D. Tutoring
E. Duties and Responsibilities of the Teacher
F. Substitutes
G. Meetings
H. (Combined with Section B, Article IX)
M. Gifts
O. Field Trips
Q. Textbooks and/or Curriculum Changes
S. Keeping Children after School
W. Recording Student Attendance
X. Approval of Teaching Materials
Y. Reporting Pupil Progress to Parents/Grade Scale
Z. Standardized Testing Program
BB. Activities Outside the School Year
Teachers shall be directly responsible to the Principal of their respective buildings; they shall promptly and consistently carry out the instructions of the Principal and the Superintendent.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
The minimum requirement of the District Board of Trustees is 180 school days. Teacher contracts will be written for 190 days to include curriculum meetings, district and building meetings, teacher workdays, conference days and legal holidays falling within the work year.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 14, 1995
Members of the instructional staff are required to be on duty a minimum of 30 minutes before classes begin in the morning and 45 minutes after classes dismiss in the afternoon each workday with the exception of the last school day in each week when they may leave after the departure of the last bus to serve their school. Teachers on part time contract or special schedules such as "O" hour are expected to be on duty before and after their assigned teaching duties an amount of time proportionate to their contract and as designated by the building principal.
The required limits indicated are minimum times and do not preclude the necessity to spend additional time at school when circumstances dictate. Student conferences, departmental meetings, curriculum planning sessions, or other instruction related matters are a part of any teacher's contracted work. Therefore, teachers should anticipate that they may be called upon to work beyond the required minimum school day hours when it will serve the needs of teachers and students.
Teachers should not allow personal business to cut into the regular school day. Teachers shall be in their rooms or directly accessible to students no later than 15 minutes before the first warning bell in the morning and shall remain in their classrooms at least 15 minutes after the dismissal bell in the afternoon. Teachers must be available to the students at all times.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 8, 1988
Revised: August 11, 1997
Tutoring pupils at a district school building for pay is not permitted.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Teachers' primary responsibility is to provide every student with opportunities to develop his/her full potential intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically. Teachers shall perform such duties and meet the responsibilities as they are outlined in the job descriptions for teacher, librarian, and counselor. (See Article VIII)
Adopted: March 8, 1982
If it is necessary for a teacher to have a substitute, he/she will notify the Building Principal prior to 7:00 a.m.. The Principal will arrange for the substitute.
Substitute teachers shall be employed and paid by the district. They shall be required to assume all of the normal duties of the regular teacher. Rate of pay shall be determined by the Board.
The classroom teacher should have the following information and directions available at all times for the substitute teacher:
A. Seating Chart - kept current with first and last names of students
B. Daily program and bell schedule
C. Complete lesson plans - made out for the current week with sufficient detail so as to be easily understood
D. Fire drill procedure
E. Duty schedule
F. Instructions for reporting attendance
G. Instructions for handling money collection, if any
H. Anyother items required by the principal
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Attendance at individual building or district teacher meetings is required. District Professional Organization meetings must be scheduled after regular school day hours. Individual building meetings of representatives of the Employees Professional Organization may be held once each month after the departure of the last bus to serve the building.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Discussion of controversial issues must be on an informative, not a partisan level. Teachers shall not bias the minds of the pupils in accord with their own personal preference. Teachers are not to inflict their personal views in the instruction of issues such as religion and politics.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Excusing pupils from school to go home, or giving early dismissal, shall be done only with the knowledge and consent of the Principal. Sending pupils on errands during school hours may be done only for urgent school business and only with the express permission of the Principal. School shall not be dismissed early except when authorized by the Superintendent.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Solicitation of funds for any purpose is prohibited unless authorized by the Superintendent.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
No sectarian doctrine shall be taught in the Lakeland School District.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
A part of a teacher's responsibility includes certain clerical duties such as grading papers, preparation of lesson plans, tests, teaching materials, or preparation of reports. However, time during class periods shall be used specifically for instruction of students and not for clerical duties. Clerical duties shall be carried out during teacher preparation times.
Students should not ordinarily be given a task of grading papers. If students exchange daily work for correcting, the papers shall be collected for review by the teacher and for recording grades.
Reports to parents or other written communication by teachers shall be carefully prepared and promptly submitted as required.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 8, 1988
Teachers are not to buy presents or give food, etc., to their students, neither should they accept gifts of consequence from students.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Field trips shall be permitted providing their nature supplements and reinforces the objectives and materials of the unit being taught. Where possible, field trips should be conducted outside the regular school day.
The following criteria shall be met.
1. Administrative permission must be granted by both the Principal and the Superintendent.
2. Only district approved transportation shall be used on field trips.
3. Preliminary arrangements must be made with the place to be visited prior to the trip itself.
4. Obtain from each student participating in the trip a consent slip signed by the parents, unless the trip is a regularly scheduled extra-curricular activity.
