licensed physician. Employee eligible for FMLA: Any employee who has been employed by the district at least twelve (12) months and who has completed at least one thousand two hundred fifty (1,250) hours of service, with this District, immediately prior to the time the FMLA is to commence shall be eligible for FMLA leave. Special conditions applicable to FMLA: Entitlement to leave for the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care ends at the expiration of a twelve (12) month period, beginning on the date of the event. A husband and wife working for the District may be limited to a total of twelve (12) weeks of leave during each fiscal year for the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for an employee’s parent with a serious health condition. The District shall not require any employee to substitute accrued medical leave for FMLA leave used by reason of a birth, adoption, or foster placement. In any other circumstance, an employee’s accrued medical, vacation, personal, or other applicable leave shall be substituted for FMLA leave, to the extent available by policy, unless otherwise agreed to by the District. Employee application for FMLA: An employee must provide the District’s Benefits Department at least thirty (30) days notice before the FMLA leave is to begin if the need for the leave is foreseeable based on an expected birth, placement for adoption, or foster care, or planned medical treatment for a serious health condition of the employee or family member. If thirty (30) days notice is not practicable, notice must be given as soon as practicable. The notice shall be in the form of a request for leave of absence as specified in this policy. The District may deny FMLA leave to any eligible employee until such a time as the employee has provided the required notice. Medical certification: All medically related FMLA leave shall be supported by medical certificate provided by the employee and their appropriate health provider in the form of the exhibit accompanying this policy. In any instance where the FMLA leave must be preceded by thirty (30) days notice, the medical certificate should accompany the request for leave of absence. In any other instance, the medical certificate should be provided within fifteen (15) days after the FMLA leave commences. The employee may be requested to proved recertification of medical conditions in support of leave if the District feels the circumstances so warrant and notice is given. Recertification shall generally not be required for intervals shorter than thirty (30) days.

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Whenever a medical certification or recertification is required of an employee, notice describing such requirement and providing the form of such certification shall be provided to the employee. An employee shall not be denied FMLA leave or other rights under FMLA unless a notice required by FMLA in such situation has first been provided to the employee. Intermittent or reduced time (IRT) leave: FMLA leave may be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule only: 1) if medically necessary to care for a family member or for the employee’s own serious health condition; or 2) if approved by the District. The District may, for the term of the leave, transfer the employee to an alternative position with equivalent pay and benefits. The District may also require medical certification and recertification on a reasonable basis. If the IRT leave is for an instructional employee (one whose principal function is to instruct students in a class, small group, or as individuals), the District can require the employee either to take leave for a period or periods of a particular duration not greater than the duration of the planned treatment or to transfer temporarily to an available alternative position with equivalent pay and benefits that provides better accommodation of recurring periods of leave, provided the leave is:

• Requested to care for a qualifying family member or as a result of the employee’s serious health condition preventing job performance;

• Foreseeable, based upon planned medical treatment; and

• For more than twenty percent (20%) of the working days in the leave period.

The employee may be granted leave under these circumstances, subject to reasonable efforts to schedule treatment so as not to unduly disrupt the educational program. Special end of semester circumstances for instructional employees: Under each of the following conditions, leave for an instructional employee may be required to continue to the end of the academic semester:

• Leave begins more than five (5) weeks before the end of the semester, leave is for at least three (3) weeks, and return to employment would occur during the last three (3) weeks of the semester.

• Leave other than for the employee’s serious health condition begins with the last five (5) weeks of the semester,

leave is for greater than two (2) weeks duration, and return to employment would occur during the last two (2) weeks of the semester.

• Leave other than for the employee’s serious health condition begins within the last three (3) weeks of the semester

and leave exceeds five (5) working days. Employee notification regarding FMLA: With each request for FMLA leave, the employee shall be notified:

• About FMLA by provision of the FMLA Fact Sheet (Exhibit 2).

• As appropriate concerning the expectations, obligations, and consequences of taking FMLA leave per 29 C.F.R. Section 825.301 of FMLA.

• That FMLA leave may be withheld until a requested notice is provided or the time frame is met.

• That if leave is granted to an employee who is unable to perform the work required, restoration may be denied

until the employee has complied with the request to provide medical certification of ability to return to work.

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• How to appeal an adverse decision re: FMLA The District will post notices in conspicuous places of the District premises that proved a summary of FMLA and information on how to file a charge about an FMLA violation. Health care continuation: An employee taking FMLA leave shall be entitled to have the health care plan in which the employee is participating continue under the same terms and conditions applicable to actively working employees. While an employee is officially on such a family or medical leave, they can keep medical and dental coverage for themselves and their Dependents in effect during that family or medical leave period by continuing to pay the contributions. During that period, the employee’s medical, dental and vision coverage will be kept in effect. Since the employee will not be paid while on family or medical leave, they may: a. pay contributions as they come due on the dates they would have been paid by sending a check to Insurance Benefits Department; or

b. make arrangements with the District to have any applicable premiums deducted from the employee’s first paycheck(s) after returning from leave; or

c. pay contributions for benefits on some other schedule agreed to by the employee and the District had family or medical leave not been taken, in which case the employee’s contributions will be made on an after-tax basis; or

d. the employee may elect to have extra contributions withheld from their pay before beginning family or medical leave, in which case the contributions will be made on a before-tax basis.

The District shall require the repayment of any health care premiums paid by the District for continuing coverage during the period of the FMLA leave if the employee fails to return to work after the FMLA leave expires and the failure to return is not due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control. Return to Work:

a. An employee who returns to work for at least thirty (30) calendar days is considered to have “returned” to work.

b. An employee who transfers directly from taking FMLA leave to retirement or who retires during the first thirty (30) days after the employee returns to work is deemed to have “returned” to work.

c. When an employee fails to return to work, any health and non-health benefit premiums that the FMLA regulation permits the District to recover are considered to be a debt owed by employee not returning to the District. The District may recover the costs through deduction of any sums due to the employee such as unpaid wages, vacation pay, profit sharing, etc (as permitted by law). Additionally, the District may initiate legal action against the employee to recover such costs.

When the employee elects or the District requires “paid leave” to be substituted for FMLA leave, the District may not recover its share of health insurance or other non-health benefit premiums for any periods of FMLA leave covered by the paid leave. Whether or not the employee keeps their coverage while on family or medical leave, if they return to work promptly at the end of that leave, the health care coverage will be reinstated without any additional limits or restrictions imposed on account of the leave. This is also true for any of the employee’s dependents who were covered by the plan at the time the leave was taken. Any changes in the plan’s terms, rules or practices that went into effect while the employee was away on that leave will apply to them and their dependents in the same way they apply to all other employees and their dependents. To find out more about entitlement to family or medical leave as required by federal and/or state law, and the terms on which an employee may be entitled to it, contact the Gilbert Public Schools Insurance Benefits Department.

Premium Payment In the absence of any established District policy to the contrary, the District’s obligations to maintain health insurance coverage under FMLA ceases if an employee’s premium payment is more than thirty (30) calendar days late (the FMLA grace period).

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In order to drop coverage for an employee whose premium is late, the District will: a. Provide written notice to the employee that the payment has not been received.

b. This notice will be mailed to the employee at lease fifteen (15) days before coverage is to cease advising that coverage will be dropped on a specified date at least fifteen (15) days after the date of the letter unless the payment has been received by that date.

If coverage lapses because an employee fails to make timely health insurance payments during the FMLA leave period, upon the employee’s return from FMLA leave the District will restore the employee to coverage/benefits equivalent to those the employee would have had if leave had not been taken and premium payments had not been missed, including family/dependent coverage. If an employee fails to return to work after FMLA leave and there is a loss of group health coverage, the District will issue a HIPAA Certificate of Creditable Coverage and a COBRA election notice. Generally, the 18 month period of COBRA begins on the last day of the FMLA leave. How to Appeal an Adverse FMLA Decision An employee has the right to appeal an adverse decision related to FMLA by sending a written request for appeal to the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services at 140 South Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296 within ninety (90) days after receiving the determination. The District will review the request and a written decision will be sent within ninety (90) days after the District’s receipt of the appeal. In order to resolve the appeal, the employee may be requested to submit additional documentation as appropriate to and requested by the District. Questions about the appeal process can be sent to the Gilbert Public Schools Benefits Specialist at 140 South Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296. Position restoration: Upon return from FMLA leave, an employee shall be restored to the same position held before the FMLA leave commenced or to an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits, and working conditions. The District requires an employee to provide a medical certificate from a health care provider that the employee is able to resume work before returning from FMLA leave for a serious personal health condition. The District may delay the return of an instructional employee from FMLA leave at the end of a semester, in accordance with Section 103(d) of FMLA. The District may deny restoration of position to any key employee (i.e. one who is among the highest 10 percent (10%) of all employees of the District), in accordance with Section 104(b) of FMLA.

d. LONG TERM LEAVE – Administrators and Certified Staff Revised 4/2014 Long term leave, without pay, may be granted to an employee upon the recommendation of the Superintendent or his/her designee for a period of not longer than one (1) year for medical reasons, including pregnancy and newborn child care. This would also include leave to care for an ill spouse, son, daughter, or parent. In the case of illness an accompanying statement from the employee’s family physician (M.D. or D.O.) is required before such leave is granted. Such leave will not be granted for an employee to work outside the District. An employee granted a long term leave for a full year shall be reemployed at the conclusion of the leave at the same seniority status and step on the salary schedule. Any leave for less than one-half (1/2) the school year shall be granted one (1) step on the salary schedule the following year, unless it is a year without salary movement. Notification of intention to resume employment, after a leave, must be submitted in writing to the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer or his/her designee on or before April 15 of the year in which the leave is granted. In the case of personal illness, the employee must submit a medical release from their physician stating that the employee is able to resume full responsibilities.

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LONG-TERM LEAVE – Support Staff A long-term leave of absence, without pay, of no more than six (6) months may be granted to any full-time and part-time support staff employee. During a long-term leave, the employee may utilize accrued medical leave, personal leave, vacation leave or compensatory time to offset unpaid work days. Long-term leave may be used for medical illness including pregnancy and newborn childcare. This would also include leave to care for an ill spouse, son, daughter, or parent. In the case of illness an accompanying statement from the employee’s family physician (M.D. or D.O.) is required before such leave is granted. At the end of the long-term leave, the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer or their designee will place the employee in a position, but not necessarily the same location at the same rate of pay he/she was receiving at the time the leave was granted. After six (6) months of long-term leave, if the employee is unable to fulfill their job responsibilities, the District reserves the right to separate employment.

e. MEDICAL LEAVE Revised 4/2014 Each employee shall accrue medical leave days at the rate of one (1) day per month per contract term for the first five (5) years. For employees six (6) years and beyond, medical leave days will accrue at the rate of one (1) day plus the fractional portion each month per contract term so that the following rate is achieved: For Certified and Support Staff:

• 6 – 10 Years 11 Days (1.1 days/month) • 11 -15 Years 12 Days (1.2 days/month) • 16 -20 Years 13 Days (1.3 days/month) • 21 or more 14 Days (1.4 days/month)

For Administrators:

• 10.0 to 10.99 Month Employees 14 Days Annually • 11.0 to 11.99 Month Employees 15 Days Annually • 12 Month Employees 16 Days Annually

Medical leave may be used for:

• Personal illness (elective surgery must be done outside the contracted employment days)

• Medical appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of the regular work day

• Pregnancy

• Mother: The mother of a newborn child may use up to six (6) weeks of accrued leave for her recuperation immediately following birth. She may also take leave longer than six (6) weeks without pay under the Newborn Child Care policy and Family Medical Leave Act. In cases where the doctor verifies that further medical care is necessary for the mother or the child, the employee may request an extension of the leave and use accrued medical leave if available.

• Father: The father of a newborn child may request up to a six (6) week leave and use accumulated

medical leave during this absence to assist in the recuperation of the mother/child immediately following birth. He may also take leave longer than six (6) weeks without pay under the Newborn Child Care policy and Family Medical Leave Act. In cases where the doctor verifies that further medical care is necessary for the mother or the child, the employee may request any extension of the leave and use accrued medical leave if available.

