EMPLOYMENT OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF

The Board of Education recognizes that it is vital to the successful operation of the District that positions created by the Board be filled with highly qualified and competent personnel.

The Board shall approve the employment, and also, when not covered by the terms of a negotiated, collectively-bargained agreement, fix the compensation and establish the term of employment for each professional staff member employed by this Board.

Such approval shall be given only to those candidates for employment recommended by the Superintendent or by another individual designated by the Board in the event that the Superintendent’s nomination would be a violation of R.C. 2921.42.

Relatives of Board members may be employed by the Board, provided a member of the Board does not participate in any way in the discussion or vote on the employment when conflict of interest is involved.

Relatives of staff members may be employed by the Board, provided the staff  member being employed is not placed in a position in which s/he is supervised directly by the relative staff member.

Applications for employment will not be accepted from any current District Board member.  If a Board member wishes to apply for a position, his/her resignation must be accepted by the Board prior to submitting an application and the Board member must not use or attempt to use his/her official authority or influence to secure the employment position.

Any professional staff member's intentional misstatement of fact material to qualifications for employment or the determination of salary shall be considered by this Board to constitute grounds for dismissal.

The employment of professional staff members prior to approval by the Board is authorized when their employment is required to maintain continuity in the educational program.  Employment shall be recommended to the Board at the next regular meeting.

No candidate for employment as a professional staff member shall receive recommendation for such employment without having proffered visual evidence of proper licensing or that application for such licensing is in process.  Said licensing shall meet the minimum requirements of State law for the position for which s/he is being recommended.

The Superintendent may, however, recommend to the Board the employment of an unlicensed person if s/he holds a baccalaureate degree and is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States and has been honorably discharged within the last three (3) years, and while in the armed services, had meaningful experience as a teacher or instructor, and the right to teach without a license has not been revoked by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

If such a person is employed, s/he shall be considered to be eligible for and must fulfill the professional development standards required of other professional staff members.

If the Superintendent, after proper investigation, determines that the person no longer should have the right to teach, s/he may be terminated without regard to R.C. 3319.11 and R.C. 3319.16.

Professional staff must also pass a background check performed by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (see Policy 3121).

REQUIREMENTS FOR  TEACHERS

All teachers in a District receiving Title I funds shall be "highly qualified."

“Highly Qualified” means:

A.	Full State certification as a teacher (including an alternative educator license) or passed State teacher licensing exam and holds current license to teach; certification or license requirements may not be waived on a temporary basis

B.	For elementary teachers new to the profession, this also requires:

1.	at least a bachelor’s degree

2.	passing a rigorous State test on subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, math, and other areas of elementary curriculum (State certification test may suffice)

C.	For secondary or middle school teachers new to the profession this also requires:

1.	at least a bachelor’s degree, and

2.	passing a rigorous State test in each of the subject areas s/he will teach (State certification test may suffice), or

3.	for each academic subject taught, having an academic major, course work equivalent to an undergraduate major, a graduate degree, or advanced certification or credentialing

D.	For elementary, middle, or secondary school teachers with prior experience, this also requires;

1.	at least a bachelor’s degree, and

2.	meets standards for new teachers (above), or

3.	demonstrates competence in all academic subjects s/he teaches based on a uniform State standard of evaluation (standard for academic subject matter and teaching skills set by the State)

R.C. 2909.34, 2921.01, 2921.42, 3319.02, 3319.07, 3319.11
R.C. 3319.23 - .282, 3319.283, 3319.301, 3319.39
20 U.S.C. 6319
20 U.S.C. 7801

© Neola 2013

Revised 5/21/01
Revised 2/25/03
Revised 11/06
Revised (DATE)