Article II Employment Considerations
II.1 Employment philosophy and considerations
A. Marital status, race, creed, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, physical disabilities, political belief, participation or non-participation in employee organizations, or number of years teaching experience shall not be made a condition of employment.
B. Neither the Board nor the Association will discriminate against any employee of the bargaining unit on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, age, sex, religion, physical disabilities, national origin, political belief, participation or non-participation in employee organizations or participation or non-participation in a grievance. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the employee from legal recourses outside the contract.
C. All conditions of employment as set forth in this article shall apply to all employees except as specifically stated.
II.2 Work year
A. The work year for all ten (10) month employees shall be 196 days. Additional days may be added at the discretion of the Board at the same daily rate.
B. The school calendar, as adopted by the Board, shall include teacher workdays for planning/ preparation, professional development, early release days, parent/teacher conferences and holidays as follows:
1. There will be six (6) paid holidays.
2. A minimum of two and a half (2.5) uninterrupted pre-school days shall be scheduled as teacher workdays before the start of the student calendar and shall be designated by the District and used at the discretion of the individual teacher for classroom planning and preparation.
3. There will be one (1) planning/preparation teacher workdays after the first semester/during second semester.
4. Four and a half (4.5) days shall be designated as in-service/professional development days.
5. There will be one (1) post-school teacher workday on the last day of the teacher work year. This day shall be used for the employee‘s own preparation purposes.
6. There shall be six (6) student early release days. The time after student release on these days shall be utilized for professional development.
7. One (1) flex day will be available to teachers each school year. A flex day is defined as a teacher work day immediately preceding the first teacher pre-school work day. Flex days shall be used for planning and classroom preparation. A teacher may elect to work a flex day and then take one of the other teacher workdays off during the school year, including the last post-school day. Teachers must notify principals in advance as much as possible if a flex day will be utilized during any given school year.
8. Employees will not be required to attend any function outside the regular workday except for two (2) mandatory report card conference nights and one (1) open house/curriculum night. Report 4 card conference nights will be held from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. after the first and third quarters of each school year and each represents one-half (1/2) of a teacher contract day.
C. When schools and school offices are officially closed for emergency reasons by the Superintendent, employees shall be paid as usual and no leave day previously arranged by an employee shall be deducted. Make-up days shall be scheduled by the Superintendent; however, the Association shall have the opportunity to provide input prior to the Board approval.
D. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as a waiver of or is intended to negate the District‘s management rights as contained in Florida State Statutes 447.209.
II.3 Pay schedule
A. Salary checks will be paid every two weeks for twenty-six (26) pays for all employees, regardless of whether the pay date is a holiday/non-work day. If the pay date is a banking holiday, then the pay date would be one day earlier, unless doing so would create more than 26 pays in a calendar year. Should that situation occur, then the pay date would be the next banking day. All checks are issued in accordance with the annual pay schedule. The final pay will be issued on the regularly scheduled pay date for the pay period in which the work is performed with certain exceptions. Notes shall appear on all pay stubs regarding supplements, additions, and changes not reflected on Appendix B-Salary Schedule. Employees on a ten or eleven month schedule with a start date other than July 1st shall receive multiple checks (if entitled to the checks) on the last student day of school. The multiple checks issued on the last student day of school shall be eligible for direct deposit.
B. All benefit deductions and contributions will be accrued on a 24-pay cycle basis. All insurance deductions will be deducted the month of the coverage period to ensure adequate funding/payment for employee-paid benefits. Employees are responsible for all unpaid past due insurance premiums. Failure to pay past due premiums within thirty (30) calendar days will result in termination of coverage, unless other repayment arrangements have been made with the Benefits Department. The District will deliver written notice to the employee‘s address on file with Human Resources by certified mail thirty (30) calendar days prior to the effective date of coverage termination. The District may at its sole discretion extend the deadline for payment of past due premiums in the event of documented extenuating circumstances.
C. Employees who have taught summer school shall receive their retroactive paychecks within thirty (30) days of ratification of this Agreement.
D. All employees will be paid in accordance with the salary schedules attached in Appendix-B.
E. Sick leave during summer programs shall be accrued consistent with Florida law.
II.4 Placement on the salary schedule
A. Newly hired instructional personnel shall be placed onto the Placement Schedule for 196 Contract
Day Employees as outlined in Appendix B.1 – Placement/Transition Schedules.
