NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE

 

FREDERICK COUNTY TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

 

AND THE

 

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF FREDERICK COUNTY MARYLAND

 

SCHOOL YEAR

 

2005-2006*

 

 

 

 

 

*Complete Contract Term July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

5/11/05


CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I         --    RECOGNITION

                        - Definition

ARTICLE II        --    RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

ARTICLE III       --    JOINT ASSOCIATION/FCPS EDUCATION REFORM COUNCIL

ARTICLE IV        --    TEACHER FACILITIES

ARTICLE V         --    SALARIES

-          Distribution of Paychecks

-          Authorized Travel

-          Pay for Provisional Certificates and Vocational Teachers

-          Per Diem Rates

-          Twelve Month Teachers

-          Acting Building Administrator

-          National Board Certification and Ed.D. or Ph.D. Pay

-          Salary Schedules

-          Eleven and Twelve Month Position Implementation

-          Requirements for Placement on Salary Schedules

-          Salary Schedule Chart

ARTICLE VI        --    LIMITATION OF DUTIES

-          Duty Free Lunch

-          Transportation of Students

-          Planning Time

-          Working Hours

-          Required Examinations

-          New Teaching Duties

-          Hazardous Work Conditions

-          Open House

ARTICLE VII       --    PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM

ARTICLE VIII      --    TEACHER EVALUATION

-          Observation

-          Evaluation

-          Professional Remediation Plan

-          Personnel Files

ARTICLE IX        --    MAINTENANCE OF CLASSROOM CONTROL AND DISCIPLINE

ARTICLE X         --    PERSONNEL EMPLOYMENT

-          Employment Practices

-          Prior Experience

-          Part-time Employment

-  Reduction in the Bargaining Unit

ARTICLE XI        --    TRANSFERS

-          Transfer Process

-          Changing from Part Time to Full Time

-          Involuntary Transfers

-          Reduction in A&S Placement


ARTICLE XII       --    EMPLOYEE ASSIGNMENTS

ARTICLE XIII      --    PROMOTIONS

ARTICLE XIV       --    EVENING SCHOOL AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS

ARTICLE XV        --    WORKSHOPS/SUMMER SCHOOL/SUMMER ACADEMY

ARTICLE XVI       --    DEDUCTIONS FROM SALARY

-          Dues Deductions

-          403b Program

-          FERKO

-          Professional Organizations

-          Charitable Organizations

ARTICLE XVII      --    INSURANCE

-          Board Premium Contribution

-          Health, Vision, Prescription, Dental and Life Insurance Plans

-          General Liability Coverage

-          Insurance Council

ARTICLE XVIII     --    TERMINAL PAY

ARTICLE XIX       --    REIMBURSEMENT FOR EDUCATION EXPENSES

ARTICLE XX        --    SICK LEAVE

ARTICLE XXI       --    SICK LEAVE BANK

ARTICLE XXII      --    FCPS-FCTA FAMILY CRISIS LEAVE EXCHANGE

ARTICLE XXIII     --    EMPLOYEE PROTECTION

ARTICLE XXIV      --    WORK YEAR

ARTICLE XXV       --    TEMPORARY LEAVES OF ABSENCE

-          Personal Leave

-          Jury Duty

-          Bereavement Leave

-          Professional Leave Days

-          Short Term Disability Leave

ARTICLE XXVI      --    EXTENDED LEAVES OF ABSENCE

-          Association Officers Leave

-          General Leaves

-          Military Leave

-          Maternity Leave

-          Adoption Leave

-          Paternity Leave

-          Political Office Leave

ARTICLE XXVII     --    SABBATICAL LEAVES

ARTICLE XXVIII    --    TEXTBOOKS, INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

ARTICLE XXVIX     --    PERSONAL INJURY/ILLNESS BENEFITS

ARTICLE XXX       --    EXTENDED LEARNING/LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

ARTICLE XXXI      --    FAIR DISMISSAL PROCEDURE

ARTICLE XXXII     --    TEACHER RIGHTS

ARTICLE XXXIII    --    ACTIVITY COMPENSATION – ATHLETIC DIRECTORS

                        -   Activity Compensation Schedule

                        -   Athletic Director Salary Schedule                

ARTICLE XXXIV     --    JOB SHARING

ARTICLE XXXV      --    GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

ARTICLE XXXVI     --    GENERAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE XXXVII    --    DURATION

 


ARTICLE I - RECOGNITION                                                

 

A.    The Board of Education of Frederick County recognizes the Frederick County Teachers Association as the exclusive representative for collective negotiations concerning terms and conditions of employment for all certificated, professional personnel in accordance with Section 6-404, Article VIII of The Public School Laws of Maryland, excluding the Superintendent of Schools and persons designated by the Board of Education- to act in a negotiating capacity.  The Frederick County Teachers Association agrees to represent fully and equally all members of the unit in relations necessary in the administration of the Agreement.

