EAST CENTRAL
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
FACULTY HANDBOOK
2015-2016
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EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING
East Central Elementary School Teachers
and Staff are . . .
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Beyond Reproach,
Consistent,
Courteous,
Customer Serving,
Engaging in the Classroom,
Knowledgeable of Their Content
Knowledgeable of Their Students and
Parents,
Organized,
Positive,
Prepared,
Professional,
Respectful of Others,
Safety Driven,
Solution Oriented,
Timely.
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Faculty and Staff
2015-2016
Principal – Mrs. Kristin Mikeal Teems
Assistant Principal – Dr. Dennis Drummond
Counselor – Mrs. Miriam Loveless
Secretary – Mrs. Susan Robbins
Literacy Coach – Mrs. Merideth Lawson
Math Coach – Ms. Patty Acree
Media Specialist – Mrs. Haley Pyle
School Nurse – Mrs. Paula White
Kindergarten SC
Ms. Leah Frost
Mrs. Michele Nichols
Mrs. Hilary Singleton
Mrs. Amanda Stover
1st Grade SC
Mrs. Carla Freeman
Ms. Nikole Houser
Mrs. Mary McAlister
Ms. Allison Mitchell
2nd Grade SC ______
Ms. Faith Cole
Mrs. Tara Davenport
Mrs. Velvet Ferrari
Mrs. Eddy Todd
3rd Grade
~Mrs. Heather Byington (M/Sci)
~Ms. Ann Marie Culbreth (Lit/SS)
#Mrs. Amy Massey (Lit/SS)
#Mrs. Sandra McKenzie (M/Sci)
4th Grade
Ms. Lauren Dulaney (M)
Mrs. Leslie Hightower (Lit)
Mrs. Tina Self (Sci/SS)
5th Grade
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~Mr. Jay Chesser (Lit/SS)
#Mrs. Tracy Doss (Lit/Sci)
~Mrs. Jessica Hewitt (M/Sci)
#Mrs. Laurie Jones (M/SS)
6th Grade
Mrs. Laura Daughtry (Sci/SS)
Mrs. Jessica White (Math)
Mrs. Cynthia Wright (Lit)
Activities
Music – Ms. Anna Stuart
PE – Ms. Kelly Dae
Special Education______
Sped – Mrs. Brittany Carpenter
Sped – Mr. Joey Connell
Sped – Mr. Kevin Kilpatrick
Speech – Mrs. Lori Smith
Severe and Profound
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Mr. Calvin Maddox (Mrs. Mary Ann Meadows - para & Ms. Brittany Sloan - para)
Mrs. Susan Matthews (Ms. Michelle Smith - para)
Gifted
Mr. Gary Jones
ESOL
Mrs. Amy Harrington
Para
Special Education Para
nd
Mrs. Millie Matthews – 2 grade para / Duty-Free Ms. Chelsea Rion – Lower Grades
Mrs. Kailey Murdock – 2nd grade para
Ms. Chelsee Robinson – Upper Grades
??? – Read 180/Inclusion
Cafeteria Manager
Mrs. Frankie Edwards
Custodian
Mr. Michael Bray
Mrs. Pam Pippen
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COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Faculty Meetings -- 3:15 p.m. Media Center (Wednesdays)
Leadership Meetings – 3:15 p.m. Media Center (Wednesdays)
Grade-level Team Meetings – Planning (Day/Place Determined by Grade Level Leader)
Department Meetings -- 3:15 p.m. Places Selected by Academic Coaches (Wednesdays)
Data Team Meetings -- 3:15 p.m. Coaches’ Room (Wednesdays)
Please plan to stay until 4:30 on meeting days unless directed otherwise. Children are not
allowed in meetings due to the confidential nature of our agendas. Teachers and Staff should
make alternate plans for childcare on Wednesdays.
Faculty Meetings - The purpose of these meetings is to disseminate large amounts of
information or professional learning to the entire staff. These meetings are informative in nature.
These meetings are conducted by the principal or her designee. All teachers must participate.
Leadership Meetings - The purpose of this team is to advise the school administration and
participate in strategic planning on matters of school procedures, problem-solving, school
climate, and communication. Members will include grade-level representatives (Team Leaders)
and other staff members listed below. All members of this team must participate.
