Human
Resources
Lisa Spencer
Human Resources Coordinator
BOARD POLICIES
• The Wilson County Board of
Education has established Board
policies.
• Principal’s Office
• Library
• On-line
• All teachers are required to
read, understand, and abide by
Wilson County Board Policy.
In-Service Requirements
• All certified employees must earn five (5)
days or thirty (30) hours of in-service credit
every year. (Six (6) hours = one (1) day)
• For the 2014-2015 school year, three (3) of
these days are required for all certified
personnel and are included in the school
calendar.
In-Service Requirements
• Teachers new to Wilson County School
System have two (2) required days or twelve
(12) hours of required professional
development – six (6) hours of New Teacher
Orientation (NTO) and (6) six hours on July
28, 2014.
In-Service Requirements
• Since required in-service days may not be made
up, teachers not employed at the time of such days
will be paid only for in-service days scheduled
during their time of employment.
• Should a teacher under contract be ill on the day of
required in-service, the absence must be recorded
with the employee attendance management
program (Subfinder) in order to be paid.
• Personal/Professional Leave shall not be used on
required in-service days or scheduled examination
days.
In-Service Requirements
• Any activity listed on the MyBenefitsChannel is
approved for the remaining optional in-service
hours.
• Any activity not listed must receive ADVANCED
approval from the appropriate instructional
supervisor.
Verification of Experience
If it is completed correctly it can mean
more MONEY!
• All new teachers with out-of-state experience,
private school, or college/university teaching
experience must mail a Tennessee Verification
of Experience form to previous employers to
complete.
• The form must be:
-legible
-complete
-signed by a certifying officer
• In order to receive credit for experience
earned in a private school, the school
must be accredited by the Tennessee
Department of Education or regional
accrediting agency.
• If experience was earned at a college or
university, the teacher must have been a
voting member of the faculty.
• It is the employee’s responsibility to verify that
the form has been completed and returned to
the Human Resources Office.
• Until that time, placement on the salary schedule
will only reflect any teaching experience in a
public Tennessee K-12 school as reported by
the State of Tennessee.
• The teacher will receive any additional pay,
if warranted, retroactive to the date of hire.
• Please note: Each year on the form is
NOT treated as a separate entity. 10
months or 200 days equals a year.
CHANGE IN DIRECTORY
INFORMATION
• It is the employee’s responsibility to notify the
Human Resources Office at the Central Office of
name changes.
• In order for a name change to be valid, it must be
reflected on the social security card.
• Employees who marry should update the W-4
form and consider revision of retirement and life
insurance benefits.
CHANGE IN DIRECTORY
INFORMATION
• If you have an address or phone number change,
you will need to log-in to our Employee SelfService website and change your information.
• Link to Employee Self-Service
Leaves of
Absence
Securing a Substitute

Any time a teacher is unable to be in
school, he/she must secure a
substitute teacher, using the
employee attendance management
system (SubFinder).

In addition, each teacher must notify
the building principal/designee.
Leaves
• All requests for leaves must be
submitted in writing on forms
provided by the Human
Resources Department.
LOA continued
• Each teacher shall provide a description of the
type of leave requested, the beginning and
ending dates, and a statement of intent to
return.
• All leaves, except military, shall be from a date
certain to a date certain.
• Please note that, once a leave is approved, the
return date may be extended, but the leave time
can’t be shortened.
LOA continued
• Positions vacated for less than twelve (12)
months by teachers on leave shall be filled with
an interim teacher for such time as the teacher
is on leave.
• Upon return of said teacher within the twelve
(12) months, the interim teacher shall relinquish
the position and the teacher shall return to the
same or a comparable position upon return
from leave.
LOA continued
• Any teacher on leave shall, at least thirty
(30) days prior to the date of return,
notify the Director of Schools in writing if
said teacher does not intend to return.
LOA continued
• Failure to render such notice may be
considered breach of contract.
• Time spent on leave of absence,
except sick leave as provided in TCA
49-1314, shall not be counted as part
of a teacher’s probationary period or
toward experience.