5
B. Instructional personnel possessing advanced degrees who are hired on or after July 1, 2014 shall receive supplements for only the highest degree earned in their area of certification in the amounts below:
1. Master‘s Degree - $2,400
2. Specialist Degree/Double Masters‘ Degree - $3,600
3. Doctorate Degree - $4,800
C. The Board will reassess the amounts of the supplements described in II.4.B by January 24, 2016.
D. Speech and Language Pathology Teachers who hold a Certificate of Clinical Competency, a master‘s degree or equivalent with a major emphasis in speech-language pathology, audiology, speech-language or hearing science will be paid at the master‘s degree level on the salary schedule.
1. All current and future Speech/Language Pathologists will receive and be granted credit on the
salary schedule for all verified years of public and/or private experience.
2. Prior experience will be granted based upon the following formula: the average number of
hours worked per week, divided by the average hours per work week (37.5), multiplied by the number of months worked, divided by ten (10) months, resulting in a number representing full-time work years. Multiple jobs are calculated individually and the sum of the work years are added together and rounded to the nearest full year.
a. An average work week for purposes of experience calculation is thirty-seven and one-half (37.5) hours per week.
b. A full year for placement purposes is considered to be ten (10) months of work experience.
E. With respect to placement on the teacher salary schedule, teachers entering into a written contract for employment in the District will be credited with prior teaching experience to the extent required by statute and within the limitations contained herein. A year‘s experience for salary schedule movement and placement is defined as working one-half of a work year plus one day.
F. Instructional staff assigned to Indiantown Middle and Warfield Elementary schools on or after July 1, 2014 shall, for the duration of the assignment, have their individual salaries adjusted to reflect a $2,000 Western Zone supplement. Instructional staff assigned to Indiantown Middle and Warfield Elementary schools on or before June 30, 2014 shall, for the duration of the assignment, have their individual salaries adjusted to reflect a $1,375 Western Zone supplement, and shall continue to receive the Western Zone Supplement described in Appendix B.2 – Negotiated Instructional Supplements, namely, 4.5% of $37,000.
Day Employees as outlined in Appendix B.1 – Placement/Transition Schedules.
5
B. Instructional personnel possessing advanced degrees who are hired on or after July 1, 2014 shall receive supplements for only the highest degree earned in their area of certification in the amounts below:
1. Master‘s Degree - $2,400
2. Specialist Degree/Double Masters‘ Degree - $3,600
3. Doctorate Degree - $4,800
C. The Board will reassess the amounts of the supplements described in II.4.B by January 24, 2016.
D. Speech and Language Pathology Teachers who hold a Certificate of Clinical Competency, a master‘s degree or equivalent with a major emphasis in speech-language pathology, audiology, speech-language or hearing science will be paid at the master‘s degree level on the salary schedule.
1. All current and future Speech/Language Pathologists will receive and be granted credit on the
salary schedule for all verified years of public and/or private experience.
2. Prior experience will be granted based upon the following formula: the average number of
hours worked per week, divided by the average hours per work week (37.5), multiplied by the number of months worked, divided by ten (10) months, resulting in a number representing full-time work years. Multiple jobs are calculated individually and the sum of the work years are added together and rounded to the nearest full year.
a. An average work week for purposes of experience calculation is thirty-seven and one-half (37.5) hours per week.
b. A full year for placement purposes is considered to be ten (10) months of work experience.
E. With respect to placement on the teacher salary schedule, teachers entering into a written contract for employment in the District will be credited with prior teaching experience to the extent required by statute and within the limitations contained herein. A year‘s experience for salary schedule movement and placement is defined as working one-half of a work year plus one day.
F. Instructional staff assigned to Indiantown Middle and Warfield Elementary schools on or after July 1, 2014 shall, for the duration of the assignment, have their individual salaries adjusted to reflect a $2,000 Western Zone supplement. Instructional staff assigned to Indiantown Middle and Warfield Elementary schools on or before June 30, 2014 shall, for the duration of the assignment, have their individual salaries adjusted to reflect a $1,375 Western Zone supplement, and shall continue to receive the Western Zone Supplement described in Appendix B.2 – Negotiated Instructional Supplements, namely, 4.5% of $37,000.