Leadership Team: Mrs. Kristin Mikeal Teems, Dr. Dennis Drummond, Mrs. Miriam Loveless,
Mrs. Meredith Lawson, Mrs. Patty Acree, Mrs. Michele Nichols, Ms. Nikole Houser, Mrs. Tara
Davenport, Mrs. Heather Byington, Mrs. Leslie Hightower, Mr. Jay Chesser, Mrs. Jessica White,
Ms. Kelly Dae, Mr. Calvin Maddox, Mrs. Amy Harrington, and Mrs. Haley Pyle.
Grade-Level Meetings - Team Leaders will facilitate these meetings and will report any
information that was discussed in the leadership meeting. The remaining time can be used to
discuss and complete team procedural tasks. All teachers must participate.
Department Meetings - The purpose of these meetings is to improve student achievement
through the use of research-based best practices and data analysis. Academic coaches will
facilitate these meetings and will disseminate information and coordinate the implementation of
school-wide curriculum initiatives. These meetings may also include professional learning and
collaborative vertical planning. These meetings will include all academic teachers, including
SPED and ESOL. Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers will alternate between math and
literacy each meeting as directed by the academic coaches. All teachers must participate.
Data Team Meetings - These meetings will focus on data analysis. A representative from each
grade level, SPED, and ESOL will attend. The committee will review data spreadsheets each
month and provide suggestions for interventions with struggling students.
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ABSENCE (Faculty & Staff)
Teachers are expected to be present and on time each day. You must arrive to work and be in the
building no later than 7:45 a.m. (unless you have morning duty then at 7:25 a.m.) and not leave
prior to 3:15 p.m. If you choose to each breakfast at school, you must be finished eating prior to
7:45 a.m. This includes getting coffee, cokes, snacks, etc. In the event of a necessary absence,
Kelly Staffing will secure substitutes for teachers. After submitting any absence to Kelly
Staffing, the teacher is to call Mrs. Teems to report the absence. Please note that absences are
documented in annual evaluations.
Lesson Plans for Substitutes
Teachers are required to provide meaningful assignments and plans for every class during their
absence(s). This can be done by emailing plans to the grade/team leader. Calling a fellow
teacher and asking that teacher to “get a video” is not a sufficient lesson plan for students. In a
substitute folder, each teacher is expected to have an updated class roster and seating chart
available at all times.
Emergency Lesson Plans
In addition, each teacher is required to create a set of Emergency Lesson Plans (with a minimum
of 3 days of lessons). This is to be kept in each teacher’s classroom in a visible location. The
emergency plans are not be used for sick days but maintained for extreme emergencies. The
folder should include all procedures, class rosters, daily schedules, seating charts, dismissal lists
(who rides what bus, car riders, and walkers), duty assignments, routine behavior expectations,
and engaging purposeful work. Also, please provide any other information that you think will
help the substitute have an excellent day. It is better to have too much information than too little.
The folder must be updated frequently as students move and schedules may change.
Sick Leave
The Rome City Board of Education provides a generous sick and personal leave program for its
teachers. Each teacher is provided with 1¼ days of combined sick and personal leave for each
completed school month of service during a school term of ten months.
A. A first-year beginning teacher with no accumulated sick leave shall be advanced 12½ sick
leave days; however, if a teacher exceeds the 12½ day limit and/or does not complete the entire
school term, overpaid leave will be deducted from his/her summer salary.
B. The unused portion of a teacher's annual leave will accumulate to a maximum of 120 days.
Implementation of Sick Leave
Teachers are allowed to use sick leave when absent due to the following causes:
1. Personal illness or injury
2. Death in the immediate family – The immediate family is to mean father, mother, brother,
sister, child, husband, wife, grandmother, grandfather, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-inlaw, sister-in-law, former legal guardian, or a relative for whom the teacher is legally
responsible.
3. Illness or injury in the immediate family. Leave for this cause in excess of three consecutive
days shall require special approval by the superintendent.
Professional Leave
Personnel may formally request professional leave at full pay to attend specific activities or
receive advanced training. Examples of reasons for which professional leave may be granted
include, but are not limited to, professional development and attending meetings.
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The request for professional leave must first be submitted to the principal before being
considered by the superintendent. This should be done at least two weeks prior to the requested
absence. Approval of the request does not commit the district to payment of any expenses. Meal
reimbursement will not be provided for a professional leave day unless there is an overnight stay
involved. If your professional leave involves the use of a motel, obtain a form from Mrs.