SICK LEAVE
• Each teacher is entitled to one (1) day of sick
leave for each eighteen (18) days taught during
the school year.
• Sick leave days may be accumulated without
limit and may be transferred from one school
system to another within the state; unused
accumulated sick leave may be applied to total
teaching time upon retirement.
SICK LEAVE
• Sick leave may be taken for the
illness of a teacher or the illness or
death of a member of the teacher’s
immediate family: spouse, parents,
children, grandparents,
grandchildren, brothers, sisters,
mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother
–in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-inlaw, or son-in-law.
SICK LEAVE BANK
• A sick leave bank has been established to meet
the needs of certified personnel who are
members and who have exhausted all
accumulated sick leave days.
• Certified employees interested in joining should
contact the building principal, association
building representative, or substitute
coordinator for additional information.
• Deadline to sign up for membership is October
31st.
PERSONAL /
PROFESSIONAL LEAVE
• Each
teacher is eligible for one (1) day of
personal / professional leave for each half year,
provided none of these days are taken during any
prior established student examination day, parentteacher conference day, or required in-service
day.
•The personal / professional days may be used in
one-half day increments. These days shall not
accumulate from year-to-year, but those unused
days will be transferred to sick leave days.
MATERNITY LEAVE
• It is required that a teacher shall notify her
principal and the Director of Schools in writing
as soon as she is aware of being pregnant.
• In all instances, the teacher must submit the
expected date of delivery and request a leave
of absence (using the appropriate form) thirty
(30)days prior to the beginning of the leave
date. A doctor’s note with the expected delivery
date must accompany the form or it will not be
accepted.
MATERNITY LEAVE
• The date of the leave begins on the date
of delivery, unless a doctor’s statement
stipulating the necessity of leave prior to
delivery is provided.
• Up to one (1) year of maternity leave
may be granted. However, a maximum
of thirty (30) days of paid accumulated
sick leave may be used.(40 for c-section)
MATERNITY LEAVE
• If, after a maternity leave has been
granted and used, a teacher decides not
to resume her employment with the
Wilson County School System, a thirty
(30) day notice, prior to the date of return,
shall be forwarded in writing to the
Director of Schools.
•Failure to render such notice may be
considered breach of contract.
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE
•
Under the Family Medical Leave Act (F.M.L.A.), all employees
who have completed twelve (12) months of employment (with a
minimum of 1250 hours) are eligible for Family / Medical Leave,
for up to twelve (12) weeks, for the following reasons:
•
child birth/care
•
adoption or placement of a foster child
•
care of a seriously ill child, spouse or parent
•
a serious health condition
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE
• The request for said leave must include
documentation.
• During the time of the leave, the school system
will continue insurance coverage (at school
system expense), and the employee will return
to his/her same job. If a teacher decides not to
resume his/her employment , he/she must
reimburse the board for the cost of insurance
premiums while on unpaid F.M.L.A. leave.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
• Under the conditions of the negotiated contract,
each certified employee is entitled to three (3)
bereavement days for each school year. The
days may be used in one-half day increments.
• Bereavement Leave up to 5 days for the death
of a mother, father, spouse, or child
• Bereavement days do not accumulate from
year to year.
JURY DUTY and/or COURT
APPREARANCES
• If an employee is subpoenaed on behalf of the school
system as a witness before a court or regulatory agency
or if an employee is called for jury duty, the employee
shall be granted a leave of absence with pay during
regular scheduled working hours for the time required for
the court appearance if he/she submits appropriate
documentation.
• In all other instances involving subpoenas or court
appearances, the employee shall take leave.
• If he has unused professional / personal leave, he/she
may take paid leave. Otherwise, the leave shall be
unpaid.
RESIGNATIONS
•
The conditions under which it is permissible to break a
contract with a local board of education are as follows:
•
the incapacity on the part of the teacher to perform
the contract as evidenced by the certified statement of
a physician approved by the local board of education
•
the drafting of the teacher into military service by a
selective board
•
the release, by written mutual consent of the local
board of education, of the teacher from the contract
which the teacher has entered into with a local board
of education
RESIGNATIONS
•
A teacher requesting to resign shall comply with the
justifiable reasons and must submit the request in
writing to the Human Resources Office at least thirty
(30) calendar days in advance of the effective date of
resignation.