5. Adult supervision of the students must be adequate to meet the safety and welfare of the students.
6. Teachers shall take roll before leaving the school grounds, keep count during the trip, and take roll again before departing from the place visited.
7. Field trips may not be taken within the first two weeks or the last two weeks of the school year.
8. A "Field Trip Request" form must be submitted to the Superintendent's office at least five school days in advance of the planned trip.
9. The field trip is for the benefit of the enrolled student. Siblings, pre-school students, or others that are not enrolled in the class may not be allowed to attend.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 12, 1985
Revised: August 11, 1986
Revised: August 13, 2001
Each teacher in the Lakeland pubic schools should strive to maintain a classroom in which pupils are happy and in which each one is learning. The teacher should try to approximate this goal through attitudes and practices in accord with the best principles of teaching. Causes of infractions of rules, and departures from good behavior should be studied and correction should be sought through improvement of causal factors before punishment is invoked. Study of individual differences, conferences with pupil and parent, and assistance from the Principal and specialists within the school system should be the teacher's first thought in attempting to help a pupil correct behavior patterns which are retarding his own development and interfering with the rights of others.
Corporal punishment must be regarded as a last resort and may be employed only in cases where other means of seeking cooperation from the students have failed. The Board of Trustees requires that:
1. The teacher must confer with the principal
2. The principal and teacher must be in agreement on the necessity of corporal punishment.
3. It is the responsibility of the principal to designate time, place, and the person to administer said punishment.
4. The pupil should understand clearly the seriousness of the offense and the reason for his punishment; however, care should be taken that the period of time between the offense and punishment is not so long as to cause undue anxiety in the pupil.
5. The punishment must be administered in kindness and in the presence of another adult and at a time and under conditions not calculated to hold the child up to ridicule or shame.
6. A parent shall be notified or prior approval obtained in advance of the corporal punishment, and a detailed written report of the incident shall be sent to the parents with a copy kept on file in the school.
In administering corporal punishment, the teacher or principal must not use any instrument which will produce physical injury to the child, and no part of the body above the waist nor below the knees may be struck.
Corporal punishment should never be administered to a child when school personnel know him/her to be under psychological or physical treatment without a conference with the psychologist or physician.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 8, 1988
Revised: August 14, 1995
New textbook series shall be screened, selected, and recommended for adoption following the plan in the "Lakeland Curriculum Development System". Selected textbooks shall be consistent with curriculum goals and objectives developed by Subject Area Committees. Administrative guidelines for the selection of recommended textbooks shall be followed. All curriculum will be aligned with the Idaho State achievement standards.
Whenever new courses or programs are suggested, a building principal shall present a written request for consideration to the Superintendent. If deemed feasible, the Superintendent will assign the request to the proper Subject Area Committee for curriculum development and textbook selection.
Requests and recommendations from a teacher or Subject Area Committee will be accepted or rejected, according to their feasibility.
All basic books are furnished by the district, and each child shall have adequate opportunity for the use of these materials.
Teachers are expected to follow the district adopted curriculum utilizing Board approved textbooks. Teacher selected supplementary materials shall be consistent with the district adopted curriculum and shall be reviewed by the building principal prior to use.
Textbooks recommended for use in the schools' curriculum shall be presented to the Board of Trustees for final adoption. Textbooks adopted for use in Lakeland schools shall be on the current list of approved textbooks issued from the State Department of Education.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: March 8, 1982
Revised: August 11, 1986
Revised: August 8, 1988
Revised: August 12, 2002
Teachers shall not conduct themselves in such a manner relative to any student verbally or otherwise that would humiliate the student, either individually or as a part of a group. If a problem exists relative to a student's manner of dress, cleanliness, or if there is a problem of a personal nature, a teacher-principal conference shall be scheduled. Dispositions shall be in the judgment of the principal.
Teachers shall uphold the Code of Ethics and maintain professional standards in all teacher-pupil relations.
Adopted: March 8, 1982
Children shall not be retained after the close of the regular school day unless approval has been granted by the principal and other transportation has been arranged.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Communications of an official nature sent from the school to the parents or guardians of students must be referred to and approved by the principal. Communications and notices of a personal nature that may cause embarrassment either to the parents or to the children if read by persons other than the ones concerned should be sent in sealed envelopes. Wherever possible, a personal interview is preferred to a written communication.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
The salary schedule and provisions of the schedule shall be set by the Board of Trustees each year in accordance with the negotiated agreement between the Board and the Lakeland Education Association.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 8, 1988
Teacher evaluation is the responsibility of the principal of the individual school. A formal observation of at least 45 minutes duration is required once in each of the first two quarters of the school year for nonrenewable contract (first, second or third year in the district) teachers. During first semester, one formal or a minimum of five (5) informal observations are required for each renewable contract teacher. A teacher-principal conference is to be held following each formal observation, and the observation instrument is to be dated and signed by the teacher and the principal. Additional formal observations may be conducted as needed.