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• Adoption: Individuals adopting children may request up to six (6) weeks of leave or the number of days required by the placement agency and draw from their accumulated medical leave immediately following the adoption. They may also take leave longer than six (6) weeks without pay under the Newborn Child Care policy and Family Medical Leave Act. In cases where the doctor verifies that further medical care is necessary for the mother or the child, the employee may request an extension of the leave and use accrued medical leave if available.

• Attend to an illness of a member of the family (e.g., spouse, father, mother, child, brother, sister, foster parents, in-laws, grandparents and grandchildren, or other as approved by the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer or their designee).

Accrued personal days may be used for medical. All medical leave time taken from the District must be for employee/family recuperative activity or adoption activity. The district maintains the right to request medical verification of absences. All unused medical leave will be accrued. Employees absent for six (6) consecutive work days or more shall provide the District with a Return to Work Form and/or a physician’s release. The District shall retain the right to request medical verification of future absences from any employee who uses more than ten (10) days of medical leave in any fiscal year.

f. MILITARY LEAVE The District recognizes that employees may perform voluntary or involuntary service for the military. In those cases, it is the intention of the District to comply with all rules and regulations, now in effect or as they may be modified in the future, of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Any full-time or part-time member of the support professionals called to serve military duty, shall be granted paid leave for such service as outlined in the following regulations: 1. The employee may at his/her option use his/her personal days, vacation time or other paid leave to maintain income during periods of active military service. 2. Military service will be counted as time with the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and the District shall contribute both the employee and employer contributions. 3. Any Gilbert Public Schools employee who is a member of the Military shall be entitled to leave of absence from his/her duties without loss of time or efficiency rating on all days during which he/she is engaged in field training as provided by this chapter and for a period during leave of absence not to exceed thirty (30) days in any two (2) consecutive years (for full-time employees) and fifteen (15) days in any two (2) consecutive years (for part-time employees), he/she shall be entitled to his/her pay. 4. The employee’s military service shall not cause a change in continuous service with the District. 5. The employee shall receive salary/step advancement as though he/she were continuously employed if the budget allows. 6. The employee and/or covered dependents may elect to continue to receive District health insurance for up to eighteen (18) months at a rate of 102% of the cost in lieu of military insurance that commences on the 31st day of military service. Health insurance shall be immediately reinstated upon the employee's return to work. 7. Employees of the District shall comply with rules and regulations of the USERRA. Employees performing military duty should inform their immediate supervisor and the Department of Talent Management of any pending military service. This should be done in writing prior to the military leave. A copy of the service orders

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with dates of service indicated should also be submitted. An Absence Approval Form (AAF) and a copy of the service orders must be sent to the District Payroll Department before he/she departs for the military leave. Time off used outside the service dates can be paid using the employee’s personal days, vacation time or other paid leave.

g. PERSONAL LEAVE Revised 4/2014 Each employee shall have two (2) days of personal leave per year. An Absence Approval Form (AAF) shall be filed and must be approved by the employee’s administrator/supervisor at least three (3) working days prior to the leave. Unused personal leave days will accrue at a rate of 1:1 for each unused personal leave day into an individual’s medical leave (sick leave) at the end of each contract year. Staff will be required to use personal leave for any religious holiday. Please note for support staff only, that if the employee is hired after January 1st personal leave is prorated. Once the employee has completed successful probation, the employee will receive their personal days at the prorated amount. These days may be used with the exception of the following blackout dates: • First five (5) instructional days of the school year • Last five (5) instructional days of the school year • State mandated testing days Employees requesting to use personal leave days during the blackout dates must request approval from the District Leave Committee at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the requested leave. These days will only be granted in cases of emergencies, which must be explained in detail to the committee. PREVIOUS PERSONAL LEAVE Employees who have banked personal leave days which were accrued prior to July 1, 2003 may use them before retirement/termination as outlined in the Employee Policy Manual or have them bought back at retirement at the employee’s daily rate upon retirement/termination if not used. An employee may use days from his/her personal leave bank as follows: • Up to four (4) consecutive personal leave days by filing an Employee Action Request (EAR) with the site administrator at least three (3) working days prior to commencement of the leave. Such leave may not be used during the black-out days. • Five (5) or more consecutive days may be requested by filing an extended personal leave request three (3) calendar days prior to the commencement of the leave with the site administrator, except in extenuating circumstances. The administrator shall review the request and forward it to the District Leave Committee for approval/disapproval. DISTRICT LEAVE COMMITTEE The District Leave Committee shall be composed of:

• An elementary, junior high school and high school teacher appointed by the Gilbert Education Association • An elementary, junior high school and high school administrator appointed by the school Superintendent. • A school site level support staff employee and a district site level support staff employee. • The committee shall be chaired by the Superintendent or his/her designee who shall have no voting power.

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The committee shall meet as needed and approve/disapprove requests for leave during black-out days and extended leave. The committee shall consider such factors it deems necessary including but not limited to:

• The reason for the leave • The frequency of the leave • The employee’s attendance/performance • The recommendation of the site administrator

h. PROFESSIONAL LEAVE Revised 4/2014

A professional leave of absence without pay may be granted to an employee who has been employed a minimum of three (3) consecutive years. This leave will be for a period of not longer than one (1) year for reasons of professional improvement: • Attendance at a college or university for the purpose of obtaining a higher degree; • A professional project approved by the Superintendent. The Superintendent may request appropriate written documents related to the project and may meet with the teacher for further clarification of the project. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

a. ADMISSION TO ATHLETIC EVENTS Revised 4/2014 Employees may use their GPS photo identification for admission to GPS athletic events. This pass shall admit the employee and one (1) guest. Family athletics passes are available for purchase through the individual campuses.

b. MEDICAL LEAVE BUY BACK Revised 4/2014 Employees terminating employment at the end of their specified contractual agreement may be eligible to be reimbursed for unused medical leave. Employees desiring to apply must notify the Superintendent in writing (EAR) by April 15 of the year of their separation of employment. Employees must have at least five (5) years of continuous service and have accumulated at least twenty-five (25) days of unused medical leave to qualify. In the event of the death of a staff member with five (5) or more years of continuous service to the District and having accumulated at least twenty-five (25) days of unused medical leave, medical leave buy back reimbursement will be distributed to the employee’s beneficiaries/estate. In the event an employee receives a Reduction in Force (RIF) notice and is not recalled, the employee will be eligible for Medical/Personal leave buy back if he/she has five (5) or more years of continuous service with the District and has accumulated at least twenty-five (25) days of unused medical leave. If an employee qualifies for both medical leave buy back and personal leave buy back, those monies will be combined for the purpose of funds distribution. Buy back rates are as follows: Administrators: 1. 25- 49 accumulated unused medical days = $35 per day 2. 50 - 74 accumulated unused medical days = $42 per day

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3. 75 - 99 accumulated unused medical days = $56 per day 4. 100 - 149 accumulated unused medical days = $79 per day 5. 150 or more accumulated unused medical days = $92 per day Continuing Administrators: When administrators have accumulated more than 150 days of medical leave and have 10 years of service to the District, they may choose to sell back their unused medical days on an annual basis under the following conditions:

Administrators shall be limited to selling back a maximum of 20 days of earned medical leave per year. Administrators choosing this option must notify the Superintendent, in writing, on or before February 1. The following rate shall be used to buy back the medical leave: $92 Per Day (SUSPENDED FOR THE 2014-2015 FISCAL YEAR) Certified Staff, Nurses and Social Workers: 1. 25- 49 accumulated unused medical days = $25 per day 2. 50 - 74 accumulated unused medical days = $30 per day 3. 75 - 99 accumulated unused medical days = $40 per day 4. 100 - 149 accumulated unused medical days = $56 per day 5. 150 or more accumulated unused medical days = $75 per day “Regular Status” Support Staff 1. 25- 49 accumulated unused medical days = $23 per day 2. 50 - 74 accumulated unused medical days = $26 per day 3. 75 - 99 accumulated unused medical days = $34 per day 4. 100 - 149 accumulated unused medical days = $45 per day 5. 150 or more accumulated unused medical days = $63 per day The paraprofessional position or the instructional assistant position is vital to the classroom teacher and the school. Due to budget constraints, these positions may be reduced from full-time employment with insurance to part-time employment without insurance. If the District is unable to offer the employee a full-time position within the District before August 30th, and the employee has at least five (5) years of continuous service to the District and has accumulated at least twenty-five (25) days of unused medical leave the employee will be eligible to receive their Medical and Personal Buy Back monies. Special Pay 403b Plan Mandatory Participation The District has a mandatory Special Pay 403b Plan for any employee who resigns or retires age 55 or older, or will turn 55 during the calendar year the employee resigns or retires in, who is eligible to receive sick leave and/or vacation buy back money in excess of $2,000.00. The purpose of implementing a special pay plan was to save the District and the employee money. Special pay plans are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes for both the employee and employer. Federal and State taxes for the employee are deferred. Employees who have to participate must choose a vendor from the District’s Approved Vendors List. If an employee wants immediate access to their money the employee should convey this to the vendor to ensure a benefit sensitive product (no withdrawal charges) is selected. If you have questions about the special pay plan please contact a vendor or visit the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov. General questions can also be directed to the District’s third party administrator, TSA Consulting Group, at 888-796-3786.

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The District does not match contributions made to the Special Pay 403b Plan nor does it endorse any of the investment options offered by the participating vendors.

c. MEDICAL LEAVE BANK Revised 4/2014 The District recognizes that employees may face catastrophic illnesses/injuries that may exhaust their medical leave. To provide assistance to employees in these cases, the District shall establish a medical leave assistance program (the Medical Leave Bank) to which employees may voluntarily contribute medical days for use by other employees. Catastrophic Illness/Accident Defined A catastrophic illness/accident is defined as a sudden, unexpected illness/injury with disastrous consequences. Such consequences shall include, but not be limited to: terminal illness, inability to perform duties or loss of income. In addition, it will include loss of the ability to perform basic life functions, i.e., ability to feed oneself, ability to communicate, ability to perform activities of daily living or mobility in which it is projected the employee will be absent from the workplace a minimum of eleven (11) days. (Normal pregnancy and childbirth are not included.) Contribution of Medical Days Employees will be given the opportunity to contribute medical days to the district bank after two (2) years of full-time employment. Initially, an employee may only contribute to the bank if he/she has more than ten (10) days in his/her own account. The bank shall initially be established by requesting a one (1) day contribution from all employees. If at any point the bank has less than ninety (90) days, the District shall request additional donations to the bank of one (1) day. Employees must contribute each time donations are requested to remain an active member of the bank. The District shall bi-annually, during the last week of October and first week of November and the last week of April and first week of May, accept medical day contributions from new members to become eligible for the medical bank. It is understood that once these days are contributed they shall not be returned to the employee and shall become the possession of the medical bank. Withdrawal of Medical Bank Days A full-time employee may request days from the medical bank for catastrophic illness/accident to himself/herself or a member of his/her immediate family. This illness/accident must be verified by a medical doctor. In order to qualify, the employee:

• must have been employed by the District full-time for two (2) full years. • must be a sick leave bank contributor.

The employee’s application will be reviewed by the Medical Bank Committee for approval/disapproval, within ten (10) working days of receipt of the application. An employee must use his/her accumulated medical leave and personal leave before applying to the medical bank. An employee who withdraws from the bank may contribute at his/her discretion to the bank with no limitations.

An employee may draw from the medical bank until he/she is covered by:

• The District Short Term Disability Program • The Long Term Disability Program • Disability benefits provided by no-fault insurance • Social Security disability benefits • Rehabilitation income • Any salary, wages, commission or similar compensation payments • Loss of time benefits provided by any other insurance

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Immediate Family The immediate family of an employee is defined as spouse, children, adopted children, parents of the employee, brother, sister or any other blood relatives who have lived with and been dependent on the employee for the previous twelve (12) continuous months. The use of the medical leave bank for a member of the immediate family shall be the same as defined above. The necessity for the employee to be absent from work shall be for the purpose of care-giving to the immediate family member as verified by a doctor. Committee Composition (Revised 6/23/09)

• Superintendent or designee who shall chair the committee, but have no voting rights. • Two (2) certified employees appointed by the Superintendent or designee from a list of ten (10) names

recommended by GEA. • Two (2) support staff employees appointed by the Superintendent or designee from a list of ten (10) names

recommended by GESP. • One (1) administrator appointed by the Superintendent or designee.