 

B.    Whenever the following terms are used in this Agreement, they shall refer to the following definitions unless otherwise stipulated.

 

1.    Association - The Frederick County Teachers Association, Inc.

 

2.    Board - The Board of Education of Frederick County and designated representatives.

 

3.    Day - Teacher duty day.

 

4.    Active employee - One who is working under contract and receiving a salary.

 

5.    Inactive employee - One who is on an extended approved leave (except sabbatical leave), or maintains recall rights under Article X, Section C., Personnel Employment, and who is not receiving a salary.

 

6.    Seniority - Continuous paid service calculated from the date on which the teacher signed the individual teaching contract.

 

7.    Superintendent - The Superintendent of the Frederick County Schools or designee.

 

8.    Teacher - All certificated, professional personnel represented by the Association.  The terms "employees," "faculty," "members of the bargaining unit," and "staff member(s)" are used interchangeably with the term "teacher" herein.

 

9.    Transfer - An assignment to another school location.

 

ARTICLE II - RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

 

A.    There will be no reprisals of any kind taken by the Board or the Association against any teacher by reason of non-membership or membership in the Association or participation in any of its lawful activities.

 

B.    In order for the Association to properly fulfill the terms of this Agreement for the benefit of all teachers and the welfare of the school system, the Association officers or employees will have access to all school buildings and to all teachers, provided that the exercise of this right will not interfere with the educational program.

 

C.    The Board will, upon request, provide the Association with any available documents or information that will assist it in developing intelligent, accurate, informed, and constructive programs on behalf of teachers.

 

 

D.    The Association will be provided with copies of minutes of official Board meetings as soon as possible after such meetings.  A notice of all regular and public meetings of the Board and a copy of the official Agenda of the meeting (including addenda) will be given to the Association prior to said meeting when such is prepared in advance.  Each school will receive copies of minutes and notices to be posted for teachers.

 

E.          1.    The Association will have the right to use school buildings without cost at reasonable times for meetings.  Arrangements for meeting space and time will be made with the principal of the building in question.

 

2.    There will be one (1) bulletin board of appropriate size reserved for the Association which will be placed in all faculty lounges in each school for the purpose of displaying notices, circulars, and such other material.  Copies of all such material will be given to the building principal, but advance approval will not be required.

 

3.    The Association will have the right to place notices, circulars, and other material in all teachers' mailboxes.  Copies of all such material will be given to the building principal, but advance approval will not be required.

 

4.    Upon request, the Association will be provided with the names of all new and retiring teachers as soon as such information is available.

 

5.    The Association will have the right to have placed in the superintendent's packet for all new teachers a letter prepared by the Association which informs said teachers that the Association is recognized as the exclusive representative for all teachers in the Frederick County school system.

 

6.    The Association will be given a place on the agenda of the orientation program for new teachers.

 

7.    The Association may request and shall be given a place on the agenda of regular Board meetings for brief reports and/or announcements.  Upon appropriate request, the president or designee shall be recognized to state the Association's position when matters relating to wages, salaries, hours, and other working conditions are being discussed.

 

8.    The Association will also have the right to use the interschool mail to distribute official FCTA notices, circulars, and other material when such material is presented ready for delivery to the school representative.

 

a.    The Board of Education shall provide daily courier service to the area designated by the Association as its headquarters as long as said headquarters is on or near an established courier route.

 

b.    The Board is agreeable to work with the FCTA on language which will permit the courier service to continue until modified by an appropriate court decision pertaining to the facts as they apply to this agreement.

 

 

 

 

9.    For the duration of the Agreement the rights and/or privileges enumerated in Article II, Section E., shall not be granted to any other organization seeking to become the teachers' bargaining agent as long as the FCTA is the exclusive bargaining agent of teachers.

 

F.    No teacher will be prevented from wearing pins or other identification of membership in the Association.

 

G.    The Association's faculty representative shall be provided by the principal with a faculty list, including administrators, during the first week of school.

 

H.    The Board of Education shall provide the Association with copies of all policy changes or directives issued by the Board or the superintendent or associate superintendent affecting wages, hours, or conditions of employment of teachers as a group.