•
The Director of Schools may waive the thirty (30) day
requirement and permit a teacher to resign in good
standing upon shorter notice.
•
According to TCA 49-1316, a teacher who resigns
without a justifiable reason or who does not give a
thirty (30) day notice in advance, shall be subject to,
upon a complaint filed with the Commissioner of
Education by the Director of Schools, a suspension of
his/her license for no less than thirty (30) days and not
more than 365 days.
WORKERS COMPENSATION
• Any on-the-job injury must be reported
immediately to the building principal and the
benefits clerk. In accordance with the
Workers Compensation guidelines, employees
must see those physicians on the pre-approved
list (which is posted in each school).
• Failure to comply with this regulation may
result in the employee being personally
responsible for payment of claims resulting
from job-related injuries.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING
• Pre-Employment Testing
• Post-Accident Testing
• Reasonable Suspicion Drug Testing
• Return-to-Duty Testing
• Follow-up Testing
• Alcohol and controlled substance testing may be
performed at any time the employee is at work for the
Wilson County Board of Education
DRUG ABUSE POLICY
STATEMENT
• The Wilson County Board of Education is
committed to providing a safe environment
and to fostering the well-being and health
of its employees. That commitment is
jeopardized when any employee illegally
uses alcohol or any other drugs on the job;
comes to work under the influence; or
possesses, distributes, or sells drugs in
the workplace. Therefore, the Wilson
County Board of Education has
established the following policy:
DRUG ABUSE POLICY
STATEMENT
• It is a violation of Wilson County Board of
Education policy for any employee to:
-possess, sell, trade, or offer for sale illegal drugs
or otherwise engage in the illegal use of alcohol
or other drugs on the job.
-report to work under the influence of alcohol or
illegal drugs.
-use prescription drugs illegally.
• Violations of this policy are subject to disciplinary
action up to and including termination.
Discrimination /
Harassment Policy
Wilson County Schools’ Board
Policy 5.500 addresses
discrimination and
harrassment.
Suspected Cases of Child Abuse
• In compliance with T.C.A. 37-1-403,
educators are required to report
immediately all suspected cases of
brutality, abuse, neglect, or child
sexual abuse to the building principal.
• -Any person who knowingly fails to
make a report required by 37-1-403
commits a Class A misdemeanor.
(T.C.A. 37-1-412)
Accidents
• Teachers are to report accidents to the
school’s office immediately upon their
occurrence.
Purchasing Procedures
• Teachers must follow all policies and
procedures as stated in the Wilson County
Schools Accounting Manual. A copy of the
manual can be found on your NTO disk.
• The building level principal will inform faculty
members of the procedures that must be
followed regarding purchases at the building
level.
• Remember: requisitions must be completed
and approved prior to any expenditure.
SAFEKEEPING OF CASH
• School collections should never be
taken home by individuals for
safekeeping or left at a school
overnight unless it is stored in a school
safe or vault.
• Teachers are responsible for all funds
collected within the classroom. If
funds are left in the room and are
stolen, the teacher is responsible for
repayment of the funds.
REVENUES/RECEIPTS
• Money should be turned in daily in collection
envelopes, zipper bags, or sealed envelopes.
• A collection log is required to be used. It is the
responsibility of the teacher to prepare and record
transactions on the collection log. A collection log
is required for each separate activity or event.
Class fees, school pictures, annuals, field trips, club
dues, etc., are examples of collections that are
often recorded on collection logs.
• Once the deposit has been made by the
bookkeeper, the bookkeeper must provide
the teacher with a signed receipt for the
deposit.
• These collection logs and receipts should be
kept by the teacher or other individual
preparing the collection log for three (3)
years.
• The collection log documents the name of
the school, the purpose of the collection,
the name of the teacher, the payers, the
date(s) of collection, and the daily total.