All decisions of the committee shall be final.

d. PERSONAL LEAVE BUY BACK Full time employees with at least five (5) years of continuous service, terminating employment at the end of their specified contractual agreement, may be eligible to be reimbursed for personal leave buy back. Accrued personal leave will be bought back at the employee’s daily rate. Employees desiring to apply must notify the Chief Talent Officer in the Department of Talent Management in writing (letter of resignation/retirement and an EAR) by April 15 of the year of their separation of employment. In the event of the death of a staff member with five (5) or more years of continuous service to the District, personal leave buy back reimbursement will be distributed to the employee’s beneficiaries/estate. If an employee qualifies for both medical leave buy back and personal leave buy back, those monies will be combined for the purpose of funds distribution.

WORK RELATED TRAVEL – Certified & Support Staff Employees who must travel in conjunction with their jobs shall be eligible for reimbursement for the total allowable amount per mile under the Arizona Department of Administration. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES The following terms will be used within these procedures, using the accompanying definitions:

• A grievance is any claim by any employee or any group of employees that an administrator(s) or supervisor(s) has violated, misinterpreted, or misapplied a Board policy or an administrative regulation.

• The aggrieved person(s) shall mean the employee or group of employees making the claim. • The offender(s) shall mean the person or group of persons against whom the claim is made.

Guidelines: • A grievance shall not apply to any matter to which a method of review is prescribed by law or by any rule or

regulation of the Arizona State Board of Education or the Superintendent of Public Instruction that has the force and effect or law, or by any policy of the Arizona State Board of Education; nor shall it apply to any matter in which the Governing Board is without authority to act.

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• The Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer for the Department of Talent Management shall be liaison for the Superintendent and the Board in all matters affecting interpretation of employee contracts, grievances, or complaints. The Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer for the Department of Talent Management shall be informed of all grievances and provided copies of written documentation related to all grievances.

• Grievance proceedings shall be kept as informal and confidential as may be appropriate at any level of the grievance procedure.

• All documents, communications, and records dealing with the processing of a grievance shall be permanently filed in the Department of Talent Management.

• Any aggrieved person shall continue to follow Board policy and administrative direction during the processing of a grievance, regardless of the status of the grievance, until such grievance is properly completed.

• All grievance meetings, at the administrative level, shall be conducted in private, as opposed to a public meeting, and shall include only such parties as heretofore referred to in this grievance procedure.

• Nothing contained herein shall be construed as limiting the right of any teacher, administrator, or other employee having a complaint to discuss the matter informally with the appropriate person or persons and having the complaint adjusted without use of the grievance procedure.

• It is important that grievances be processed as rapidly as possible. The number of days indicated at each level shall be considered as a maximum. The time limits specified may, however, be extended by mutual agreement of the parties concerned.

• All time limits consist of working days, except that when a grievance is submitted less than ten days before the close of the current school term, it will be processed as soon thereafter as possible.

• School days, for the purpose of the grievance procedure, shall mean days of scheduled school attendance for teachers.

• In cases of extenuating circumstances, any administrator may waive personal involvement in the grievance procedure.

Procedure for submitting a grievance: Each grievance to be processed through the formal grievance procedure shall be submitted in writing. Each grievance shall include the following:

• the aggrieved party; • the procedure(s) allegedly violated; • the Board policy allegedly violated; • the administrative regulation(s) allegedly violated; • the time and the place where the alleged offense occurred; • a statement of the grievance; • a statement of redress sought by the aggrieved party; if known, the identity of the person or persons

responsible for causing the offense.

• A formal grievance shall be deemed waived and void unless it is submitted, in writing, within forty-five (45) working days of the date when the offense occurred.

• The employee may be accompanied by another district employee or a representative of a professional organization recognized by the district. This individual’s role will be to observe the meeting.

• Failure at any step in this procedure to communicate decisions, in writing, as called for on a grievance within the specified time limits shall permit the grievance to proceed to the next step. Failure at any step to appeal a decision to the next step, in writing, within the specified time limits shall be deemed to be acceptance of the decision rendered at that step and there shall be no further right of appeal.

Informal Procedure An aggrieved person shall first discuss, informally and privately, the potential grievance with the building principal or immediate supervisor, with the objective of resolving the matter informally. The grievance need not be written at the informal procedure level, but the discussion must take place within ten (10) working days of the occurrence.

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Formal Procedure Level One:

• If the aggrieved person is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at the informal level, or if no decision has been rendered within five (5) working days after presentation of the grievance, the aggrieved person may submit the grievance, in writing, to the building principal or immediate supervisor.

• The building principal or immediate supervisor shall deliver a written decision within fifteen (15) working days. If the aggrieved person is not satisfied with the response of the building principal or supervisor, or if no decision has been rendered within fifteen (15) working days, the aggrieved person may submit a copy of the grievance to the appropriate Assistant Superintendent who supervises the employee’s administrator. This must be done within five (5) days after the decision of the building principal or supervisor.

Level Two: • Upon receipt of the grievance, the Assistant Superintendent shall confer with the aggrieved person and other

persons with respect to the grievance in an effort to resolve the grievance. • The Assistant Superintendent shall deliver a written decision to the aggrieved person within fifteen (15)

working days after it is received. • If the aggrieved person is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Level Two, or if no decision has

been rendered, the aggrieved person may submit an appeal of the grievance, in writing, to the Superintendent within five (5) working days after disposition at Level Two.

Level Three: • Upon receipt of the grievance, the Superintendent shall confer with the aggrieved person and other persons

with respect to the grievance in an effort to resolve the grievance, or may simply review all material relating to the matter and prepare a written reply to the complainant.

• The Superintendent shall deliver a written decision to the aggrieved person within fifteen (15) working days after it is received.

Level Four: • If the aggrieved person is not satisfied with the disposition at Level Three, or if no decision has been rendered

within fifteen (15) working days after presentation of the grievance, the aggrieved person may submit an appeal of the grievance, in writing, to the Governing Board. Such an appeal shall be filed with the Superintendent not later than ten (10) working days after notification of the Superintendent’s decision at Level Three.

• The Superintendent shall provide to the Governing Board members a copy of all documents related to this grievance. After reviewing these documents, the Governing Board may choose to have the employee(s) meet with the Governing Board or may review the grievance with the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer for the Department of Talent Management. The Governing Board shall then in an open meeting give direction to the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer for the Department of Talent Management their response. That response will be delivered to the emploee. A copy of this response shall be provided to all Governing Board members. The Governing Board in conjunction with the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer for the Department of Talent Management shall complete this process within a reasonable time.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional Development Stipend (Administrator) (Suspended for the 2014-15 school year)

Professional Development (PD) Credit

PD credits may be applied for horizontal movement on the salary schedule. One PD credit is granted for the successful completion of fifteen (15) seat hours of instruction (workshop, conference, graduate course, etc). The following shows the conversion of seat hours to PD credits:

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• 15 seat hours = 1 PD credit • 45 seat hours = 3 PD credits • 90 seat hours = 6 PD credits • 180 seat hours = 12 PD credits

PD credits are to be completed within the guidelines set forth and may be a combination of:

• Graduate credits • Undergraduate credits (Preapproval required) • Workshops/conferences (Preapproval required) • Participation in district professional development courses • Travel credit (Preapproval required - Certified Staff) • District/state committee credits

General Guidelines. Below are general guidelines that will help the employee in determining what will and will not count for professional development credit. Please refer to the entire Professional Development article for detailed guidelines of each section.

• When using any fill-in form in MyLearningPlan, complete the justification section. • Preapproval from the PD Department is required for undergraduate credits, conferences and workshops. • Instructors who teach for the Professional Development Department are not eligible to receive PD credit in lieu of

the stipend. • PD credit will not be granted for teaching a class, course, meeting or session at a conference. • PD credit will not be granted for viewing exhibits. • If a wage is earned from an outside provider/agency (ex. a 1099 or W2 issued) PD credit may not be granted. • Courses will be education (K-12) related in order to be considered for PD credit. • PD credit will not be granted if district funds are used to support any part of the PD activity. These expenses may

include registration fees, hotel costs, meals, parking fees and any form of transportation. • All PD credit must be taken and completed outside the employee’s contract day unless a personal day is taken. • All documentation for preapproved PD credits (conferences/workshops) must be submitted within one (1) year of

completion. Credit will not be granted after one (1) year. • PD credit will not be granted for hosting a student intern. • PD credit will not be granted to a cooperating teacher of a student teacher from a community college, university,

college or private institution. • PD credit will not be granted for courses taken at post-secondary institutions that are below the 100 level.

(Example: 070 English Fundamentals) • An employee may take a District PD Course Catalog course twice (provided through MyLearningPlan). • PD credit must be directly related to the job duties performed by the employee or a GESP Course (Support Staff) • Compensatory time may not be earned for attending PD courses unless the course is required for your job

function. (Support Staff) • All required documentation completed for workshops/conferences must be received by the Professional Growth

Technician in Department of Talent Management on or before December 1 of the current academic year. • The employee is responsible for notifying the Professional Growth Technician in Department of Talent

Management in writing (email or memo) of his/her eligibility for movement on the salary schedule on or before December 1 of the current academic year. Salary movement will not occur until this is submitted.

• Employees are responsible for documenting and retaining all hours, certificates or documentation for state recertification requirements.

Certified Staff Movement on the Salary Schedule (current academic year)

• Deadlines for requesting movement on the salary schedule for the current academic year require that:

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o The employee must have projected movement on the salary schedule by December of the previous year through MyLearningPlan.

o All coursework/classes must be completed prior to September 1. o The Professional Growth Technician must receive official transcripts for graduate and undergraduate

credit in Department of Talent Management (HR) on or before December 1 of the current academic year. Opened transcripts are acceptable. HR recommends the employee review the transcript for accuracy.

Professional Development Guidelines

Induction Program. All teachers new to Gilbert Public Schools will participate in the Gilbert Public Schools Teacher Induction Program. Teachers new to Gilbert Public Schools will participate in a minimum of twenty (20) clock hours of PD coursework during the first eighteen (18) months of employment. Specific requirements, restrictions and procedures related to this coursework will be provided to new teachers during orientation week. Teachers hired after orientation will be informed of these requirements by the Director of Professional Development.

The district reserves the right to exempt teachers from participation in the district’s induction program. For example: teacher currently pursuing alternative certification as requested by the district and/or other district approved instruction.

Graduate Credits. Graduate courses taken at an accredited college or university will be awarded salary credit for horizontal movement as follows:

• Courses specific to the employee’s current certification or content area, or current support staff job description. • Courses specific for an endorsement on the employee’s current certification. • Courses specific to a graduate degree program in education (K-12). • All coursework for another certificate/endorsement area must be sent to the Director of Professional

Development prior to enrollment for preapproval. The Director of Professional Development may consult with the employee’s building administrator for input on preapproval or Director of Health Services (Nurses).

• Employees may not earn more than six (6) credits at the audit level for the duration of employment. • A minimum grade of C or passing must be received for PD credit to be granted. • Employees must complete the Graduate Course Credit form in MyLearningPlan. • Upon completion of degree (Master’s or Doctorate) submit to the Professional Growth Technician in Department

of Talent Management an official transcript showing the degree posted with a completion/confer date. Transcript must be mailed to you, open it to verify the degree is posted, and forward to the Professional Growth Technician in Department of Talent Management.

Undergraduate Credits. Credits will only be granted for those undergraduate courses that have gone through the preapproval process in MyLearningPlan. Employees may receive up to twenty-four (24) credits at the undergraduate level after initial employment by the district as follows:

• Courses specific to the employee’s current certification content area, or current support staff job description. • Courses specific for an endorsement on the employee’s current certification. • All coursework for another certificate/endorsement area must be sent to the Director of Professional

Development prior to enrollment for preapproval. The Director of Professional Development may consult with the employee’s building administrator for input on preapproval or Director of Health Services (Nurses).