 

I.    The Board shall provide the Association with a monthly printout of all payroll deductions of Association dues.

 

J.    Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Board reserves and retains full rights, authority and discretion in the proper discharge of its duties and responsibilities to control, supervise, and manage the county schools under existing laws, rules, and procedures; to determine the educational policies and programs of the county school system; and to prescribe rules and regulations for the conduct and management of the public schools.

 

K.    Upon written request of the president of the Association, representatives of the Association shall be released from professional duties for Association business, with payments of the substitutes borne by the Association.  Notice of such absence shall be given as far in advance as reasonably possible to the teacher's immediate superior.

 

L.    The FCTA shall reimburse the Board for all substitutes actually required at the per diem rate.  The FCTA will provide the Board and appropriate building principals with written advance notice.

 

ARTICLE III – JOINT ASSOCIATION/FCPS EDUCATIONAL REFORM COUNCIL

 

A.    The building representative of the FCTA will have the right to schedule meetings of the members before or after school hours, or at such other times as to not disrupt the normal school program.

 

B.    The representative also will be provided an adequate amount of time at the conclusion of building faculty meetings to report on matters involving representation of the employees by the Association.

 

C.    A joint association/FCPS council shall be established, jointly chaired by a designated representative from FCTA and FCPS.  The purpose of such council shall be to develop annual goals and objectives regarding communication of initiatives, changes in existing practices, and for clarification of current application of policies, regulations, or standard operating procedures within each respective organization.

 

      It shall be the responsibility of the designated chairs to appoint up to five (5) representatives from each organization and establish an annual meeting schedule.

 

 

D.    The principal of each school shall meet upon request with the Association building committee members to discuss questions relating to the implementation of this Agreement.

 

E.    The FCTA will receive a monthly list of current teaching vacancies.

 

F.    The FCTA will receive written notice of all extra-curricular activity position vacancies ten days prior to the closing date.

 

G.                A list of all twelve-month employees and positions held shall be sent to the FCTA president by September annually.

 

H.    A FCTA building representative (one representative per building) will be released at least once a month from duties before and after the student day in order to facilitate and communicate the joint BOE and FCTA committees goals and information.  The representative will provide the principal as much advance notice as possible.

 

ARTICLE IV - TEACHER FACILITIES

 

A.    The Board shall have:

 

1.    A serviceable desk and chair for each teacher.

 

2.    Separate dining table for teachers.

 

3.    A lockable desk, file cabinet, or closet in which teachers may store instructional materials and supplies.

 

4.    An appropriately furnished room to be reserved for the exclusive use of the teachers as a faculty lounge.  Said room will be regularly cleaned by the custodial staff and will be in addition to the other teacher work areas.  However, teachers will be expected to keep the lounge reasonably neat and orderly.

 

5.    Well-lighted and clean employee restrooms, separate for each sex and separate from the students' restrooms.

 

6.    Storage facilities for special instructional personnel.

 

7.    The principal, at request by a majority of the teachers, may arrange for the installation of a maximum of two faculty vending machines in each faculty lounge.  All proceeds from the machines shall be used in such manner as the majority of teachers and educational support employees of that building shall determine.  Cost, if any, of installation shall be borne by the teachers and educational support employees of each school.

 

B.    Where feasible in existing buildings, and in all new buildings, the following will be provided.

1.    A teacher work area containing adequate equipment and supplies to aid in the preparation of instructional materials.

 

2.    A communication system so that teachers can communicate with the main office from their classrooms, provided that such system is used only for emergency announcements during class periods.


3.    Space for teachers' dining in a faculty lounge or other room unavailable to students with tables and chairs sufficient to accommodate teachers during their lunch period.

 

C.    Teachers shall report in writing to the principal any condition considered unsafe or hazardous.  The principal shall take action(s) as appropriate and shall notify the teacher in writing of such action(s) taken within five (5) days.

 

D.    A telephone will be made available for teachers to use for school business. Teachers and principals shall arrange this use to provide reasonable privacy during the call.  During the workday, teachers may make personal phone calls only if the calls cannot be made at any other time.

 

E.    Teachers who need access to a telephone for school business after the workday ends shall arrange this access with the principal.

 

F.    The Board agrees that, where possible and without cost, a pay telephone shall be installed outside each school building.