G. The individual employee‘s wages will remain at the previous year's salaries until an agreement on wages for the year has been reached and agreed to by the parties. Salaries will be adjusted to reflect the agreed upon monetary value. Notwithstanding indicated placement of new hires on the salary schedule, until such time as wages have been adjusted for current employees, new hires shall be placed on the Placement Schedule in accordance with the provisions contained in Appendix B.
H. In the event that the School Board of Martin County and MCEA fail to reach agreement prior to July 1, and through the negotiated process, it is mutually agreed that salary increases will be paid retroactively.
When the wage adjustment is to be retroactive, only those employees who have not been discharged or who have not resigned prior to the date of the contract ratification will receive retroactive pay. Those employees retiring under the Florida Retirement System Pension Plan during the period of time of the negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement are eligible for a one-time bonus payment in an amount equivalent to the calculated amount of that retiree‘s retroactive pay. Retirees who wish to remain eligible for the ‗retirement retroactive pay bonus‘ must qualify for retirement under the Florida Retirement System and notify the Chief Human Resource Officer ninety (90) days prior to the projected retirement date in order to receive this bonus. Said written notice must provide the District with a valid mailing address to which the District will mail the retirement retroactive pay bonus. This bonus will be paid only once. It is the sole responsibility of the retiree to provide and maintain with the District a current and valid mailing address.
H. In the event that the School Board of Martin County and MCEA fail to reach agreement prior to July 1, and through the negotiated process, it is mutually agreed that salary increases will be paid retroactively.
When the wage adjustment is to be retroactive, only those employees who have not been discharged or who have not resigned prior to the date of the contract ratification will receive retroactive pay. Those employees retiring under the Florida Retirement System Pension Plan during the period of time of the negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement are eligible for a one-time bonus payment in an amount equivalent to the calculated amount of that retiree‘s retroactive pay. Retirees who wish to remain eligible for the ‗retirement retroactive pay bonus‘ must qualify for retirement under the Florida Retirement System and notify the Chief Human Resource Officer ninety (90) days prior to the projected retirement date in order to receive this bonus. Said written notice must provide the District with a valid mailing address to which the District will mail the retirement retroactive pay bonus. This bonus will be paid only once. It is the sole responsibility of the retiree to provide and maintain with the District a current and valid mailing address.
II.5 Professional courtesy
The Association and the School Board will endeavor to provide an opportunity for employees to attend college classes when there are extenuating circumstances. Employees shall notify the Association and the School Board upon knowledge of such circumstances.
II.6 Job sharing
A. Job Sharing: Job sharing shall refer to two (2) employees voluntarily sharing one (1) fulltime position. A list of employees interested in job sharing shall be available to the Personnel Office. Teacher participation in the job-sharing program is voluntary.B. The Association and the Board agree that job sharing provides career flexibility and opportunities for fulfillment of professional and personal needs. It can increase motivation and productivity in the classroom.C. The requirements for employees seeking job sharing positions include: three (3) years of continuous service in Martin County, satisfactory evaluations, certification in the field in which they anticipate job sharing, familiarity with the curriculum (grade level or subject) where they anticipate job sharing, approval of their current site administrator to participate, approval by the Superintendent.D. The deadline for application for job sharing will be May 1.E. The following must be agreed to by all job sharing applicants:
- The application form must be signed by all participants.
- All job sharing participants shall receive fifty (50%) of the fulltime salary, fifty (50%) of current benefits, and fifty (50%) of the normal sick leave. In order to receive insurance benefits, the participants must provide for payment of fifty (50%) of all premiums.
- The participants must agree to an annual commitment to job sharing.
- All job sharing participants must attend pre-school days, first day of school, parent-teacher conferences, open house, and in-service days.
- The job sharing participants shall substitute for each other whenever possible at fifty (50%) of the substitute’s daily rate.
- Should either job sharing partner be unable to fulfill the year long commitment, the other shall complete the fulltime assignment, whenever possible.
F. Job sharing participants are required to serve their proportionate share of the employee work week for salary step movement.G. Participants who choose not to participate a second year shall be returned to their previous School Board position (before job sharing). Participants who job share for more than one (1) year shall be returned to positions in their area of certification.H. No more than one (1%) of the employees may job share each year.