Frequent informal classroom observations are encouraged. A conference between the teacher and the principal may be held after an informal observation when deemed necessary or appropriate.
When any matter of a nature that could cause dismissal or non-renewal of a contract for a teacher is brought to the attention of the teacher, the principal shall assist the teacher toward correcting the situation.
A written formal evaluation by the principal is required on a standard district form for each non-renewable contract teacher during the first semester and shall be submitted to the Superintendent before January 1 of each year. A second written formal evaluation of each nonrenewable contract teacher is to be prepared by the principal and submitted to the Superintendent on or before May 1 of each year.
A written formal evaluation of each renewable contract teacher is to be prepared by the principal and submitted to the Superintendent of Schools on or before April 1 of each year. All evaluation forms are to be dated and signed by the principal and the teacher during the conference held to review the evaluation.
Each coach contracted for an interscholastic sport shall be evaluated following the end of the entire season. A written formal evaluation on a separate form provided by the district is to be prepared by the principal or athletic director and shall be forwarded to the Superintendent after a conference is held with the coach to review the evaluation.
Probation and/or dismissal of teachers shall follow the laws of the State of Idaho.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: December 13, 1982
Revised: August 8, 1988
Revised: August 14, 2000
Revised: August 12, 2002
Student attendance will be checked in each class and recorded carefully. Teachers must check attendance in their own classes. This responsibility shall not be delegated to a student.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
X. Approval of Teaching Materials
Programs and materials implemented within the school organization structure must be submitted to the principal for approval. The principal in turn will report any changes in programs or materials to the Superintendent.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
1. Grading Student Work
The purpose of grading student work is to routinely evaluate student performance through four functions: verification, identification, direction, and feedback. "Verification" refers to the assurance that a student has attained a certain level of accomplishment or mastery. "Identification" determines students or groups of students prepared to continue with certain educational activities. "Direction" refers to the use of evaluation to engage in diagnosis and further planning. "Feedback" provides information to students regarding their individual performance.
2. Mid-term Progress Reports
Parents are entitled to know the progress of their children in school, particularly when failing work is being done or there is a possibility of a retention. Lack of progress makes it necessary to report on such children more often than permitted by the regular report card. Unsatisfactory work reports, mid-term reports or other progress reports should be sent out when necessary by individual teachers and principals. Such reports give the parent an opportunity to work with the teacher to prevent failure. Teachers must be prepared to justify the report and to assist in offering a solution which will help put the child back on the road to success in school work if at all possible. In the junior high and senior high schools where warning or deficiency slips are sent home, a request for a conference should be made.
3. Report Cards
The purpose of a report card is to inform students and their parents about the student’s academic progress, work/study habits, citizenship and attendance.
All teachers shall use the report card prepared for their level and issue them according to guidelines. Grading periods will consist of approximately one-fourth of the regular school year. The end of each quarter will be listed on the school calendar each year. Report cards will be issued the Friday following the end of each grading period or at scheduled parent-teacher conferences except when this procedure would conflict with a holiday.
4. Grading Values
Grade Values are as follows:
Grade Quality Percentage Value Grade Points
A Superior 90 to 100% 4.00
B Above Average 80 to 89% 3.00
C Average 70 to 79% 2.00
D Below Average 60 to 69% 1.00
F Failure Below 60% -0-
5. Parent-Teacher Conferences
All elementary
grades will hold parent-teacher conferences following the end of the first
quarter. The procedure for conferences
will be arranged by the principal.
Parent-teacher conferences for high school and junior high school
students are encouraged. At least one
parent conference per year should be planned for all teachers of elementary
students, and a follow-up conference should be held if needed. All conferences shall be held in the school.
Release time for conferences will be worked out with each principal. Conferences should start about the tenth
week of a period except in special cases, when they should be scheduled sooner.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 14, 1989
Revised: August 12, 1996
Revised: August 11, 1997
Revised: August 12, 2002
A standardized testing program will be established in the elementary, junior high, and high schools. The Superintendent is authorized to see that the programs meet school district and State requirements and report to the Board as needed.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Revised: August 11, 1997
Teachers are encouraged to use community resources to enrich their instructional program.
Adopted: August 13, 1979
Whenever school personnel are responsible for an activity outside the established school calendar, the following criteria shall be met:
1. Administrative permission must be granted by the building principal with the approval of the Superintendent.
2. Obtain from each student participating a consent slip signed by the parents.
3. Adult supervision of the students must be adequate to meet the safety and welfare needs of the students.
Adopted: March 8, 1982
CC. Supplemental Contracts and Assignments
The Board may enter into a Supplemental Contract with a teacher to provide for an extra duty assignment. An “extra-duty assignment” is defined as any assignment which is not part of a teacher’s regular teaching duties. A contract (“Supplemental Contract”) for an extra-duty assignment shall be separate and apart from a teacher’s regular teaching contract, irrespective of employment as an annual contract teacher, a renewable contract teacher or employed pursuant to a limited one (1) year contract.