Robbins which exempts state motel/hotel excise tax. If this form is not used, the teacher will be
responsible for tax charges. Professional leave forms are located in the teacher workroom.
Personal Leave
Personal leave shall be interpreted as that part of the teacher's accumulated sick leave that may
be used for personal needs. The one and one-fourth (1¼) days leave that a teacher may earn
during each of the 10 school months includes both sick and personal leave.
Each teacher is allowed a maximum of three days personal leave each school year from his/her
accumulated sick leave. Specific dates are subject to the principal’s approval based upon school
events and student management considerations. Requests for personal leave days must be
submitted to Mrs. Teems one week prior to the leave. Teachers must secure their own substitute
for all personal days through Kelly Staffing. Personal leave will not be granted for the first 2
weeks of the school year, professional learning days, during testing windows, the day prior to a
school holiday, the day after a school holiday, or the last 2 weeks of the school year.
Requests for personal leave in excess of three (3) days annually, if warranted by extremely
extenuating circumstances, shall be submitted in writing to the superintendent. These requests
must be in writing, not through email, and should be submitted through and approved by the
principal and, if approved by the superintendent, will always carry a deduction of a day's pay.
Jury Duty
Employees who serve on juries shall select one of the following alternatives:
A. Return the juror remittance to the system and receive full salary.
B. Keep the juror remittance and deduct it from the monthly salary by making request of the
central office.
C. Keep both salary and juror remittance and deduct from personal leave provided it does not
exceed three days.
D. Use any combination of the above upon approval of the Superintendent.
Leaving Campus
No staff members are to leave the school campus during the school day unless on specific school
business. Teachers needing to leave the campus should first get verbal permission from an
administrator and then sign out in the front office. Upon returning, teachers should sign in the
time of return.
ABSENCE (STUDENT)
The Rome City Schools Board of Education considers regular school attendance essential for
educational progress. A student must maintain regular school attendance in compliance with
Board Policy (JBD) to be considered for promotion. Student attendance is of the highest priority
to improve student performance. I want us to have the best attendance record in all of Rome
City Schools; our goal is to win the student and faculty attendance awards each month.
Students simply cannot learn if they are not here. When a student complains of feeling ill,
teachers should apply the rules that the office will apply when that student comes to the office.
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If the student does not have a fever or is not vomiting, he/she needs to be at school. Teachers
must follow the Rome City School Attendance Protocol for documenting student absences.
Attendance is to be recorded in PowerSchool each day by 8:15 a.m. Also, attendance is to be
recorded in the yellow folder daily.
Unexcused
1. Loss of school time through pleasure or recreational trips
2. TRUANCY - Deliberate and illegal absences from school which are usually without the
knowledge of the parents or school authorities
3. All other absences including Out-of-School suspensions, after the first
Excused
Students must bring a written excuse for each excused absence. Legally excused absences are as
follows:
1. Personal illness,
2. Emergency medical appointments,
3. Medical appointments impossible to secure after school hours,
4. Illness or death in family,
5. Religious holidays, and
6. Court subpoenas.
Off Campus Student Activities
The teachers and staff will follow this procedure for all off campus student activities during the
school day – field trips, LGPE for Chorus, etc.
1. A list of student names (not collective such as “all Challenge students” or “the 6th grade
Honors Chorus”) and principal approval must be emailed to Mrs. Teems seven days prior to the
students missing class. There are no exceptions. Mrs. Teems will then forward your email to the
faculty and staff.
2. A hard copy of the list of names with principal approval must be given to Mrs. Robbins. This
must be in alphabetical order, and the students’ names must be as they appear in the computer no nicknames.
Educational Absences
Certain educational absences are permitted without penalty if written arrangements are made
with the principal five school days prior to the absence. All missed work and a written report
about the educational trip is required upon the student’s return to school. There are no
exceptions to the five day prior approval.