 

G.    An adequate portion of the parking lots at each school will be reserved for teacher parking.

 

ARTICLE V - SALARIES

 

A.    Regular Teacher Salary Schedules

 

1.    The salaries of all teachers covered by this Agreement are set forth herein.

 

2.    All ten-month teachers will have the option of being paid in either twenty (20) installments or twenty-four (24) installments. All eleven-month teachers will be paid in twenty-two (22) installments. All twelve-month teachers will be paid in twenty-four (24) installments.

 

a.    In the event of unusual circumstances, a ten-month teacher who has elected to be paid the salary in twenty-four installments may elect to have the balance due in the June paycheck.  The request shall be submitted in writing fifteen (15) days prior to the scheduled pay date.

 

b.    Distribution of paychecks shall be on the 15th, or the nearest preceding workday, and the last workday of each month.

 

c.    Checks will be distributed on pay dates as soon as they are delivered to the school.  Each paycheck shall be enclosed and distributed in a sealed envelope to the teacher at the office of the building of employment.

 

d.    Employees who elect direct deposit of their pay shall have those funds available to the bank on the day prior to the appropriate pay dates.

 

B.    Authorized travel shall include all driving done in connection with the teacher's assigned professional duties and required attendance for activities sponsored by the Board.  With prior approval by the appropriate supervisor or curriculum specialist, mileage will be paid for curriculum meetings held for less than a full day.  Mileage shall not be paid for inservice held within the county.  When said travel is not on a regular basis, prior approval of the principal or immediate supervisor shall be required.  The mileage allowance shall be the IRS rate set for tax purposes as of July 1 of each year.

 

C.    Teachers holding conditional degree certificates will receive regular salaries beginning their employment in Frederick County.  After the first year, conditional certificate holders may advance on the scale so long as they continue each year to present six (6) college credits appropriate for their certificate.  Conditional certificated persons may not advance beyond Step J of the salary schedule.  If the original placement was a higher level, it shall revert to Step J at the end of the one-year period of grace.

 

D.    Vocational teachers shall not be classified as non-degree teachers for salary purposes.

 

E.    The ten-month teacher salary schedule, eleven-month teacher salary schedule, and twelve-month teacher salary schedule for the 2005-06 school year are included in Section K of this Article.

 

F.    Per Diem Rate of Pay

 

1.    Any ten-month teacher who works in a per diem position authorized by the superintendent to work in excess of 189 days shall be compensated at his/her per diem rate of pay.

Annual salary x 1/189  = per diem rate.

 

            2.    Any eleven-month teacher who works in a per-diem position authorized by the superintendent to work in excess of 208 days shall be compensated at his/her per diem rate of pay.

Annual salary x 1/208 = per diem rate.

 

G.    Twelve-month Teachers

 

1.             Twelve-month teachers shall be assigned to classroom teaching, content courses and workshops, curriculum research and development projects, administrative and supervisory workshops, study committees in administrative areas or in individual schools, and/or other assignments that may be required in accordance with the basic needs of the school system.

 

a.    Unless otherwise stated, the standard personnel policies and procedures shall be in effect during the twelve-month period of employment.

 

b.    Any individual assigned for twelve-month responsibility subject to federal and/or state funding of specific programs shall retain such employment status as in paragraph 3 of this section, as long as said funds are made available to the school system.

 

2.          a.    Twenty (20) days of annual leave shall be provided for each twelve-month employee, and may be accumulated to a limit of forty (40)days. Any annual leave in excess of forty (40) days shall be converted to sick leave.


                        b.    Teachers with at least five (5) years of experience as a full-time, twelve-month employee shall be given the opportunity to cash in up to five (5) days of annual leave per year at the per diem rate of pay.  Requests must be received on or before November 1 for November 30 disbursement or on or before April 1 for April 30 disbursement and may only be requested one time per fiscal year per employee.

 

3.    All teachers assigned for twelve-month responsibility for 1976-77 shall retain such employment status until modified at the request of the teacher or terminated from employment by the school system according to established legal provisions.  Assignment and employment practices are set forth in this section.  Twelve-month

teachers shall be paid according to the twelve-month salary schedule which appears in Section K of this Article.

 

4.    New Twelve-month Teacher Positions

a.    As of July 1, 1986, the superintendent shall determine certain new positions to be paid on the regular teacher salary schedule to be new twelve-month teacher positions.  Teachers assigned to those twelve-month positions shall be paid according to the twelve-month salary schedule which appears in Section M of this Article and shall work and be employed for twelve (12) months.  These positions and procedures do not affect the teachers identified in Section 3 above.