Payroll
Information
•Pay days for all teachers are on the 15th and 30th of each
month. Certified employees are paid in twenty-four (24)
installments.
•Direct deposit is mandatory. Withholding tax, F.I.C.A. and
retirement deductions are optional and must be authorized by
the employee: dependent insurance, supplemental insurance,
tax-sheltered annuities, and association dues.
Employee Dress
Code
•Appearance is a reflection of pride and
professional responsibility to the Wilson County
School System and the public.
•The dress code for staff members is as follows:
Employee Dress
Code
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Shorts, sweat suits, nylon jogging suits, jeans overalls,
leggings/spandex pants, or tee shirts (except those worm appropriately
with blazers, sweaters, and vests) are not acceptable.
Tops and dresses should have a modest/appropriate neckline.
Dresses, skirts, and jumpers should not be shorter than three (3”)
inches above mid-knee.
Flip-flop shoes with straps that can be pushed out through the sole of
the shoe are not acceptable.
There are no restrictions on colors.
Dress code applies to all student attendance days and professional
development days.
Employee
Dress Code
•Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the
building principal. Specialty teachers (i.e.
automotive, shop. PE, etc.) who require specific
attire are permitted to dress according to the
restrictions of their job duties.
Consequences for failure to comply with the
dress code are as follows:
•First Offense –Verbal Warning
•Second Offense – Verbal Warning
•Third Offense – Written Reprimand
•Fourth Offense – Written Reprimand
•Fifth Offense – Refer to the Director of Schools
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING WILSON
COUNTY SCHOOLS!
HAVE A WONDERFUL YEAR!
INTERACTION WITH
STUDENTS
KNOW YOUR ROLE!
Interaction with students and
potential liability
Intimate relationships with
students are ALWAYS
prohibited no matter the
age of the student or
circumstances!
Interaction with students and
potential liability
 SHOWING AFFECTION
 Avoid
touching students unless it
is absolutely necessary to protect
the safety of the student or others!
 SCHOOL SOCIAL EVENTS
 Staff is there to chaperone not
participate!
 TUTORING OR OFFICE VISITS
 Not in isolated location
Interaction with students and
potential liability
 OFF CAMPUS INTERACTION
 Proceed with caution!
 SPONSORING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
AND FIELD TRIPS

Good judgment! Never alone in car or hotel room!
 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
 Corporal punishment
 Exercise as discipline
 Isolating for discipline
 Showing videos, DVDs, etc. (board policy)
 Outside speakers
 Greater possibility of danger (Snake hunt, blood typing)
 What would your insurance carrier or lawyer think?
 Always obtain administrator approval for activities!
Which of the following text messages
is appropriate for a teacher to send
to a student?
Teacher License Denial, Suspension
and Revocation
55
a. “Good morning my
goofy sunshine
girl.”
Teacher License Denial, Suspension
and Revocation
56
b. “Where is your
homework?”
Teacher License Denial, Suspension
and Revocation
57
c. “Bingo.”
Teacher License Denial, Suspension
and Revocation
58
d. “Basketball game
at 3 p.m.”
Teacher License Denial, Suspension
and Revocation
59
e. none of the above
Teacher License Denial, Suspension
and Revocation
60
BEST PRACTICE
Make all phone calls to
parents on a school phone.
Students should not have
your phone number.
BEST PRACTICE
Email parents on your school
email account. Students
should not have your personal
email address.
E-Mail
 People feel anonymous, protected &
free to say & do things they would never
do face-to-face
E-mail communication is informal, offthe-cuff, candid and even sometimes
offensive or obscene….this can equal
liability
BEST PRACTICE
Contact the parent,
not the student.
Biology teacher texts nude photo
of herself to student, convicted on
two sex charges
 A former Northeast High School teacher
pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges
in court Monday, admitting she showed
pornography to a 17-year-old student.
She will serve 11 months, 29 days, on
two charges. She will also have to
register as a sex offender.
BEST PRACTICE
Emails, text messages,
phone calls, etc…
to students are
off limits.