ACADEMICS
A final numerical grade will be calculated for each course in 1st grade through 6th grade. The
final numerical grade will be calculated as follows: 50% Tests & Projects, 40% Classwork, and
10% Homework. For 3rd grade through 6th grade, numerical grades will be used on both report
cards and progress reports. For 1st grade and 2nd grade, rubrics scores with accompanying
information will be used for both report cards and progress reports. For kindergarten, G-Kids
will be used as the report card, and an ECES checklist/RCS report will be used for progress
reports. Students should have two graded assignments each week. Students should be able to
miss more than one problem and still make an “A” on any work, and one failed assignment/test
should not affect a student’s final grade so much as to cause him/her to fail for the grading
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period. Students will receive study guides for all major tests and rubrics/checklists for all
projects. Teachers are strongly encouraged to set the highest of standards for each of their
students in all work while at the same time realizing students may require more than one
opportunity to succeed on a test, project, or any other type of work.
Numerical Values:
A: 90-100
B: 80-89
C: 70-79
F: 69 & Below
Curriculum
All teachers will teach the required curriculum as outlined in the Common Core Georgia
Performance Standards. Curriculum used for the purpose of sex education must have been previewed and pre-approved by Rome City School’s Sex Education Committee. Each subject area
should incorporate leveled texts, non-fiction texts, and the informational report writing standard.
Each subject area will be assessed on the end-of-year assessments and will “count” on the state’s
accountability measures. All teachers are required to incorporate small-group instruction and
interventions into their daily lessons.
Gradebooks
Rome City Schools provides gradebooks for each teacher. It is very important that teachers
maintain gradebooks in a neat and accurate fashion. Every grade assigned should be
substantiated by a teacher’s grade book. Likewise, attendance records must be accurate and
easily verified.
PowerSchool printouts may be attached to the gradebook, in lieu of handwritten entries, as long
as all tasks are noted for each student. PowerSchool must be current; it must be updated weekly
at a minimum, and all grades must be entered within 5 days of the assignment date. At any point
in the school year and if a student’s average falls below a C, the teacher must contact the parent
by phone. If you cannot get in touch with the parent, the office will assist you in obtaining
phone numbers to contact the parent.
Report cards are due to Mrs. Teems prior to being sent home with students according to the dates
listed on the school calendar. Mrs. Teems and/or Dr. Drummond will review and make
comments on all report cards.
Homework
As a general rule, homework will be given at a rate of 10 minutes per grade each night. For
example, a second grade student would have on average 20 minutes of homework each night.
Generally, no homework is assigned on Wednesday night or Friday night. Independent reading
at home is not considered homework and should occur a minimum of 30 minutes each night.
Teachers should assign engaging, relevant, and differentiated homework activities always
considering quality over quantity.
Late Assignments
The purpose of assigning any task is to further the goal of student mastery. The correlation
between work completion by students and their level of achievement is high. Faculty members
will work by the principle that ECES teachers do not allow students to take zeros, and that the
practice of accepting late work is encouraged. Teachers may, however, assign fair academic
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penalties for late work at their discretion. This flexibility is vital in our dual purpose of working
toward student mastery but also teaching personal responsibility.
Make-Up Work
With the goal of student mastery, students are allowed to make-up any work due to an absence.
Teachers will work with both students and parents to accomplish this task with the students
assuming the responsibility of completing the work. Teachers will give a reasonable amount of
time for the student to make up all missed work. Regardless the reason for the absence, we are
in the business of setting students up for success, not failure. Be fair and diligent when working
with students who are struggling. Typically, students who are more successful with their grades
behave better.
Time-On-Task
Administration will guard zealously the instructional time you have with each student. The
office will limit announcements and interruptions of your class. The intercom system will be
used only in rare circumstances and with the principal’s approval during instructional time.
Teachers should never allow a student or themselves to interrupt another teacher's class.
Students should not be in the halls. Students should be sent to the media center only for a
meaningful task. Students should not be sent on errands for any reason – get a snack for a
teacher, take trash to the dumpster, make a few extra copies, retrieve an item from a teacher’s
car, and the list continues. The only acceptable reasons for a student to be out of class are
emergency bathroom needs or a call to the office by an administrator, counselor, or other office
personnel, and even those occasions will be monitored very closely.
ACCIDENTS (FACULTY & STAFF)
Please make safety a priority every day. Please point out unsafe situations or practices. If you
are injured on the job, these guidelines should be followed.
1. An employee injured on the job must immediately report the injury to the principal if the
employee is based in a school. If your job is not at a school location, you should immediately
report the injury to your supervisor.
2. The principal/supervisor will record all information related to the injury or accident.
3. The employee will be provided written information and a statement of procedures for
presentation to the attending physician so that the appropriate claim may be filled with the
insurance carrier.
