The following guidelines are established by the Board and the Association as teaching load objectives toward which the District should strive. It is understood that exceptions will be necessary because of unusual circumstances including, but not limited to, budget limitations and/or availability of staff, and that the permissive guidelines hereinafter set forth in this article are not to be construed as guarantees which are binding upon the District.
A. Equitable Distribution of Students
1. The District and the Association recognize the continuing need to effectively address the issue of achieving an equitable distribution of students in the general education classroom including students with disabilities, the impact the addition of such students has upon the general education classroom situation, and the adjustments and/or allowances which sometimes must be made in either a particular classroom or school as a result thereof. Procedures to be followed in carrying out the objectives of this section are set forth in Article 13A (Students with Disabilities).
2. With regard to students with disabilities who have been determined to be resource students (those who receive primary instruction in a general education classroom and supplemental support from a special education teacher), the District has established, and will implement, procedures as outlined in Article 13B (Students with Disabilities).
3. With regard to self-contained students (those whose primary educational program consists of fifty percent (50%) or more of the school day in a self-contained special class), the District agrees to implement those sections of Article 13 (Students with Disabilities) which relate to Mainstreaming Procedures and the Process for Correcting and Monitoring Imbalance. In so doing, however, it is understood and agreed that, while the District is committed to eliminating mainstreaming student load inequities, there may be occasional situations where an immediate remedy, for valid and sufficient reasons, is not available. The parties agree, therefore, those issues which cannot be resolved will be addressed as set forth in Article 13C (Students with Disabilities).
B. Students with Disabilities
1. Enrollment and participation in educational programs for students with disabilities shall be in accordance with, and shall not exceed (unless proper variance has been requested and approved by the Commissioner), the limitations and standards set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner § 200, and additional applicable provisions of New York State Education Law, as they may be amended during the term of the Agreement.
2. All District and local committees on special education for students with disabilities should include special education teacher representation.
3. Legislative and/or program changes and such other matters which relate to the successful implementation and maintenance of the Special Education for Disabled students Program shall be communicated to employees working with students with disabilities and the Association.
C. Elementary Planning
1. Elementary practitioners shall receive at least one (1) daily unencumbered forty (40) minute preparation period during the student day. This preparation/planning time will take place when students are instructed in areas including, but not limited to, music, art and physical education. If scheduling and/or staffing anomalies dictate that the above is not possible, practitioners shall receive preparation/planning time as follows:
a. Two hundred (200) minutes of planning time every five (5) days and distributed over at least four (4) of the five (5) days;
b. This preparation time shall be distributed in increments of no less than forty (40) consecutive minutes.
2. When an elementary class is scheduled for direct instruction from a library media specialist, with no other classes or groups of students present at the same time, the classroom teacher may use such time for preparation as described above.
D. Elementary Class Size
With the exception of inclusion classes and special classes, elementary class size should be no larger than twenty-eight (28) students.
E. Secondary Daily Periods of Instruction
The number of daily periods of instruction for secondary teachers should not exceed five (5) per day, or a daily load of more than one hundred and twenty-five (125) students.
F. Secondary Daily Preparation
1. Secondary teachers should not be required, except on their own option, to teach more than two (2) academic disciplines in any given semester, nor have more than three (3) daily preparations. No secondary teacher should have more than one (1) duty period per day beyond the normal teaching load.
2. Tenured secondary teachers may volunteer to teach one additional class beyond the contractual limit of five (5). Non-tenured secondary teachers shall not be eligible to teach an additional class. No teacher can be assigned an additional class beyond the contractual limit. Tenured secondary teachers choosing to teach an extra class shall receive a salary increase equivalent to 1/6th of their annual contract salary.
3. Secondary teachers should not be required to teach two (2) subjects in one class period except under circumstances where class load is such as to require cancellation of offerings if courses are not consolidated.
G. Teaching Assignment
Services expected in a teaching assignment may include a regular student load in accordance with this Agreement, as well as the supervision of a homeroom, a non-class (extracurricular) assignment, and related school responsibilities.
