ARTICLE 22

ASSOCIATION AND BOARD RIGHTS

A.        School Leadership Team

1. The School Leadership Team (SLT) shall be representative of all stakeholders in the school community. The School Leadership Teams shall be represented based upon the following matrix:

Each school may determine the constitution of this team above and beyond the following minimum required members:

• The school principal and administrative team;
• The elected chief Association representative and at least three (3) other STA members elected to staggered two (2) year terms and preserving a teacher majority;
• Two (2) parents;
• Additional representative membership, preserving a teacher majority and determined by individual building staff. Additional members will be selected by their constituent groups and serve two (2) year terms.

The Association and the District shall execute a Memorandum of Understanding detailing the terms, conditions, and methods of planning and training required for implementing the School Leadership Teams.

     2. Duties:

           School Leadership Teams should operate collaboratively, model effective communication, support staff in the implementation of decisions about instructional practice (including curriculum and assessment consistent with Board policy and administrative procedures), school initiatives, and professional development. The SLT and its members shall:

a. Meet at least once a month;

b. Serve on at least one (1) of the three (3) other school-based subcommittee (Instruction and Professional Development, Labor Management, Behavior and Discipline);

c. Develop, implement, and monitor the School Improvement Plan that will be used to drive instruction to meet State Standards/Benchmarks. As part of this work, the SLT shall:

• Analyze relevant data;
• Identify root causes for areas of deficit;
• Disseminate the final plan prior to the start of the school year
• Form and implement the Instruction and Professional Development Team;
• Form and implement the Labor Management Team;
• Form and implement the Behavior and Discipline Team;
• Receive, discuss and disseminate all team reports;
• Report to the Superintendent and/or a designee and the Association;
• Make formal requests and recommendations to the Superintendent and/or a designee.

 

3. SLT members will receive compensation at the professional committee hourly rate not to exceed 24 hours per fiscal year.

4. All input is valuable and advisory to the Principal. Decision-making will use a consensus model. In the event that the group fails to reach consensus the Superintendent or his/her designee and the Union President will hear the issues. If they fail to reach an agreement, the Superintendent shall make the final decision.

5. There may be a need for other teams in the school. They should serve on an Ad Hoc basis and report to the School Leadership Team.

B. Labor Management Team

The principal and other administrators of each school shall meet monthly with the Labor Management Team to discuss school operations and questions relating to the implementation of this Agreement. These meetings shall be held during non-instructional time but, if held during the regular school day, shall not result in loss of pay to the employees. Any meeting of the Labor Management Team shall not take place during a teaching period of an employee of the committee except in the event of an emergency. The Labor Management Team shall consist of the elected chief Association representative and one other Unit 1 member and one (1) member from Unit 1 or any other STA bargaining unit, selected or appointed in a manner to be determined by the Association by laws. Proposed changes in existing building policies and procedures, staffing ratios, and new policies and procedures for each school shall be appropriate subjects for discussion at such meetings. The Labor Management Team shall report monthly and make recommendations to the School Leadership Team. Any changes in such policies and procedures shall be consistent with the terms of this Agreement. Labor Management Team members receive no additional pay.

C. Instruction and Professional Development Team

The Instruction and Professional Development Team shall meet monthly, preserve a teacher majority, include at least one elected STA representative, and no more than nine (9) individuals which may include one (1) non-unit 1 staff member. Members of the Instruction and Professional Development Team receive no additional pay.

The Instruction and Professional Development Team shall:

1. Summarize Individual Professional Growth Plans for the building;

2. Develop School Improvement Plan professional development addendum;

3. Advise on the use of building staff development funds;

4. Evaluate effectiveness of professional development at building level;

5. Support the Alternative Evaluation Process of the Model for Practitioner Evaluation – Alternative Evaluation Process;

6. Each building shall design a process for staff development reflecting a variety of professional development opportunities, such as job-embedded opportunities and support, site-based in-service courses, use of discretionary in-service days, mentoring, peer coaching and observation, focus groups, team collaborations, visitation days, teacher leaders/experts, action research and/or online professional development;

7. Identifies professional development priorities based on the above information in order to:

• Clarify content;
• Determine audience;
• Set time frame;
• Choose delivery method;
• Recommend traine

8. Implement and monitor District professional development at the building level;

9. Acts in an advisory capacity to the School Leadership Team.

D. Behavior and Discipline Team

1. No later than April 1st of each school year, the School Leadership Team shall establish a representative Behavior and Discipline Team. Such team shall preserve a teacher majority, include at least one elected building representative for the Association, and no more than nine (9) individuals. The team will use the District Student Behavior Code to develop or amend building procedures for student behavior in that school for the following school year. It shall also be charged with determining how the Student Behavior Code will be implemented including the responsibilities of both members and building administrators. The Team shall submit both plan and implementation procedures to the School Leadership Team prior to April 15th of the school year. The School Leadership Team will submit both plan and implementation procedures to the teaching staff for a vote of approval prior to May 15th of the school year.