4. The principal/supervisor must immediately complete and submit to the personnel office an
Accident Investigation Report and a First Report of Injury Form (WC 1). Questions regarding
workers’ compensation may be addressed to the principal/supervisor and then to the Personnel
Director, Dr. Dawn Kemp.
ACCIDENTS (STUDENTS)
If a student gets hurt, or you THINK a student may be hurt, the teacher must complete an
accident report and inform Nurse White of the situation so she can call the parent(s). The
accident report must capture the who, what, when, where, and how. The teacher will turn the
accident report into Ms. White. Ms. White will review the report and then send it to Mr. Atha at
the Central Office. The teacher must also follow up with a parent phone call. Whether you see it
or not, you will have to write a report if one of your students is injured.
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If a student becomes extremely ill or seriously injured in the classroom, these guidelines should
be followed.
1. Contact the office immediately. Be prepared to tell Mrs. Robbins the name and grade of the
student. The student's file will be consulted to determine if special medical problems exist.
2. Make the student as comfortable as possible. Apply first aid only if you have been trained to
do so or if the situation is, in your judgment, life threatening.
3. An administrator or Nurse White will determine whether emergency help should be
summoned. If the injury is obviously life threatening, assign someone to call 911 immediately.
4. Nurse White, the teacher, principal, or her designee will notify the parent or guardian
regarding all accidents.
5. The parent will make the decision as to how the student will be transported and the hospital to
be used.
6. If neither the parent nor the person designated by the parent to be notified in case of an
accident can be reached, the principal or her designee will make arrangements for transporting
the student to the hospital via ambulance.
7. An Accident Report Form, located in the front office, should be completed by the teacher and
given to the principal.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
All announcements must be written on the designated form and must be in place in the front
office at least 20 minutes before announcements are made. Teachers and staff must write
announcements as they are to be read. I have directed Mrs. Robbins not to take announcements
by phone. Do not send students with announcements.
ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL
When students arrive at school, they are to report directly to the gym or to the cafeteria to eat
breakfast. In both the gym and cafeteria, students are to sit by grade. Students are allowed to
talk; however, the noise level must be reasonable. Once students enter the gym or the cafeteria,
they may not leave without a written pass. Students may not be anywhere else in the building
before school unless supervised by a faculty or staff member. At 7:55, students will be released
to their classes.
ATTENDANCE REPORTING
When a student has been absent, he or she should have documentation stating the reason for the
absence. Teachers will collect this documentation and place it in the yellow folder to be
collected each morning.
Enrollment Reports
Reports will be sent to central office for the first 11 days of school. In addition, forms will be
provided for you to report enrollment by summary (grade and race) on Thursdays, August 6th and
August13th. Mrs. Teems will come to your room to collect this information on August 6th, and
Dr. Drummond will do so on August 13th. It is important that all instructions are followed
accurately and precisely. This information will be called in to Dr. Buck’s office each day.
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ATTENDANCE ZONES
If you feel that a student is out of zone, notify me in writing. Give me the student’s name, copy
of his/her registration form, and the reason that you feel he/she is out of zone. This information
will be turned over to the social services office.
Tuition
All funds collected for tuition must be collected in the office by Mrs. Robbins and turned in
monthly to the superintendent's office. Tuition students must be approved by the principal and
Dr. Buck. Parents must live in a specific area to be eligible for tuition to East Central
Elementary. Teachers should not have discussions with parents involving tuition.
BEGINNING OF SCHOOL DAY
The National Anthem will be played at 8:00 each morning followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
By Georgia Law Ga.Code Ann. §20-2-310 (2005), “Each student in the public schools of this
area shall be afforded the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United
States of America during each school day.” Please note that ALL students are expected to stand
during the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance. They do not have to recite the pledge, but
they must remain quiet, respectful, and standing. NO EXCEPTIONS to this except if approved
by the principal in writing. This will only occur after a conference with the individual’s parents
and/or religious leader.
BUILDING SECURITY
It is every staff member’s responsibility to see that our building is secure and locked at all times.