Monrovia HS teacher resigns over
text messages
 "Highly inappropriate text messages," said Dr. Wood,
superintendent, School District.
 The superintendent says the girl turned the teacher
in, showing school officials the messages on her
phone sent from teacher’s number.
 "Over the course of 48 hours the two corresponded
back and forth with each other in excess of 100 times
through text messaging. He never denied the
allegations, said he was involved in some
inappropriate text messaging with this student," said
Wood.
BEST PRACTICE
Personal websites, such as
MySpace or FaceBook,
should be severely limited
to friends and family.
Under no circumstances
should students have
access to or communicate
with a teacher through a
personal website.
Do you want to be
the future lead
story?
LICENSE REVOCATION REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS
 Teachers or administrators may have
their licenses automatically revoked
following conviction of certain violent
offenses and felony drug offenses:
 If
teacher or school administrator has been
convicted of any felony or offense listed at
T.C.A. § 40-35-501(i)(2) or T.C.A. § 39-17417 (including conviction on a plea of guilty
or nolo contendere).
LICENSE REVOCATION REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS
 State Board of Education Rule 0520-2-
4-.01(9) outlines other reasons why
applicants, teachers or administrators
may have applications denied or current
licenses suspended or revoked.
LICENSE REVOCATION REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS
 1. Conviction of a felony,
2. Conviction of possession of narcotics,
3. Being on school premises or at a school-related activity
involving students while documented as being under the
influence of, possessing or consuming alcohol or illegal
drugs,
4. Falsification or alteration of a license or documentation
required for licensure,
5. Denial, suspension or revocation of a license or certificate
in another jurisdiction for reasons which would justify denial,
suspension or revocation under this rule, or
6. Other good cause. Other good cause shall be construed to
include noncompliance with security guidelines for TCAP or
successor tests pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-1-607, default on a
student loan pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-5-108(d)(2) or failure to
report under part (e).
For purposes of [license denial, suspension or revocation],
“conviction” includes conviction on a plea of guilty, a plea of
[no contest] or an order granting pre-trial diversion.
LICENSE REVOCATION REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS
 Directors of schools are required to report to
the Office of Teacher Licensing whenever a
licensed teacher or administrator is
suspended, terminated or resigns, following
allegations which, if substantiated, could
constitute grounds for suspension or
revocation of a license. Directors who fail to
report may have any teacher or administrator
license they hold suspended or revoked.
LICENSE REVOCATION REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS
 Pursuant to the State Board Rule, "[a]
person whose license has been denied,
suspended or revoked may not serve as a
volunteer or be employed, directly or
indirectly, as an educator, paraprofessional,
aide, substitute teacher or in any other
position during the period of the denial,
suspension or revocation."
Dismissal Recommended for Lake Forest Teacher
Charged with Sexual Battery
 Bradley County (WRCB) - Bradley County Director of Schools Johnny
McDaniel has recommended dismissing Casey Brock, a suspended
Lake Forest Middle School teacher.
 In a letter to school board members McDaniel says "...information
came to light about her unprofessional and inappropriate interactions
with two male students at Lake Forest Middle School."
 The students names are not being released, they will be referred to as
student 1 and student 2. Student 1 claims he and Brock engaged in a
physical relationship and he says the two had numerous personal and
adult-oriented conversations. He also claims he and Brock had
personal meetings and took trips.
Ways to Reduce Liability
REMEMBER BOUNDARIES!
AVOID TOUCHING
STUDENTS UNLESS IT IS
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
TO PROTECT THE SAFETY
OF THE STUDENT OR
OTHERS
Things to remember:
 Stay off of myspace
 Don’t twitter
 Remember: Internet is public domain
 Be careful with Facebook
 Most things of this nature are blocked
by Wilson County Schools.
NOT only at Home but especially AT
WORK!!!
Ways to Reduce Liability
BEFORE YOU ACT,
ASK QUESTIONS.
Ways to Reduce Liability
NEVER DISMISS A COMPLAINT,
RUMOR, OR COMMENT
REGARDING THE SAFETY OF
STUDENTS OR STAFF.