• Employees may not earn more than six (6) credits at the audit level for the duration of employment. • Employees must complete the Undergraduate Course Credit form in MyLearningPlan.

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Modern Language, American Sign Language and technology courses are exempt from the twenty-four (24) credit limit. Technology courses must be related and apply to the employee’s current certification or endorsement. A minimum grade of C or passing must be received for PD credit to be granted.

Conferences and Workshops. PD credit will be granted for those conferences and workshops that have gone through the preapproval process in MyLearningPlan and meet the following guidelines:

• Conferences/workshops specific to the employee’s current certification or content area, or current support staff job description.

• Conferences/workshops specific for an endorsement on the employee’s current certification. • Employees must complete the Conference/Workshop Credit form in MyLearningPlan. • The Director of Professional Development may consult with the employee’s building administrator for input on

preapproval or Director of Health Services (Nurses). • Certificate of completion, agenda, detailed description of conference or workshop, proof of non-district funded

payment (copy of bill, cancelled check or receipt) must be submitted to the Professional Growth Technician in Department of Talent Management.

Professional Development Catalog Courses. Completing courses offered through the Professional Development Department course catalog in MyLearningPlan may earn credit. Courses specific to the employee’s current certification or content area will earn PD credit. Courses specific to the employee’s current support staff job description will earn PD credit. Courses may be taken twice.

Employees must enroll through MLP and sign-in on the course sign-in sheet for PD credit to be granted.

Support Staff: A maximum of two (2) hours of PD credit will be granted for attending scheduled GESP courses. GESP Officers must have the GESP course description pre-approved by the Director of Professional Development. GESP Officers will be granted a maximum of 15 (15) hours of PD credit per fiscal year for attending a monthly officer meeting.

Travel Credit. The employee must meet the following criteria (Certified Staff):

• The travel experience must be directly related to the employee’s current certification or content area. • The travel experience must enhance the grade level curriculum • Credit will only be granted once for an identical travel experience.

Guidelines for Travel Credit (Certified Staff):

• Thirty (30) calendar days prior to traveling, employees requesting travel credit must submit a Projected Request for Travel Credit form (requested from the Professional Growth Technician in Department of Talent Management) to the Director of Professional Development.

This form will include:

• An itinerary of the trip. • The relationship of the trip to the employee’s current assignment. • The expected outcome of the trip as it relates to the grade level curriculum. • The projected number of hours the employee anticipates receiving.

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Upon review of the request, the employee will receive preliminary approval of the travel credit. Within one (1) year of the completed travel, the following documents must be submitted in a bound portfolio (which will not be returned) to the Director of Professional Development:

• Classroom lesson(s) unit plan developed and taught from the travel experience to include: • Objective(s) of the lesson(s) correlated to the standards • Teachers and student activities • Supplies and materials needed • A student evaluation instrument to measure learner outcomes • A detailed written evaluation and reflection of the findings from the student evaluation instrument

If all documentation meets the travel credit criteria final credit will be determined and granted. Incomplete or unsatisfactory documentation will be returned to the employee for additional information and must be returned within thirty (30) calendar days.

An employee may earn a maximum of forty-five (45) clock hours (three (3) PD credits) of travel credit within a five (5) year period. The five (5) year period commences on the first day of travel.

District/State Committee Credit. Employees may earn PD credit (up to one hundred eighty (180) hours in a six (6) year period) for serving on district/state committees that enhance their instructional skills or content area knowledge. or current support staff job description. PD credit will be granted based on the committee roster submitted to the Director of Professional Development. Submission for State Committee credit should be made on school or district letterhead to the Director of Professional Development. PD credit will be granted only for committee meeting time.

Support Staff Compensation for Completed Coursework

Upon successful completion of courses compensation may be received in one of two ways: OPTION 1 – Tuition Reimbursement (Suspended for the 2014-15 school year) OR OPTION 2 – Professional Development Incentive 1. An additional $150.00 will be paid as an Professional Development Incentive for each three (3) PD credits obtained. (3 PD Credits = $150.00). 2. The $150.00 will be paid to the employee over the course of each contracted year as a support staff employee. Professional Development Incentive Payment: Incentives will be distributed during the next fiscal year. NOTE: SUPPORT STAFF EMPLOYEES EARN UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 20 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES (60 CREDITS OR 900 HOURS). Applying for PD Credit/Tuition Reimbursement/Professional Development Incentive/Longevity (Support Staff) 1. Credit for courses, other than those in the Professional Development catalog, require completion of one of the forms found in MyLearningPlan under Fill-in Forms/Support Staff Forms. (All required documentation is outlined on the Request Forms.) Your request shall be approved by the Director of Professional Development and by the

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Professional Growth Technician in Department of Talent Management. Final approval will be given by the Professional Growth Technician in Department of Talent Management. 2. Courses/Workshops/etc. must be submitted through MyLearningPlan. All required documentation must be submitted to the Professional Growth Technician in Department of Talent Management by June 30 of the current fiscal year’s Policy. 3. The employee is responsible for notifying the Professional Growth Technician in the Department of Talent Management by e-mail of his/her eligibility for a new Professional Development Incentive by June 30th of the current fiscal year’s Policy. LONGEVITY (Support Staff) Employees with more than ten (10) consecutive years of employment with Gilbert Public Schools will be eligible for a stipend from a pool of $15,000.00 to a maximum of $300.00 per employee. In order to qualify for this stipend, employees must meet the following guidelines each fiscal year: 1. Employed by the District for ten (10) consecutive years before the fiscal year begins. 2. Completed six (6) hours and received final approval through MLP of job related professional development by June 15th of the current fiscal year’s Policy. 3. Hours must be directly related to the job duties performed by the employee. 4. GESP courses in MyLearningPlan may be used for Longevity. 5. Courses being used for Longevity must be completed in their entirety to qualify as a “completed” course. For example, a course that is 12 hours in length must be completed fully by the employee before using 6 of the hours for Longevity. 6. All criteria/standards on the employee’s current year evaluation must be satisfactory or higher. 7. Longevity hours may not be used for the Professional Development Incentive. 8. Application for the Longevity Stipend must be submitted by June 15th of the current fiscal year’s Policy and include:

a. Completion of the Longevity Request Form through MyLearningPlan b. The Professional Growth Technician in the Department of Talent Management must be in receipt of a copy

of the employee’s current year’s evaluation. 9. Eligible employees may apply yearly. 10. Eligible employees will receive their Longevity stipend in their first paycheck after July 1 of the current school year.

Professional Growth Committee

Function. The committee shall evaluate professional development credit appeals. Professional Growth Committee (PGC) will use the consensus process in determining whether to approve or deny the employee’s appeal request.

Committee membership:

• One elementary teacher • One junior high school teacher • One high school teacher • One special area teacher • One elementary administrator • One junior high school administrator • One high school administrator • One school based support staff member • One district office support staff member

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Advisory non-voting members:

• The Director of Professional Development – Chair • One administrator from Department of Talent Management • The Professional Growth Technician • One GESP Officer • One GEA Officer

Appointments. All appointments will be made by the Superintendent or his/her designee. Certified teachers are appointed to the committee from a list of names submitted by Educational Services.

Meetings. The PGC will meet and confer quarterly during academic year.

Appeal Process:

• Request an appeal form via email from the Professional Growth Technician. • Complete and submit the appeal form with thirty (30) calendar days from the date of denial. • All documents required for the approval process as well as any additional documentation must be received by the

Professional growth Technician within fifteen (15) calendar days of submission. • The employee may attend the quarterly meeting in open session to answer questions for clarification if

appropriate. • The PGC will review the appeal at the next quarterly meeting and deliver a written decision to the teacher. • All decisions/rulings the PGC make are final.

Appeal proceedings shall remain confidential during the appeal process. All documents, communications, and records dealing with the processing of an appeal shall be permanently filed in the Department of Talent Management office.

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SECTION TWO:

ADMINISTRATORS ONLY

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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE - Administrator The purpose of this document is to identify those items relating to working conditions, benefits, and salaries that have been approved by the Governing Board of Gilbert Unified School District for Assistant Principals, Coordinators, Deans, Directors, and Principals. The success of the total school program is directly related to the performance of these District employees. It is the intent of the Governing Board to provide the working conditions, benefits, and salary that allow the District to attract and retain high quality staff in these positions. The compensation structure described in this document is built-in, an attempt to reflect equality, comparability, and level of responsibility.

DEFINITIONS: Administrators Certificated Administrator: Any administrator whom the Governing Board requires, in his/her position, to hold certification issued by the State of Arizona Department of Education, as an administrator. Classified Administrator: Any administrator whom the Governing Board does not require, in his/her position, to hold certification issued by the State of Arizona Department of Education, as an administrator. Day: Day shall mean contract day unless specified otherwise. Fiscal Year: July 1 through June 30. Employee: Any employee covered by this document unless specified otherwise.

Exempt Employee: All employees covered by this document are considered exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Note: Whenever the term Superintendent appears in this document, it is to be interpreted as “Superintendent or a person designated by the Superintendent.”

CHANGE OF ASSIGNMENTS - Administrators

Assignment of administrators shall be based primarily on factors deemed to be in the best interest of the District. Reassignment will be done as the needs of the District are determined and in consultation with the employee. ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTS Refer to Policy GCB STAFF PROTECTION – ADMINISTRATORS The Board will be vigorous in its protection of all administrators from physical and/or verbal abuse.

♦ Any administrator who is threatened with harm is to notify his/her supervisor immediately, and the

supervisor shall take action as he/she deems appropriate.

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♦ The Board shall protect its administrators through a comprehensive liability insurance program. A copy of such policy shall be available for inspection in the Business Office.

♦ The Board shall hold harmless and defend any District administrator from claims for damages caused or alleged to have been caused in whole or in part by the employee while performing assigned duties as an employee of the District under the provisions of the District’s liability policy, whether or not that person is employed by the District at the time the claim is made, provided that the District shall not be obligated to assume any costs or judgments held against the employee when such damages are proved to be due to the employee’s willful negligence, violation of law, or criminal act as determined by a court of law.

PERSONNEL FILES - Administrator ♦ Personnel files are established, initiated and controlled by the District for the purpose of maintaining a record

of the qualifications and performance of employees. ♦ Material originating within the District and which concerns an administrator’s conduct, service, or personality

shall not be placed in an employee’s file unless he/she has had an opportunity to read the material. The employee shall acknowledge that he/she has read such material by affixing his/her signature on the actual copy to be filed and shall be issued a copy. Such signature does not necessarily indicate agreement with the content of such material. In those instances when an employee refuses to sign such material, the supervisor shall hand–deliver the document to the employee and shall have a witness verify, in writing, such delivery.

♦ The administrator shall have the right to respond to those items specifically addressed within the materials

placed in the file within ten (10) days of receipt of document. The response shall be submitted to the individual’s immediate supervisor, read by the Superintendent, and attached to the file copy. The response may be accepted only if the contents are directly relevant to the contents of the material in question.

♦ All references obtained on the basis of confidentiality for the purpose of initial employment or promotion,

originating either outside the District or within the District, shall not be subject to this agreement and, therefore, shall not be available for inspection by the employee. Those items covered would be placement files or letters of recommendation for initial employment or promotional employment within the District.

♦ All materials must be time and date stamped at the time they are placed in the files and may not be removed except through grievance. The signature of the employee and immediate supervisor shall be affixed to each document. ♦ All materials placed in the employee’s District personnel file and originating within the District shall be available for inspection by the employee and administration. Requests for inspection will be given, in writing, to the Department of Talent Management twenty four (24) hours in advance of the date

desired. The Department of Talent Management will schedule a time for the inspection and will make arrangements for a staff member from the Department of Talent Management to be present when the inspection takes place.

SALARY SCHEDULE IMPLEMENTATION - Administrator SETTING SALARY FOR NEW ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEES

Administrative employees new to the District will have their salary set based upon administrative experience.

