ARTICLE XVI

General Teaching Conditions

1. The provisions of this contract are not intended to limit a teacher’s rights to voluntarily accept any school activity offered to him/her.

If a teacher does not wish to volunteer for any assignment which is beyond the terms of this contract, he/she is free to do so.

In either case, the teacher’s right to volunteer or not to volunteer shall be without prejudice to his/her standing in the System and without censure from the System or the Association.

1a. When a teacher is requested to or volunteers to accept an assignment which is beyond the terms of this contract, he/she must be given the written request for his/her signature which need not be returned sooner than twenty-four (24) hours after receipt of said request in order to demonstrate in writing his/her willingness to voluntarily accept the assignment. (Exhibit C)

Failure to complete the Volunteer Form and return it to the school within ten (10) days of receipt implies acceptance of the roster.

2. The System shall provide storage space (lockers), teachers’ lounges, and lavatory facilities.

2a. Individual mailboxes shall be provided for each lay teacher in each school, and mail received shall be placed in the teacher’s mailbox.

3. Teacher assignments shall be made on a basis commensurate with the teacher’s professional status. Service assignments shall be distributed equitably on a year by year basis among all personnel. Exceptions shall be made only for serious and compelling reasons.

4. Expenses directly related to activities for which prior approval has been obtained from the Principal shall be reimbursed at a rate and/or amount agreed to in advance.

5. In each school there shall be a telephone number which is not published to students and/or the public, but which number is available to faculty members. A telephone answering tape machine shall be attached to this phone so that it can be used outside business hours.

6. Orientation: The System shall conduct orientation meetings for teachers new to the System. Attendance and participation at the orientation is mandatory. The purpose of these meetings will be as follows: to prepare and acquaint the teachers new to the System with the functions and regulations of the various departments and committees within the System and the schools; to prepare teachers new to the System to teach more effectively and with greater knowledge in their assigned subjects or areas; to familiarize teachers new to the System with the curricula and procedures of the System; to enable the teachers new to the System to assimilate into the System in an orderly fashion; to provide a sense of confidence in the teachers new to the System by defining their role in the System; and to explain the purposes and functions of the Association. The System shall also require that orientation meetings be held in the individual schools.

6a. The System shall designate the Organizational Day that shall be held at the local schools. The time shall be used for activities directly related to the professional duties of the teacher. If religious activities are part of the Organizational Day, teachers are required to attend such activities.

7. Within the first week of school or within one (1) week of hiring, a lead teacher shall be assigned to all first year teachers new to the System by the Principal in consultation with the respective department head. He/she shall be selected from the same department, subject area, and grade level, when possible, as the new teacher and he/she must be a tenured teacher. A mutually acceptable time shall be established for weekly meetings to discuss classroom experience, ideas, and suggestions. This meeting shall be mandatory the first quarter and optional as the need arises for the remainder of the year.

The lead teacher shall observe the new teacher a minimum of three (3) times during the first quarter, and a minimum of two (2) times during the second quarter; a minimum of three (3) times during the third quarter, and a minimum of two (2) times during the fourth quarter. Exhibit F shall be completed at the end of each quarter. The department head shall not be assigned as a lead teacher to those teachers.

8. In the event that a student must be added or removed from a teacher’s class anytime subsequent to October 15, the appropriate administrator shall provide the opportunity to discuss the situation with the teacher(s) involved at least a day in advance of such change.

9. A teacher’s grade for a student shall not be changed except for serious and compelling reasons. Should circumstances indicate that a change might be necessary, the administration shall attempt reasonable means of discussing these circumstances with the teacher before making any change in the grade. If the teacher cannot be informed verbally, the teacher shall be notified in writing if the grade is changed and given the reasons for the change as soon as possible.

If a teacher’s grade is changed without the consent of the teacher, the teacher’s name shall not appear on the student’s report card.

10. The System shall continue its policy of paying registration fees for conferences or institutes required by the System or the local school.

11. Each teacher shall receive a copy of this Agreement with its Exhibits and Appendices.