2. If such procedures fail to receive approval by a two-thirds vote of the teaching staff, they will be referred back to the Behavior and Discipline Team, which shall make recommendations for changes and adjustments to the original procedures.

3. A revised set of Building Procedures for Student Behavior shall be submitted to the teaching staff for a second vote prior to June 5th.

4. During any period when approval is not achieved, and until such time as it is achieved, the current implementation procedures  shall be operative. In the absence of such building procedures, the District code will prevail.

5. Upon approval of the Building Procedures, copies which will reflect the date and count of the vote shall be sent to the Superintendent and/or a designee and the STA President and/or designee.

6. Such implementation procedures shall be a standing item on the monthly agenda of the School Leadership Team. The School Leadership Team minutes will reflect any discussion, or the lack thereof, pertaining to implementation procedures.

7. Behavior and Discipline Team members receive no additional pay.

E.    Task Forces

The Superintendent will establish and/or continue the following Task Forces:  the High School Task Force, the Middle School Task Force, the Elementary School Task Force, and the Curriculum Task Force. They shall review and address issues relating to education in each of these areas.  The Task Forces shall be structured as follows:

1. Members of the task forces will be jointly selected;

2. Unit members will be paid hourly (extension of service rate) for meetings and such other services as agreed upon;

3. A specified scope of work and timeline shall be identified, including maximum number of hours determined by the Superintendent;

4. Shall make decisions using a consensus model.  In the event that the group fails to reach consensus, the Superintendent or his/her designee and the Union President will hear the issues. If they fail to reach an agreement, the Superintendent shall make the final decision.

F. Association President

The President of the Association shall have no teaching or extracurricular assignments but shall retain the option to teach a minimum of one (1) instructional period.  When it is necessary for the President of the Association or a designee to engage in Association activities directly related to Association representation of members which cannot be performed other than during school hours, the President or a designated representative may, after consultation with the Superintendent or a designee, be allowed to visit schools to investigate working conditions, teacher complaints, problems, or for other purposes relating to Association affairs.  Upon the arrival of the President or a representative at any school, the principal, or a representative, shall confer with the President in order to facilitate the purpose of the visit.  Whenever possible, the President shall give advance notice of a visit, and, on arrival, report his/her presence to the office.

G. Association Attendance at Meetings

Whenever representatives of the Association are mutually scheduled by both parties to participate during working hours in conferences, meetings, or collective bargaining negotiations, they shall suffer no loss of pay.  If negotiating sessions between the District and the Association are scheduled during a school day by mutual agreement, representatives of the Association, in number not to exceed eight (8), will be relieved from all regular duties without loss of pay and as necessary in order to permit their participation in such meetings.  A Faculty Representative, member of the Grievance Committee, or other representative designated by an aggrieved teacher to attend a grievance hearing during a school day will, upon timely notification to the Superintendent, be released without loss of pay and as necessary in order to permit participation in a formal grievance proceeding.  A substitute teacher will be assigned, when possible and necessary, to cover all duties of said teacher.  The aggrieved teacher, and any other teacher appearing in a grievance hearing as a witness will be accorded the same right.

H. Reports at Faculty Meetings

The Association shall be given an opportunity to present reports and announcements at building faculty meetings, but no teacher shall be required to remain for that portion of the meeting.

I. New Teacher Orientation

The Association shall be given an opportunity to schedule a one-hour meeting for all new employees during the orientation program.  No other activities shall be scheduled during this period.  The Association shall be provided with a mailing list of newly hired employees as soon as possible, as well as a supplemental monthly list upon request. The District and the Association will jointly plan a new teacher orientation to be held prior to the beginning of the school year.

J. New Programs

When new projects or proposals are developed, they should conform to provisions of the existing Agreement. Where required for purposes of obtaining project approval by State or Federal agencies to draft a proposal which has provisions inconsistent with the existing Agreement, the proposal shall be submitted to the Association for review prior to final submission for funding.  Any member of the Unit employed to work under the terms of such a proposal shall execute a Memorandum of Understanding, which shall be provided by the Board and clearly set forth exceptions to the Agreement under which they will be working, prior to his or her official appointment to the position in question. The Association shall be provided with copies of all such Memoranda, when executed.

K. Notice of Resignation

Pursuant to the applicable provisions of the New York State Education Law, any regularly assigned teacher who desires to terminate his/her services shall file a written notice of termination with the Superintendent at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of such termination of services.

L. Employee Health

Continued employment by the District implies good physical and mental health.  The Board reserves the right to require personnel to present satisfactory reports on the status of their mental and physical health, pursuant to § 913, or any other applicable provisions of Education Law.