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Administrative employees new to the District shall receive credit on the Administrative Salary Schedule based on the following guidelines:

Administrators with public and/or accredited private school experience and same job classification

shall be given credit on a one-year-for-one-year basis, not to exceed step nine (9). New administrators with experience in a different administrative position at a public and/or

accredited private school shall be given one (1) year’s credit on the salary schedule for every two (2) years’ experience.

In the event the administrator’s calculation ends in a half year, he/she shall not be given credit for the

half year unless he/she is a District employee.

Upon approval of the Superintendent, administrators may be granted credit for more than nine (9) years of prior experience, credit not to exceed their total years of administrative experience as calculated within the guidelines. This is done only when determined to be in the best interest of the District due to current market conditions and/or the need for continuity or quality of service to the District.

Any employee who voluntarily leaves the employment of the District and who seeks an administrative position at a later date will be treated as any other candidate coming into the District for the first time.

SETTING SALARY FOR IN-DISTRICT EMPLOYEES

Administrators promoted within the District shall be placed in the category on the Administrative Salary Schedule that gives them a minimum of a two (2) percent increase.

Administrators transferred by the Administration shall be moved on a step-for-step basis (as long as the

transfer does not cause a reduction in pay).

The Superintendent shall retain the right to place administrators on any step of the salary schedule when it is determined to be in the best interest of the District due to market condition and/or the need for continuity or quality of service to the District.

It is possible that Teachers, Deans or Coordinators who are promoted to an Assistant Principal could be

paid more than other assistant principals.

Administrators who are beyond the salary schedule will receive an increase of one-half of the average percent increase for that appropriate title.

ARIZONA STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM (ASRS) / ALTERNATE CONTRIBUTION RATE (ACR)

The salary of employees, who draw benefits from ASRS, will be reduced in order to allow the district to cover the alternate contribution rate as determined by ASRS.

SALARY INCREASE - Administrator Salary increases may occur each year based upon fiscal conditions and the District goals. Any person who is put on a formal written improvement plan by their evaluating supervisor, because of their formal evaluation, will not receive a salary increase, including stipends or other forms of alternative compensation. No opportunity will be given at any time to recover the loss of the annual increase.

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RETURN TO TEACHER STATUS AND/OR REEMPLOYMENT - Administrators Revised 4/2014 Administrators may be offered a teaching position at the administrator’s request or District reassignment if the administrator is qualified and properly certified for an open available position. A. Service to Gilbert If an administrator returns to teacher status, all years of service to Gilbert Public Schools will be honored for placement. B. Service Outside of Gilbert Administrators who return to teaching status that have service outside of Gilbert Public Schools will be given all years of administrative experience and a maximum of five (5) years teaching experience. Any administrator whose specific job is eliminated due to a reduction in force or elimination of title, and who is reemployed within a three (3) year period of his/her previous separation date, will be reinstated with all benefits unless the individual was previously compensated for such benefits.

BENEFITS - Administrator

The Board will provide benefits for administrators. These benefits are subject to changing statutory requirements. Employees will be consulted, when possible, on a contemplated change of benefits and will be advised if and when any benefits have been changed. LEAVE FOR STATE OR NATIONAL OFFICE - Administrator If an administrator is elected to a state or national office or an office in a professional education association, the employee may be granted an unpaid leave for the term of said office. Employees may apply for additional leaves if reelected or elected to an additional office. Administrators returning from such leave shall return to their same or equivalent position as determined by the District. VACATION/FLEXTIME - Administrators Only Full-time twelve (12) month administrators shall receive twenty (20) vacation days per year accrued at the rate of one.six seven (1.67) days per month. Administrators may accrue a maximum of thirty (30) days vacation. With written approval of the appropriate Assistant Superintendent, an employee may use up to ten (10) days in advance of earning these accruals. Administrators are required to use all vacation days prior to the severance of employment, except when approved by the Superintendent, in which case the administrator will be paid for his/her unused vacation. Such approval must occur at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to terminating employment. This reimbursement will be paid prior to July 1. Vacation requests should be submitted, except in unusual circumstances, to the administrator’s supervisor at least one week in advance. Administrators working less than a twelve (12) month contract do not earn vacation days. Any individual departure from specified workdays or holidays must be approved at least one week in advance by the supervisor or

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Superintendent. In the event of an emergency or extenuating circumstance, the supervisor or Superintendent may waive the one (1) week advance approval. The decision to grant flextime must be made in consultation with the supervisor(s) affected by the departure from the normally scheduled workdays.

TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT - Administrator

The District shall provide each administrator with an annual $350 transportation allowance. Additionally the administrator may request District mileage reimbursement for any business travel over 750 miles. Mileage will be calculated from the worksite and documentation must be provided for all mileage claims.

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH STIPEND BENEFIT (SUSPENDED FOR THE 2014-2015 FISCAL YEAR) The District will provide each administrator with an eight hundred dollar ($800) professional growth stipend, which may be used for the following purposes: Course work at an approved university for the purpose of obtaining an advanced degree. To pay the cost of seminars/workshops/professional growth materials related to the job role as approved by

the Superintendent. Payment of professional dues. Payment of dues to belong to Gilbert community organizations. An administrator may choose to carry over his/her professional growth stipend up to $400 a year, with a

maximum account balance of $1600. The administrator must notify the Superintendent of this request, in writing, by May 1 of the preceding year.

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SECTION THREE:

CERTIFIED ONLY

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SHARED CONTRACTS - Certified The District recognizes the value of shared contracts to both employees and students. In the District’s interest to retain quality staff, the following guidelines are the requirements for shared contract employment. Qualifications

• Partner teachers must have a minimum of three (3) years experience, one within the Gilbert School District. • Partner teachers must be approved by the site administrator, the Assistant Superintendent of Department of

Talent Management and the Superintendent. • The site administrator will ensure that there is at least one (1) full time teacher at the grade level where a

shared contract is to occur. • Student placement into the shared contract classroom will be voluntary. • The number of students in the shared contract classroom must meet the District staffing requirements.

Criteria

• Partner teachers will attend all professional development days as required by the District. • Partner teachers will be expected to jointly attend parent/teacher conferences, in-services, collegial days, PLC,

grade level activities, and faculty meetings (at site administrator’s discretion). • Partner teachers will be expected to establish adequate weekly common planning time to ensure student

success. • Partner teachers will both teach the first two (2) weeks of school if the shared contract is in grades ADK, 1,

2,or 3. • Partner teachers will both teach the last week of the school year. • Partner teachers will both teach the first week of school if the shared contract is in grades 4, 5, or 6. • Planning and coordination of the teaching schedule of the partner teachers will be developed in conjunction

with the site administrator and approved by the site administrator.

Limitations

• Partner teachers will earn their portion of FTE of their regular salary and receive their portion of FTE of accrued medical leave.

• No insurance benefits are provided for the partner teachers. • Partner teachers will receive full movement on the salary schedule when applicable. • In cases where shared contract classroom does not meet the District staffing requirements for that grade level,

the partner teachers will be offered a position that meets District needs. • If circumstances require one partner teacher to be removed from the shared contract, the remaining partner will

be considered for the full-time teaching responsibilities (with appropriate compensation and benefits.) • The District reserves the right to remove one or both partners if the District feels the educational and

emotional needs of the students are not being met.

Application Individuals wishing to be employed under shared contract shall file a letter of intent with the site administrator by the first Friday in March. This letter shall include the following items:

• Name • ID Number • Address • Telephone Number • Employment history with Gilbert Public Schools • Employment history outside Gilbert Public Schools

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• Partner (co-teacher) — Name/ID Number/Address/Telephone Number • Reason for sharing contract • Proposed schedule: i.e., 1/2 days, share week, etc. . . . • Philosophy of shared contract

The District shall make every attempt to accommodate requests for shared contracts before the first Friday of May. TRAVELING TEACHERS - Certified Revised 6/2012 A traveling teacher is defined as a teacher who provides instruction/services at more than one site during their professional day.

• Teachers who use their personal automobile in traveling from school to school shall be reimbursed for all such travel at the rate of the Arizona Department of Administration limit per mile.

• Traveling teachers will have duty at one campus.

The campus administrators and the traveling teacher will meet by the first (1st) Friday in September to ensure a fair and equitable duty schedule that meets the above criteria. MOBILE RELIEF SUBSTITUTE - Certified Mobile relief substitutes used in the special education department will receive full benefits including travel reimbursement and be paid according to the following salary calculation formula: Salary Calculation Formula Mobile relief substitute will be paid at 80% of BA0 Step 1 daily rate.

CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT - Certified The Superintendent or his/her designee shall annually meet with the president of the Gilbert Education Association to determine the process used to recommend the school calendar(s) to the Governing Board. PROFESSIONAL WORK DAY - Certified Teachers will perform all of their contractual obligations.

• Faculty meetings may be scheduled at the principal’s discretion but will be held on the same day of the week and during the working day as much as possible to allow staff members to plan their time. When faculty meetings are held prior to the start of the professional work day, teachers may leave at the conclusion of the student day as long as their professional obligations are fulfilled. When faculty meetings extend beyond the end of the professional work day, teachers may leave the following day at the conclusion of the student day as long as their professional obligations are fulfilled. Teachers can be required, at the principal’s discretion, to return for a reasonable number of evening activities. On such occasions, teachers may leave their respective campuses at the conclusion of the student day as long as their professional obligations are fulfilled.

• A teacher who believes he/she is being asked to return for an unreasonable number of evening activities may

choose to utilize the grievance procedure, as outlined in the Employee Handbook.

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• Each teacher shall have a duty-free lunch of at least thirty (30) uninterrupted minutes. When a thirty (30) minute duty-free lunch is not provided, and if the teacher has no other professional obligations, the teacher shall be allowed to leave at the end of the student day.

• The administration shall make every effort to see that adjunct duty responsibilities of teachers are equally shared

by all of the teachers at a particular school, and that these responsibilities are scheduled as far in advance as possible so that teachers may plan their instructional preparations activities to accommodate for them.

EARLY RELEASE FOR GRADING - Certified All students will be released early on the last day of the first (1st) and third (3rd) grading periods in order to provide teachers time to complete student records and reports to parents. The District recognizes that this release time is to allow teachers to calculate and record student grades. Administrators will not schedule meetings during this release time unless the teacher is not responsible for grades. The amount of this release time shall not exceed one hundred eighty (180) minutes, and will comply with statutory provisions for the student attendance count to be equivalent to full ADM.

PREPARATION / PLANNING TIME - Certified Revised 4/2013 All district teachers shall be allocated time during the students’ instructional day for the purposes of preparation and planning. Preparation period shall mean an assigned period set aside for all teachers to be used for professional preparation and planning purposes with prior arrangement, preparation period time can be used for conferencing with parents, students, teachers, and administrators.

The teacher/administrative team support the principle of teacher empowerment in determining preparation time at each campus. Therefore, all decisions related to this issue at the elementary level will be determined at each campus by a representative committee of teachers and the administration, taking into consideration individual campus needs. An average of thirty (30) minutes per day will be considered when developing these plans. It is understood that the site administrator shall have the final responsibility for setting the schedule. An elementary teacher may be requested by the building administrator to provide coverage for an absent colleague. The teacher shall be compensated for said coverage at a rate of fourteen dollars ($14.00) per hour and said teacher will lose his or her preparation period for that day. It may be necessary for the building Administrator to assign an elementary teacher to provide coverage. All secondary classroom teachers shall be assigned a preparation period within the school day. The preparation period shall be the same length as the normal classroom period. A junior high or high school teacher may be requested by the building administrator to provide coverage for an absent colleague. The teacher shall be compensated for said coverage at a rate of fourteen dollars ($14.00) per hour and said teacher will lose his or her preparation period for that day. It may be necessary for the building Administrator to assign a secondary teacher to provide coverage. The District shall, in September, review the status of preparation periods for all special area/special education teachers. These teachers shall receive time as determined by the administration that may include the use of mobile relief substitutes or a dollar reimbursement equivalent to the cost of the mobile relief substitute. The District understands the need for individual preparation during the orientation days. To that end, schedules of regular classroom teachers shall include a minimum of two (2) half (1/2) days meeting-free for individual preparation. It is not the intent of this agreement to prevent district level meetings from taking

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place for special area teachers; (i.e. special education teachers, elementary physical education teachers, ALP teachers, etc). *The District shall allocate to each elementary school the sum of seventy dollars ($70) per classroom teacher. The school will develop plans using this money to provide a minimum of one (1) 2-hour team planning time per quarter. The plans shall be developed by a team made up of representatives from each grade level, special areas and administration. These plans shall be submitted to the Office of Academic Achievement for approval on or before October 1. *ELEMENTARY TEAM PLANNING WILL BE SUSPENDED FOR THE 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR.