A teacher shall have no property rights in an extra-duty assignment regardless of the period of employment or the descriptions and terms set forth therein and such extra-duty assignment shall be considered in all respects “employment at will” subject to termination by the Board at any time with or without cause.
If the Board determines to terminate the teacher’s extra-duty assignment during the contract period or not to reissue a Supplemental Contract for an extra-duty assignment for the ensuing school year, the Board or its designee, shall provide the teacher with written notice of such action setting set forth the reasons for such action.
The teacher may within five (5) days of receipt of said Notice request, in writing, an Informal Review before the Board. The Board shall hold the Informal Review no more than thirty (30) days after receipt of such request and shall inform the teacher of the date, time and place of the Informal Review.
The procedures for said informal review shall be as follows:
1. The Informal Review shall be held in executive session;
2. The Board, or its appointed Hearing Officer, shall preside over the Informal Review;
3. The Informal Review shall be orderly;
4. The purposes of the Informal Review are to provide the teacher with an opportunity to address the Board informally and to present to the Board the reasons why the teacher should be reissued a Supplemental Contract for the extra-duty assignment or why the teacher’s Supplemental Contract should not be terminated during the contract term, whatever the case may be and for the Board to deliberate and reevaluate its previous decision;
5. The teacher may be represented by legal counsel and/or by a representative of the local or state teachers association;
6. The teacher may have other persons address the Board on the teacher’s behalf and/or submit documentation for the Board’s review;
7. The Administrative Staff, may but is not required to, present witnesses, submit documentation and/or make rebuttal statements during the Informal Review;
8. The Board or the Administrative Staff may question the teacher about matters relating to the Supplemental Contract for an extra-duty assignment;
9. Within fifteen (15) days following the Informal Review, the Board shall notify the teacher in writing of its final decision in the matter.
If a teacher wishes to be released from the extracurricular position of his/her contract for the ensuing year but continue to teach in the district, he/she shall request such change in writing to the Superintendent of Schools by April 1. The request will be approved if a replacement acceptable to the Principal and Superintendent can be found. In the event a suitable replacement is not found, the teacher must continue with the coaching assignment for one additional year at which time the request for release will be approved.
The Superintendent may assign a teacher who has satisfactory proficiency for the assignment to coaching or other extracurricular duties.
Adopted: April 12, 1982
Codified: August 13, 1984
Revised: August 9, 1993
DD. Less Than Full Time Employment
The District may contract teachers for less than full-time when such employment offers an educational advantage to students and/or is in the best interest of the school district. Part-time contracts may also be used in situations where it is convenient to hire more than one teacher to fill a single teaching position so long as the primary conditions stated are met.
Teachers wishing to share a contract assignment or who desire less than a full time contract for the next ensuing year must submit a written request to the Superintendent prior to May 15. If deemed in the best interest of the district, the Superintendent may make a change in assignment subject to final approval by the Board of Trustees.
Teachers employed on a less than full-time basis shall be contracted under the following conditions:
1. The teacher shall sign a standard form Idaho Teacher's Contract.
2. The salary stated in the contract shall be prorated according to the hours of the daily teaching assignment.
3. A teacher shall be placed on the appropriate step and column of the salary schedule that reflects his/her experience and education.
4. A teacher shall be credited with one full experience step on the salary schedule if he/she teaches 91 or more days in a school year.
5. Any appropriate district contribution to negotiated fringe benefits shall be prorated on a percentage equal to that used for calculating the annual salary.
6 All negotiated leave time shall be prorated on a percentage equal to that used for calculating the annual salary.
7. A part-time teacher shall be responsible for all duties as assigned by the building principal and shall attend all meetings and conferences as directed by the principal.
8. Part-time teachers shall have the same rights to obtaining continuing contract status as regular full-time teachers.
9. The assignment and/or transfer of part-time teachers shall be the responsibility of the Superintendent of Schools and subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees. The Superintendent shall consult with the building principal and the teachers affected before making part-time assignments.
10. In the event a part-time teacher wishes to return to full-time employment or the part-time position is terminated, a transfer to a full-time position will depend on the availability of a position for which the person is properly qualified and certificated. Request for transfer must be submitted in writing to the Superintendent prior to May 15 and is subject to the approval of the Superintendent and Board of Trustees.
11. No more than two people may share a single teaching position.
12. In the event there is a disagreement between teachers sharing a position regarding the assignment of student grades, the ordering of supplies, or any other instructional disagreement, the building principal will make a final determination.
Adopted: September 10, 1984