H. Professional Time Options
1. The parties agree that time is a valuable commodity for all stakeholders in the District. The parties further agree that, when building schedules allow for them, there are educational activities in which staff can be engaged that may prove beneficial to the enterprise of teaching and learning. This “professional time” may be:
a. A period during the school day in which staff is not assigned an instructional or planning period;
b. Assigned in lieu of a duty period.
2. The use of this time will be determined by each building’s SLT and conform to the School Improvement Plan. It is understood by both parties that this time will not be used for Faculty Meetings. Appropriate uses of this time include, but are not limited to;
a. Tutoring small groups of students (10 or less) in specific content areas by staff certified in those areas;
b. Hosting special interest clubs for students (chess, photography, etc.);
c. Team meetings;
- Office hours (meeting with individual students);
- Professional development;
- Working in after school programs;
- Opportunities for relationship building in groups of students (15 or less).
I. Supporting Personnel (Professional)
1. There should be one (1) guidance counselor for every four hundred (400) students at the secondary level. At the elementary level, there should be at least one (1) guidance counselor and one (1) school social worker for every six hundred (600) students.
2. A school psychologist should be available in secondary schools at least two (2) days a week and in every elementary school at least one (1) day a week. This should not be interpreted to exclude assignment on a full-time basis where such assignment is justified. School psychologists should have a private office area in each school in which they work which will accommodate small groups as well as individual counseling.
3. The District psychiatric services should be utilized as they become available.
J. Physical Education/Art Instruction
1. Formal scheduled physical education should be taught by a physical education teacher.
2. Each art class should be provided with the following:
a. A classroom in each school with adequate equipment and supplies to be used for art;
b. Class size to be determined in proportion to room size and storage area available for work.
K. Music Instruction
All primary grades should have a regularly scheduled music period at least once per week. Full-time elementary music teachers, assigned to grades 1 through 6, should not be assigned to more than two (2) schools.
L. School Libraries
Secondary school libraries should be adequately staffed and each elementary school should have a library under professional library supervision.
M. Schedules for Special Area Teachers
Schedules for special area teachers shall be organized in a manner which strives to maximize utilization of staff time, minimize multiple school assignments and reflects program objectives.
N. Classroom Improvements
1. The District and the Association recognize that it would be desirable to accomplish improvements with regard to facilities, equipment, and materials in the areas of art, music, libraries and physical education, but also acknowledge that existing circumstances make it impossible to do so during the term of this Agreement.
2. In the event, that in the discretion of the District, such improvements are feasible and practical, consideration will be given to the possibility of implementing them when circumstances permit. This paragraph shall in no way be construed as a guarantee or commitment by the District to take any action with regard to any of the aforementioned areas.
O. Work/Learning Stations
It is the intention of the District to provide a safe and educationally sound program within budgetary and physical limitations. To that end, the number and location of work/learning stations to be made available in subject areas such as technology education, home and career skills, occupational/vocational/technical, and business subjects shall be determined by the District after a review by the principal and the teachers involved.
P. Substitute Teachers
1. In the interest of maintaining continuity of the instructional program, the District shall endeavor to provide a paid substitute in those instances where a paid substitute is normally used. When it becomes necessary for teachers, as defined in Article I hereof, to substitute during their non-instructional periods, said teacher(s) shall be compensated at the rate of Eighteen Dollars ($18.00) per period. Elementary teachers whose normal class load is increased by five (5) or more students because of redistribution as a result of the lack of substitute teachers shall receive an additional Sixteen Dollars ($16.00) per day. In the event the normal instruction period is reduced to below forty (40) minutes, the rate of compensation per period shall be adjusted on a pro rata basis.
2. It is agreed that a substitute teacher will be provided when a teacher assumes the role of acting building administrator. In the event the building administrator is absent for more than one (1) week, personnel shall be assigned by the Superintendent or a teacher may continue as temporary acting building administrator with a substitute teacher provided in his/her place. Any teacher serving as acting building administrator shall be compensated at the rate of Thirty-Five Dollars ($35.00) per day in addition to regular salary unless or until an acting building administrator is appointed by the Superintendent. When a teacher serves in an acting capacity, it shall be with the same authority and jurisdiction as the building administrator who is temporarily replaced.
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