If anyone without a Rome City School or visitor nametag is seen on our campus, please stop and
escort that person to the main office. If that is not possible, call the front office and a school
employee will come to you. Teachers make certain all doors and windows are locked when
leaving a classroom. Teachers make certain the door is locked and closed tightly when leaving
the building. ECES does not have theft or vandalism insurance, so things that are damaged or
stolen will not be replaced. We can keep thefts and vandalism from occurring if we all check
building areas all the time.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
Change of Transportation
If a student brings a parent note requesting a change of afternoon transportation, please turn the
note into the front office by 8:15 a.m. This will give Ms. Robbins plenty of time to verify the
note.
Safety
The Rome Transportation Department will conduct safety training for all bus riders during the
first week of each semester. Teachers should talk to students about bus safety, appropriate
behavior on the bus, and the possible consequences that may result with misbehavior on the bus
or at the bus stop. Discipline issues will be handled by the administration. Riding the bus is not
a right, it is a privilege. Privileges can and will be taken away. Administrators and teachers will
ride the bus if needed for safety and discipline purposes.
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CAFETERIA
Please understand there is a direct correlation between participation and lunch prices. All
cafeteria food is to be consumed in the cafeteria. Neither students nor teachers are permitted to
remove food from the cafeteria. Due to audit concerns, cafeteria personnel cannot cash checks
from cafeteria funds. The money must be deposited as received.
Elementary students
Student Breakfast ….. FREE
Student Lunch ……... FREE
School Personnel
Adult Breakfast ……. $2.00
Adult Lunch
$3.50
CANCELLATION OF AFTER-SCHOOL EVENTS
Please do not cancel a practice, an event, or a meeting on the day of the meeting unless it is
unavoidable. Students have made arrangements to stay that day, and canceling that event works
a hardship on those responsible for student transportation.
COMMON PLANNING
Teachers will have common planning time daily. This time is used to plan together, examine
student work, and complete various teacher activities – maintaining records, grading papers,
calling parents, collecting supplies, posting student work, and the list continues. It can also be
used by our coaches for imbedded on-site professional learning and by the administration for
dissemination of information. ECES is focused on student achievement, and all common
planning time will be used for that purpose; therefore, this time should not be used for making
personal calls, running errands, napping, or personal appointments.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The administration, counseling, and nursing offices process hundreds of pieces of information
and interact with many people every day. Confidentiality is an absolute necessity in all
activities. It is vital that all faculty and staff maintain absolute confidentiality concerning
information seen on someone’s desk, visitors to the offices, meetings in the office, phone calls,
conversations, or any information that any teacher or staff member might learn in any way from
the office area or from someone who works in the office. This information is not to be shared or
discussed with any other person. Please do not use the telephone in the office to discuss
confidential matters. Guests are often present. If you have any questions about this, please talk
with an administrator.
COPIER & COPIES
Copy paper is a very large expense for the school; please make a concerted effort to conserve as
much paper as possible by using available technology, class sets, textbooks, overheads, or
front/back copies. At this point, copies cost our school approximately a ½ cent for each copy . . .
think of the thousands of copies that are made.
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COURSE OUTLINE
As you write course outlines, please keep in mind that their purpose is to give students and
parents an overview of objectives and expectations. Each course outline should be limited to one
side of one page. Please do not duplicate a curriculum guide, a pacing guide, or rules in the
student agenda. With refining, one page should be long enough for an informative course
outline. Each course outline should include the procedures for making up work missed in that
specific course and an E-mail address to facilitate better communication. Teachers should be
extremely careful to ensure that all language is correct, standard English. If you have a nonEnglish speaking student, the course outline should be translated into the language spoken in that
student’s home (Google Translate) Prior to printing, the teacher preparing the outline and at
least one other teacher should read the finalized version to ensure that wording is absolutely
correct and that no errors exist. Each teacher is expected to give his/her students a course outline
written for the current year/semester/nine weeks on the first day of the year/semester/nine weeks.
Each teacher is expected to require their students to take the outline home and to return the
signed outline from the parent.
A copy of your course outline(s) is due to Mrs. Teems on Friday, August 7th.
COURIER SERVICE
1. Courier Mail will run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Courier envelopes are
available in the drawers of the front counter. The courier box is located in the front office.
2. Courier items need to be ready and in the designated location.
3. Any boxes or equipment to be picked up need to be in the same location and clearly marked.
The courier has been told not to go to any other areas of the school to pick up items. Everything
needs to be at the designated area in the office by 8:30 a.m.
4. Any large folders, books, stacks of papers (student record) being sent to one place need to be
clearly marked and placed by the courier container.