PART TIME TEACHER/PREP PERIOD PAY CALCULATIONS - Certified The District will, in staffing of programs and schools, on occasion find it necessary to employ part-time teachers or request that a teacher give up his/her plan period to provide instruction to students. When this happens, the following formula shall be used to calculate the teacher’s salary.

Teacher salary ÷ number of contract days = X X ÷ 8 = Y (the rate of pay per hour) Y x hours = compensation

NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS The District recognizes that certified staff completing National Board Certification requirements meet high standards of professionalism that is valuable to the district. To encourage and recognize these individuals, the District provides the following support and remuneration: Qualifications Individuals being supported by the District must have completed three (3) years of successful teaching experience in Gilbert. Program The District will support teachers participating in their initial NBCT process in the following manner:

1. The District will pay up to one-half (1/2) of the fee, not funded by grants, to a maximum of $1,000 per individual. The maximum budget for these reimbursements per year shall be $10,000. If more than ten (10) teachers apply, the reimbursement will be distributed among all applicants.

Program Compensation Teachers completing all requirements, the written assessment, and who do not receive National Board Certification will be reimbursed a one time Completion Bonus of $1,500 after submitting a certificate of test completion to the Department of Talent Management. When a teacher receives/renews the National Board Certification, he/she will receive supplemental pay for each year for the life of the certificate. This pay shall be $3,000 for each year of the certificate. The completion bonus shall be included as part of the first year payment for the initial certification.

*Teachers currently receiving a stipend greater than $3,000 will continue to receive that amount during the duration of the National Board Certificate status.

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CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT - Certified

It is recognized that curriculum development is of vital importance in maintaining quality education in the District. The District will provide the opportunity for qualified teachers to engage in the process of developing or rewriting curriculum.

• Curriculum development projects will take place outside the professional working day or during summer vacation when possible to do so.

• Before accepting responsibility for such tasks, teachers will be advised of the goal and objectives of the project.

• Teachers who engage in developing curriculum during the school day will have classes covered for them. • Projects completed outside of the professional day may be compensated.

SABBATICAL LEAVE – Certified Revised 4/2013 A member of the teaching staff, who has been employed by the District seven (7) or more consecutive years, may be granted, upon request, a sabbatical leave for one (1) year. This will be a paid leave of absence granted for formal professional education that will enhance the District’s education program. Official transcripts of work shall be submitted to support additional education. During sabbatical leave, the staff member shall be considered to be in the employ of the District, and shall be paid at the rate of one-half (1/2) of the last salary received. Upon returning to duty with the District the staff member will be placed on the appropriate salary range in conjunction with the employee’s level of preparation. Guidelines for instituting the sabbatical leave are:

• Budget capacity is available.

• A maximum of three percent (3%) of the certified staff members may be granted sabbaticals in any one year.

• February 15 is the last date that a sabbatical may be applied for to be effective the following year. Board approval or rejection of such application should be given by May 15.

Guidelines for Superintendent to use in selecting applications are:

• The staff member must have been employed by the District as a teacher for at least seven (7) years.

• The staff member must present a program of study that will enrich the educational program of the school/District.

• Work will be at any accredited educational institution.

• The staff member may be required to explain the proposed education program.

• If more than three percent (3%) apply for sabbatical leaves, the Board should consider the value of the program to the school.

PAY FOR PERFORMANCE PAY FOR PERFORMANCE PLAN INTRODUCTION (2/24/14)(3/24/14)(4/7/14)(4/14/14)(5/12/14) The Pay for Performance Plan (PFP), developed by the District Oversight Committee (DOC), describes how Classroom Site Funds Category C Performance Pay funds will be distributed. See Exhibit II attached for more details on the breakdown of Classroom Site Funds.

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OVERVIEW: PFP is a program that includes active participation in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), analysis of student data, development of SMART goals, and the collaborative study of Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards (AZCCRS) to improve student and teacher learning across the district. PLCs employ an action-inquiry cycle that engages teachers in questioning, studying, planning, experimenting, reflecting and assessing. Team members rotate roles and share responsibilities equally. Effective PLCs require the active participation by all members in a minimum of 26 meetings per year. PLCs will work collaboratively to develop SMART Goals. SMART Goals are:

• Strategically and specifically aligned with school and district goals • Measureable • Attainable • Results oriented • Time bound

PLCs create common formative and summative assessments to align with Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards (AZCCRS). Ongoing professional development opportunities will enhance collaboration and professional practice. Below is a suggested chart of PLC activities.

August: Gather and analyze data September: Write SMART goals based on data collected. Create and administer common formative

assessments. October: Administer common formative and summative assessments (if applicable). Analyze results and

adjust instruction accordingly. November: Create and administer common formative and summative assessments. Discuss progress of

SMART goals. December: Celebrate, reflect and plan for second semester and administer end-of-semester common

assessment. January: Analyze data and adjust instruction appropriately. Discuss progress of SMART goals.

February: Discuss progress of SMART goals. Create and administer common formative assessments.

March: Administer end-of-quarter common district assessment if applicable. Analyze data and adjust

instruction appropriately. Discuss progress of SMART goals. April: Create and administer common formative assessment and discuss progress of SMART goals. May: Celebrate, reflect and plan for the next year. Create and administer common formative

assessments and administer end-of-year common district assessments.

Distribution of PLC funds occurs twice a year and is based on successful participation in an approved PLC. ATTENDANCE PLC members will use early release time to meet 26 times by the first Thursday in May. Teachers who miss PLC meetings may submit an Alternative Professional Learning Plan (APLP) to the Site Leadership Team for approval. This APLP must be approved and completed within each payout period. Extenuating circumstances may be appealed to DOC. PLC ASSIGNMENTS As a best practice, the recommended number of participants in a PLC is three (3) to eight (8). When possible, common grade level and same-course PLCs are preferable. Secondary teachers who teach multiple subjects will discuss and decide their PLC placement with their Site Leadership Team. Vertical and interdisciplinary teaming may be utilized as approved by the Site Leadership Team. Anyone who is the sole teacher of a subject (singleton) will participate in a district PLC. All PLCs must meet on district/school property.

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Site Leadership Teams will produce a master list of singletons by the second Friday of May each year and distribute the list to other schools in an effort to facilitate PLC assignments. Singletons may use technology to facilitate the face-to-face collaborative process. COMMITTEES The following two (2) committees oversee the development and administration of the PFP Plan. All members of both committees must attend training as designated by the District Oversight Committee in order to receive their stipend. 1. District Oversight Committee (“DOC”) The Gilbert Public Schools DOC consists of administrators, certified teachers and a Governing Board member. They are responsible for the continued development of the District’s PFP Plan. The committee is composed of:

• Superintendent or Designee who will chair the committee • Two elementary school teachers • Two junior high school teachers • Two high school teachers • Three building level administrators: one each from the elementary, junior high and senior high • Director of Curriculum and/or Director of Assessment and Accountability • Director of Professional Development • One Governing Board member

This committee is appointed by the Superintendent. Certified teachers are selected to the committee by an application process. Members serve (3) three-year staggered terms. Attendance is mandatory. Lack of attendance could result in a partial loss of stipend. Each certified teacher member of DOC receives a stipend of $2,685. 2. School Improvement Committee (“SIC”) SIC consists of the administrator and certified teachers representative of each grade level/department at the school. SIC is appointed by the school administrator. The school administrator is an advisory non-voting member. SIC Chair(s) Chairs serve as the primary contact of communication for site administration, faculty and DOC. They oversee, organize and submit documentation, adhering to the timeline as outlined in the Board Policy GCFA, delegating and monitoring the completion of tasks assigned to SIC members, and facilitating committee meetings. The school administrator may not serve as the SIC chair. SIC Committee Members Duties include, but are not limited to, approving PLC groups, monitoring attendance and participation in PLCs, overseeing My Learning Plan PFP submissions and approving and verifying APLPs. Compensation for members of SIC is determined as follows:

A. Each elementary school receives eight (8) stipends of *$600 each. B. Each junior high school receives nine (9) stipends of *$600 each. C. Each comprehensive high school receives seventeen (17) stipends of *$600 each. D. Other schools will receive a number of stipends as approved by DOC, upon the recommendation of the site administrator.

In addition, each school receives *$10 for each full time equivalent (FTE) eligible certified teacher as of September 30. The first $100 of this money is used to compensate the SIC Chair(s) additional stipend. The remainder of the money may be used to increase the number of members on the committee, or divided equally among the members of the committee. NOTE: All stipends, percentages and money figures, contained in this document are estimates only. Final figures will be calculated when projections of sales tax revenues are released by the Department of Revenue.

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DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS: First PLC Payout: For PLC meetings attended by the second Tuesday of November, each certified teacher will be paid $60.61 per meeting, not to exceed $484.88 ($60.61 X 8) for the first semester. Second PLC Payout: For PLC meetings attended after the second Tuesday of November and through the first Thursday of May, each certified teacher will be paid $60.61 per meeting, not to exceed $1,090.98 ($60.61 X 18) for the second semester. Performance-Based Compensation Payout (as per ARS 15-977): Individual teacher performance, as measured by the teacher’s performance classification (Highly Effective, Effective, Developing and Ineffective), will be paid out by the first payroll in June. Teaching Performance will be based solely on the Teacher Evaluation Rubric. The School Grade and Teacher Evaluation Survey will not be factored in for this payout. Teachers will be paid according to the following: Projected maximum payout is $776.00 Teacher Performance Classifications: Highly Effective: 100% of projected maximum payout Effective: 90% of projected maximum payout Developing 1: 80% of projected maximum payout for those teachers who are in their first 3 years of teaching in

Gilbert Public Schools (T-3) Developing 2: 50% of projected maximum payout for those teachers who are in their 4th year or more of teaching

in Gilbert Public Schools (T+3) Ineffective: 0% of projected maximum payout NOTE: All stipends, percentages and money figures, contained in this document are estimates only. Final figures will be calculated when projections of sales tax revenues are released by the Department of Revenue. Additional / Carry Over Funds: After all PFP stipends have been distributed if sufficient funds exist to provide each eligible certified teacher will receive an additional stipend of $100 or more As per the teacher classification section. Highly Effective teachers: 100% of the $100.00 stipend Effective teachers: 90% of $100.00 stipend Developing 1 teachers: 80% of $100.00 stipend Developing 2 teachers: 50% of $100.00 stipend Ineffective teachers: 0% of $100.00 stipend If less than $100 per eligible participant is available, the money will be carried over to next year.

1. A certified teacher whose contract is not renewed by the Governing Board will not receive additional funds. 2. Any certified teacher employed during the 2013-2014 school year who was separated from employment due to a

reduction in force will be eligible for these additional funds. PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES:

1. The District PFP Plan will be submitted for Board approval at the second regularly scheduled board meeting in April each year.

2. Each certified teacher will enroll in a PLC via My Learning Plan (MLP) prior to his/her second PLC meeting. 3. Each PLC will submit Team SMART Goal(s) to SIC for approval. An initial SMART goal will be submitted by

the last Friday in September each year. 4. Each PLC will submit a PLC Learning Log via MLP to SIC after the conclusion of each meeting.

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5. DOC will review the funds allocated to PFP for the current school year and the carryover funds from the previous school year at the beginning of each school year to readjust, if necessary, the amount of funds dedicated to Pay for Performance Plan.

6. At the conclusion of the first PLC meeting on the first Wednesday in November, the MLP Leader must update all PLC Logs and attendance by 5:30 pm in order to verify attendance for First Semester Payout.

7. SIC will submit the First Semester Payment Form (with employee name and EID number) to the Department of Talent Management no later than the third Friday of November to meet the first semester payment distribution.

8. Funds for verifications submitted on or before the third Friday in November will be distributed to teachers on the first payroll in December.

9. Each certified teacher will submit a PFP Yearly Reflection Form to SIC for review by the second Friday in April each year.

10. At the conclusion of the first PLC meeting in May, the MLP Leader must update all PLC Logs and attendance by 5:30 pm in order to verify attendance for Second Semester Payout.

11. SIC will submit the Second Semester Payment Form (with employee name and EID number) to the Department of Talent Management no later than the third Friday in May to meet the second semester payment distribution.

12. Funds for verifications submitted on or before the third Friday in May will be distributed to teachers on the final payroll in May.

13. Each SIC Chair will submit the School-wide PLC Reflection Form to DOC for review by the second Friday in May each year.

14. Principals will submit a roster indicating teacher performance to the Department of Talent Management Department by the last Wednesday in May.

15. Performance Based Compensation (Teacher Evaluation) names that are submitted by the last Wednesday in May will be paid out on the first payroll in June. Certified staff names not submitted in May will be paid out by the end of the fiscal year.

16. Spring APLP’s must be approved & completed by the SIC by the second Friday of May. 17. SIC must maintain appropriate documentation verifying teachers’ completion of PFP requirements for three years.

CLARIFICATIONS AND DEFINITIONS:

1. A certified teacher participating in the PFP Plan is defined as any contracted certified employee, who is paid from the certified salary schedule and provides services to students.

2. Traveling certified teachers and other eligible certified teachers who are not connected to a specific school, will participate in the program at a school or district level as designated by their evaluating supervisor.

3. Part-time certified teachers may participate in PFP and receive compensation based upon the number of PLC meetings attended.

4. Long-term, certified, substitute teachers who are employed in the same teaching assignment for 70% of the semester may participate in PFP and receive compensation based upon the number of PLC meetings attended.

EXHIBIT II CLASSROOM SITE FUNDS: ARS § 15-977 was passed by the voters of Arizona in the fall of 2000 to further fund education through an increase in the state sales tax effective July 1, 2001. This initiative provided additional funding to schools in three (3) separate categories.

Category A - Teacher Compensation 20% These funds are to be added to teachers' salary schedule. The distribution of this money on the salary schedule will be considered as a part of the Meet and Confer process. Category B - Teacher Compensation 40% These funds are overseen by the Governing Board to be distributed either district-wide or at individual sites. The money may be allocated with principal input for the following items.

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• Class Size Reduction • Teacher Compensation • AIMS Intervention • Teacher Development • Dropout Prevention • Teacher Liability

As a result of input received from principals, it was recommended to the Governing Board that a significant portion of Category B dollars continue to be used for teacher compensation. Category C – Performance Pay for Teachers 40% These funds are to be expended through a collaboratively designed and developed performance based pay plan. NOTE: All stipends, percentages and money figures, contained in this document are estimates only. Final figures will be calculated when projections of sales tax revenues are released by the Department of Revenue.

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SECTION FOUR:

SUPPORT STAFF ONLY

INCLUDING NURSES AND

SOCIAL WORKERS

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NEW EMPLOYEES – Support Staff New district employees, employed to fill Support Staff vacancies, shall be assigned job descriptions consistent with their respective positions, titles, and responsibilities. Testing of employees may be required at the supervisor's discretion. Employees new to the District may be placed, after successfully completing the one hundred twenty (120) work day probationary period, on Step 2 of the salary schedule based upon their experience. The Director of the Department of Talent Management has the authority to place employees new to a position on the salary schedule greater than Step 1 based on previous experience for exemplary candidates, difficult to fill or critical positions. To be considered for this increase in step placement, the past job related experience must be at least one year in length. The request must be in writing by the employee to the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer of the Department of Talent Management for approval. New employees hired before the first day of February will be eligible for a full step increment the following fiscal year (July 1) if the step is granted by the Governing Board. During a year when there is no step increase, no advancement to Step 2 will take place. All new employees must be fingerprinted before they are assigned. Gilbert Public School is participating in the E-Verify Program, in order to comply with Federal regulations for employment eligibility. All new hires to GPS after January 1, 2008 will be e-verified for employment eligibility. The assignment will not take place until the information from the fingerprint check is reviewed by the Support Staff Personnel Office.

If the job position has been regraded to a higher grade for the current year, no additional steps will be granted for employees new to the District after completing a one hundred twenty (120) work day probationary period. ON-CALL EMPLOYEES - Support Staff Employees who are directed to be on-call during a weekend or holiday period will receive the equivalent of four (4) hours of pay with a maximum of 2 hours per day. If an employee is on-call during a 3-day weekend, the employee will receive a maximum of 6 hours of pay. If the employee is called and has to work on an emergency situation, the employee will be paid one and one-half (1 1/2) times his/her wage either in monetary funds or in compensatory time. The employee and the supervisor will decide the means of compensation. On-call employees are defined as employees who must remain in the area of their home while on-call so they can be easily contacted and then respond to emergency situations. Exempt employees who are on-call will only receive the equivalent of four (4) hours of pay at their pay rate. A schedule outlining who is on-call will be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent on January 1 and July 1. SUBSTITUTE EMPLOYEES – Support Staff Current district employees who are performing the duties of another job title will be paid at Step 1 and the grade for the position in which they are substituting.

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PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES - Support Staff Employees hired new to the District in 2014-2015 shall be employed for a a one hundred twenty (120) work day probationary period. Upon completion of the probationary period, required professional development courses, and a satisfactory evaluation, the employee will be granted regular employment status. Under extenuating circumstances, the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer may extend the probationary period an additional sixty (60) work days. An employee may be dismissed without prior notice or obligation during the probationary work period. STATEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT - Support Staff

Each Support Staff employee who will be offered a Statement of Employment shall be given the form no later than June 30 of each year. It is the intent of the district that a Statement of Employment will be delivered to each Support Staff Employee prior to the end of the student school year. The following information will be included: 1. Hourly rate/Range 2. Grade 3. Step 4. Days (including holidays) 5. Dates of Employment 6. Contract Calendar STATEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT LENGTHS - Support Staff Support Staff employees are paid on a per fiscal year basis. Each contract is a specific length. The following is a list of the GPS contract lengths:

12 month long (12mnth) 247 workdays/260 total days 12 month short (12mnts) 234 workdays/247 total days 11 month (11 mnth) 215 workdays/227 total days 10.5 month (10.5mnt) 203 workdays /215 total days 10 month (10mnth) 194 workdays /206 total days 10 mnth special (10mnthsp) 194 workdays /206 total days Health Asst./Nurse 185 workdays /196 total days 9.5 month (9.5 mnth) 185 workdays /196 total days Security Guards 181 workdays /192 total days Aides, 9 month (9mnth) 180 workdays /191 total days Crossing Guards 180 workdays /191 total days Transportation 182 workdays /193 total days

For further clarification, please refer to the 2014-2015 calendars on the District website. YEAR ROUND STATEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT FOR NINE (9) AND TEN (10) MONTH EMPLOYEES - Support Staff (Not applicable for Nurses and Social Workers) The District shall offer to the ten (10) most senior nine (9) and ten (10) month employees employment over the summer, if available, at the summer rate of pay without accruing vacation. Eligible employees shall be notified of the District's offer by April 15 for the upcoming school year. The employee shall

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indicate his/her intent on/or before May 1. If the employee accepts the position, he/she shall work at summer duties assigned by the Assistant Superintendent. SUPPORT STAFF WORK HOURS (Not applicable for Nurses and Social Workers) Support staff who work between a six (6) and eight (8) hour contract day are required to take a thirty (30) minute lunch break outside of the contract hours. Support staff employees may choose to take an hour lunch break outside of the contract hours, if approved by site administrator.

Example: If an 8-hour employee chooses a 1-hour lunch break, his/her work day is 9 hours, which includes a 1-hour lunch break.

The employee must indicate their preference to his/her direct supervisor at the start of each contractual year whether he/she will take a thirty (30) minute or one (1) hour lunch break.

Eight (8), seven (7) and six (6) hour support staff are allowed to take a fifteen (15) minute break during the first half of the shift and a fifteen (15) minute break during the second half of the shift. These breaks may not be combined with the lunch break, or combined at the end of the day in order to leave early. The administrator shall retain the right to determine the employee’s work schedule. Four (4) and five (5) hour support staff are allowed one (1) fifteen (15) minute break.

Dual employees will receive breaks at each site, providing they work four (4) or more hours at that site.

The District operates on a four (4) day work week during the summer. An exception to the four (4) day work week may be granted by the Superintendent to specific departments. TIME CLOCKS – Support Staff (Not applicable for Nurses and Social Workers)

Gilbert Public Schools has implemented the KRONOS Electronic Timekeeping System in order to automate the timekeeping process. All non-exempt employees will use this system.

Rounding Rule The KRONOS Timekeeping system works on a seven (7) minute rounding rule with the exception of Actime (actual time) employees. The time of clock-in is rounded to the nearest 15-minute interval. Examples of how this affects an employee’s time are presented below:

Example 1: An employee clocks in seven (7) minutes prior to their start time – 8:00 a.m. The time of the clock is rounded to 8:00 a.m.

Example 2: An employee clocks in seven (7) minutes after their start time – 8:00 a.m. The time of the clock in is rounded back to 8:00 a.m.

The same rounding occurs at the end of the day as well. Therefore, it is imperative that employees understand this concept, so they are aware their pay may be affected.

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COMPENSATORY TIME – Support Staff (Not applicable for Nurses and Social Workers) The District shall grant compensatory time to non-exempt employees. Exempt employees are not eligible for compensatory time. The work week, for purposes of this policy, shall be Monday through Sunday. Compensatory time may only be accrued if pre-approved by the supervisor of the employee. Any support staff employee who works beyond their contract day shall receive compensatory time. If the employee works less than 40 hours in a week, compensatory time will be earned at a 1:1 ratio. If the employee worked more than 40 hours in a week, compensatory time will be earned at a 1:1 ½ ratio. The employee shall have the opportunity to specify dates to take compensatory leave. Compensatory time leave may not be denied unless the employee's absence would adversely affect the operation of the department. An employee may accumulate only eighty (80) hours of compensatory time, unless the supervisor and the Assistant Superintendent grant prior written approval. Compensatory time is not transferable. An employee must use compensatory time in the position where accrued. Compensatory time accrued during the employee’s contractual year must be used before the end of the employee’s contractual year. There will be no carry-over of compensatory time from year to year unless pre-approved by the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer of the Department of Talent Management or designee. It is understood this time off would not be taken when the absence would adversely affect the operation of the department. Compensatory time leave will be determined between the employee and the supervisor. The District shall retain the right to determine if compensatory time is paid by time off or monetarily. VACATION - Support Staff Only Vacation benefits for all full-time twelve (12) month Support Staff employees shall be earned at the following rate: 12 Month Long 12 Month Short 0 to 5 Years Completed………8 Hours Per Month 0 to 5 Years Completed……...7.6 Hours Per Month 6 to 12 Years Completed…….11 Hours Per Month 6 to 12 Years Completed……..10.45 Hours Per Month 13 Plus Years Completed……14 Hours Per Month 13 Plus Years Completed……13.3 Hours Per Month Vacation hours may be carried forward from fiscal year to fiscal year. These hours shall not exceed 168 hours (maximum hours). Hours shall be determined as of the end of the last pay period of each fiscal year. Employees whose hours exceed 168 hours, as of the end of the last pay period of each contracted year, will only be allowed to retain the maximum hours. When an existing full-time (9-10-11 month) employee, becomes a full-time twelve (12) month employee, all his/her months of service with the District from the date of full-time employment shall be counted when calculating vacation. Each supervisor will ensure that an annual vacation schedule is established. It is important that the vacation schedule take into consideration work activity during the ensuing year. Each employee will be given the opportunity to indicate the most suitable time for his or her planned vacation. In the event a conflict exists, the employee with greater seniority will be given preference. The fact that vacation should be scheduled does not mean that unscheduled vacations will not be considered. Unscheduled vacation needs should be made known as soon as possible. Full-time Support Staff employees are required to use all vacation days prior to the severance of employment, except when approved by the Superintendent, in which case the employee will be paid for his/her unused vacation up to 168 hours. Such approval must occur at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to terminating employment. This reimbursement will be paid prior to July 1.

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PAID HOLIDAYS – Support Staff All full-time Support Staff employees shall receive paid holidays according to the following schedule:

12 Month Employee…………………………………………………………………..…..Thirteen (13) Days 11/10 Month Employees……………………………………………………………..….....Twelve (12) Days 9 Month Employees…………………………………………………………………..….....Eleven (11) Days

Paid holidays shall be observed on:

Independence Day (12 Month Employees Only)…………………………………………………….…July 4 Labor Day……………………………………………………………………………….……......September 1 Veterans Day………………………………………………………………………….............…November 11 Thanksgiving Day……………………………………………………………………….............November 27 Day after Thanksgiving…………………………………………………....................................November 28 Christmas Eve...…………………….………………………….………………………………..December 24 Christmas Day ………………………………………………………………….……………….December 25 New Year’s Eve………………………………..……….………………………………….........December 31 New Year’s Day…….……………………………………………………..……………..……….…January 1 Martin Luther King Day……………………………………………………………..………….....January 19 Presidents' Day………………………………………………………………………..………......February 16 Spring Holiday……………………………………………………………………...….......................April 3 Memorial Day (10/11/12 Month Employees Only)……………………………………………….......May 25

Employees who have been granted an unpaid leave will not be paid for holidays that fall within the leave time. Probationary employees new to the District will not receive pay for a designated holiday if they have not worked on the day preceding the holiday or the day immediately following the holiday. EVALUATIONS - Support Staff All personnel shall be evaluated, using the District developed evaluation instrument, on a yearly basis by their administrator or immediate supervisor. Evaluations on continuing employees, starting their third year, may be completed at any time during the contractual year. The evaluations shall be submitted to Department of Talent Management prior to May 1. Employees not receiving such evaluation may notify the Director of the Department of Talent Management for assistance. Pay Increase/Step Increment (Not applicable for Nurses and Social Workers due to separate Salary Schedule) Pay increase/step increments are based on an evaluation instrument. An individual receiving a “Does Not Meet Standards” evaluation will receive the same salary as in the previous contract year. Pay increase/step increments are granted, in most cases, at the beginning of each fiscal year. These increments will be limited to one (1) pay increase/step increment during the fiscal year. Employees not receiving a pay raise under this item will be reviewed sixty (60) working days after the beginning date of the new contract. If at that time the employee meets the requirements he/she will receive their increase/step. JOB OPENINGS AND POSTINGS - Support Staff When a vacant or new position is available, the following procedures shall be followed:

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1. The Human Resource office will post and approve available vacancies. All postings will be posted a minimum of three (3) working days. Approved vacancies will be posted on the district’s web site at www.gilbertschools.net. These vacancies will also be posted on the bulletin boards in the Educational Complex Building, District Department Buildings and at each campus in an area accessible to all employees. Information on posted positions will also be available on the job hotline (480-497-3300).

2. The District will be required to post for full-time and part-time positions.

3. When six (6) or more in-district applicants apply for a position, the District shall reserve the right to paper screen

applicants as long as a minimum of four (4) applicants are personally interviewed. The District may request résumés outlining job qualifications and/or test employees to screen for initial interviews. The work site supervisor shall notify paper-screened in-district applicants not selected for interviews of their status.

4. The District shall interview regular full-time or part-time employees. After interviewing in-district applicants, if a

selection is not made, in-district persons employed as temporary/substitutes/probationary employees, and out-of-district individuals, will be eligible for interviews.

5. When a selection is made, in-district applicants shall be notified, in writing, by the interviewing administrator, of

their status within five (5) working days.

6. Any employee changing positions or being promoted shall be evaluated after a one hundred twenty (120) work day period. An employee who fails to complete the one hundred twenty (120) work day probationary period and evaluation, shall be returned to a similar position, if available, at the discretion of the Assistant Superintendent for Support Staff Personnel. The calculation of the one hundred twenty (120) work days shall exclude summer days when not on contract.

7. Each employee promoted shall be placed at the step that grants the employee a minimum of 75 cents per hour

increase. Dual employees who move to a single job will have their two previous salaries averaged and then placed on the appropriate grade and step. If an employee requests a job change for a lesser grade, the employee will be compensated at his/her present step, but at the grade of the new position. If an employee changes positions and the new position is a lateral grade, the employee will remain on the same grade/step. After successfully completing the probationary period, if the employee can prove that he/she has at least one year of related experience and submits an Employee Action Request (EAR), the employee will be entitled to a one step increase. (Not applicable to Nurses and Social Workers).

8. Employees who are on a one hundred twenty (120) work day probationary period may be considered for a posted position only if there are no in-district applicants selected for the posted position. Employees who are on a remediation plan or have been administratively transferred, for disciplinary reasons, may not apply for posted positions until successful completion of the probation/remediation.

9. An existing employee of the District who is assigned transfers and/or applicant and has been placed on the

appropriate grade and step may advance to the next step after successfully completing the probationary period. The employee must prove that he/she has at least one (1) year of related experience and submit an EAR signed by the supervisor. The step increase will become effective on the 1st workday after successful completion of probation. (Not applicable to Nurses and Social Workers).

10. Employees promoted to a new position but remaining in their current job longer than (15) working days, shall

begin receiving full benefits of their promotion on the (16) sixteenth day of employment. (Not applicable to Nurses and Social Workers).

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ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSFERS – Support Staff Support Staff employees shall be employed on a district-wide basis with the interest of the individual employees in mind, and shall be assigned as needed. The transfer of an employee from one position to another may be made by the Assistant Superintendent/Chief Talent Officer when it is apparent that such a change is in the best interest of the students, the educational program, or the District. When a transfer is made for disciplinary reasons/actions resulting in a demotion, the employee will be compensated at his/her present step and at the grade of the new position. The employee's salary will be based upon the grade of the new position. The GESP President will be notified by the Department of Talent Management designee of administrative transfers prior to or within one (1) working day of the employee beginning his/her newly reassigned position. Employees who receive administrative transfers, for disciplinary reasons, will be subject to a one hundred twenty (120) work day probationary period. When new schools are opened and “lateral transfers” are made, these employees shall not be subject to a probationary period. GRADATION APPEAL PROCESS/RECLASSIFICATION APPEAL PROCESS - Support Staff A Gradation Appeals Committee is established to review gradation appeals. Membership on the committee will be a three (3) year term with a rotation of members established. The committee will be composed of one representative from each of the following job families: Transportation Food Service Maintenance Clerical Instructional Campus Administrator Technology Health Services Business Services Community Education The committee will also include the current GESP president and the Director of the Department of Talent Management. The Director of the Department of Talent Management will be a non-voting member. It is the responsibility of the Support Staff employees and/or their supervisors to submit a gradation appeal form (included with this article) on or before the Wednesday prior to the start of Winter Break to Department of Talent Management. Employees will be notified of the receipt of the appeal form in writing. The Gradation Appeals Committee will review the gradation appeal forms during the month of January. If a job title is regraded to a higher grade, the promotion will be calculated from the step the employee would have been on effective July 1, same as approval time for the regradation. If a job title is downgraded by the Gradation Appeals Committee, the employees under that job title shall retain their same step. Results from the Gradation Appeals Committee will be presented to the Governing Board no later than the end of March for an approval. A systematic review of job families will be done in the 2014-2015 school year. Any changes in gradation will be implemented July 1 at the beginning of the next fiscal year. If the request is for reclassification, the request will go to the District Administrative Budget Committee.

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SAFETY EQUIPMENT REIMBURSEMENT – Support Staff Revised 4/2014 The District may, in certain positions, require uniforms and/or specific safety items for employees. When clothing and/or safety items are required, the District shall pay the cost of these items, excluding safety shoe (steel toe). These items, with the exception of safety shoes, shall be the property of the District, shall be used only for work purposes, and must be returned to the District at the termination of employment. Individuals initially employed in positions that require safety shoes shall be responsible for the purchase of these shoes as a condition of their employment. The District shall make arrangements for the cost of safety shoes, to a maximum of $100.00. New employees who have to wear safety shoes will be responsible for buying these shoes. After new employees have been employed for six (6) months, they will be reimbursed to a maximum of $100.00 for the purchase of the shoes. Employees in a continuing position will be reimbursed, to a maximum of $100.00, for the purchase of new safety shoes once every fiscal school year (July through June).

EXHIBIT I

YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MELICAL ACT OF 1993

The Family and Medical Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid , job-protected leave to “eligible” employees for certain family and medical reasons. Employees are eligible if they have worked for a covered employer for at least one year, and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and if there are at least 50 employees within 75 miles. Reasons for taking leave - Unpaid leave must be granted for any of the following reasons:

• To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement or foster care. • To care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has serious a health condition. • For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job. At the employee’s

or employer’s option, certain kinds of paid leave may be substituted for unpaid leave. Advanced notice and medical certification - The employee may be required to provide advance leave notice and medical certification. Taking leave may be denied if requirements are not met.

• The employee ordinarily must provide 30 days advance notice when the leave is “foreseeable”. • An employer may require medical certification to support a request for leave of absence because of a serious

health condition, and may require second or third opinions (at the employer’s expense) and fitness-for-duty report to return to work.

Job benefits and protection –

• For the duration of the FMLA leave, the employer must maintain the employee’s health coverage under any “group health plan”.

• Upon return from FMLA leave, most employees must be restored to their original or equivalent positions, with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms.

• The use of FMLA leave cannot result in the loss of any employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of an employee’s leave.

Unlawful acts by employers – FMLA makes it unlawful for any employer to: • Interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right provided under FMLA. • Discharge or discriminate against any person for opposing any practice made unlawful be FMLA or for

involvement in any proceeding under or relating to FMLA.

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Enforcement – • The U.S. Department of Labor is authorized to investigate and resolve complaints of violations. • An eligible employee may bring a civil action suit against and the employer for violations.

FMLA does not affect any federal or state law prohibiting discrimination, or supersede and state or local law or collective bargaining agreement that provides greater family or medical leave rights. For additional information –

• Contact the nearest office of Wage and Hour Division through the U.S. Government, Department of Labor. • FMLA website http:/www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/ • Consult the current GPS Employee handbook for complete policy details.

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OFFICE OF TALENT MANAGEMENT ● STAFF DIRECTORY ●

Human Resources Dr. Suzanne Zentner, Chief Talent Officer/Assistant Superintendent 480-497-3(396)

Brenda Heyen, Executive Assistant 480-497-3(396) Shawn McIntosh, Director of Human Resources 480-497-3(328)

Julee Beltran, Administrative Assistant 480-497-3(328) Missy Udall, Director of Human Resources 480-497-3(374) Caryn Kracinski, Administrative Assistant 480-497-3(374)

Special Projects Ann Vestal, Special Projects Manager 480-497-3(435)

Benefits Laura Sup, Benefits Supervisor 480-497-3(337)

Holly Torska, Benefits Specialist 480-545-2(178) Jeanette Marr, Benefits Specialist 480-497-3(323)

Sub Services Julie Gustin, Substitute Services 480-497-3(493)

Support Staff Karol Goodwin, Personnel Specialist 480-497-3(348)

Stella Nora, Personnel Technician 480-497-3(345) Donna Thomas, Personnel Specialist 480-497-3(437)

Certified Staff Carla Melton, Personnel Coordinator 480-497-3(324)

Sandy Christie, Teacher Certification 480-497-3(326)

Professional Development Andrew Szczepaniak, Director of Professional Development 480-497-3(350)

Alta Johnson, Administrative Assistant 480-497-3(350) Dianne Pomeroy, Secretary 480-545-2(136)

Bea Sweet, Professional Growth Technician 480-497-3(355) Candido Aguilar, Building Manager 480-273-5650

HR Conference Room 480-497-3(383)