5. Courier is not a same day delivery service.
DAMAGED SCHOOL PROPERTY
There are many instructional items that are used by our students throughout the school year.
Please be aware that even though there is no charge for the use of these items , if damaged,
destroyed, or lost, they must be replaced for student use in the future. The responsibility for
repair and/or replacement falls directly on the student and his/her guardian once a school owned
item is assigned to that student.
1. If a book is damaged to the extent it cannot be used, it should be treated as lost.
2. If profanity or any kind of obscene pictures and/or statements which cannot be removed are
made in a book, it should be treated as lost.
3. If a student pays for lost books or items and then finds it, a refund can be issued for the found
item(s). However, if the school has already purchased the lost item, no refund will be issued.
4. A teacher's discretion should prevail with any other problems not specifically mentioned.
DISCIPLINE
The individual teacher is the key to good student behavior. Teachers establish their own rapport
with students and can control the tone of the teacher/student relationship. While administrators
are always there to support the teacher in maintaining good discipline, it is the teacher who
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establishes his/her own credibility. A teacher should be consistent in his/her expectations and
fair to all students.
At East Central Elementary School, screaming, public humiliation, or the use of sarcasm to
correct student behavior is NOT ACCEPTABLE from any administrator, teacher , or staff
member. When you redirect a student, please do so in a low profile, non-confrontational
manner. Often times, proximity, a glance, or a light touch on the shoulder is enough to correct
the behavior. It is always best to let students know that you discipline them and their friends
because you care and are concerned about them. It is our responsibility to model for our students
how conflict is to be resolved. As the professional, teachers must always remember to treat
students with respect in accordance with Standard 2 Conduct with Students of the Georgia Code
of Ethics for Educators.
In-School Suspension
It is procedure that no student in ISS may receive an academic penalty; all students serving ISS
shall have the opportunity to earn full academic credit for all assignments. In addition, students
must receive the same opportunities for credit that their peers have in the classroom. If it is
impossible to duplicate the actual assignment, the student must be given an alternative
assignment for equal credit. All academic teachers are responsible for submitting meaningful
work to ISS in a timely manner.
Dr. Drummond will make every effort to notify teachers of the pending ISS list via email –
child’s name and the days to be served. The ISS teacher will distribute the student’s completed
work to the appropriate teacher(s).
Progressive Discipline / Intervention Support
As East Central Elementary School is working towards becoming a Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports (PBIS) School, ECES will implement a school-wide progressive
discipline plan rewarding positive behaviors, teaching appropriate behaviors, and redirecting
inappropriate behaviors. Good classroom management and high engagement can solve most
discipline issues. Teachers must post their classroom rules and expectations, teach those,
provide consequences, and always be consistent.
For students exhibiting frequent discipline challenges, the RTI / Student Support Team is an
opportunity for the student’s teachers to make constructive suggestions about working with that
student. Based upon the documented successes that have occurred through the RTI process and
upon the influence that the academic team can have on its students, teachers (at times with
administration) will use the RTI / SST meeting as a forum to discuss a student who is not
behaving or at risk.
DISMISSAL
At East Central Elementary School, we have silent dismissal. Students will be released from
their classes at 2:30 to report to their homerooms to prepare for dismissal. At this time, teachers
will log into the dismissal program. Students must be seated and quiet during afternoon
announcements and dismissal so as to hear the announcements and not to miss their names for
dismissal. Bus riders will be released at 2:35 by both the bus number and the students’ names
appearing on the board. Car riders will be released shortly after 2:35 by each student’s name
appearing on the board. Buses will leave first, and then, the car riders will load and leave
immediately thereafter. At 3:00, all walkers by name and after school program students by
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group will be dismissed. The walkers will come towards the front office area, line the hallway
across from the cafeteria, and be dismissed to their parents. The students in the after school
program will go to the cafeteria.
If you sponsor an activity or keep students for tutoring, it is your responsibility to supervise
students at all times during the activity and until they are picked up safely.
DRESS CODE
Professional Dress Code
Our dress as educators makes a strong statement to our students as to the importance of the
learning environment and to the respect with which teachers should be treated. Teachers, as
models for students, are to dress appropriately. If we are to err in dress, it should be toward the
more formal end of the clothing spectrum.
The following will not be allowed at East Central Elementary: capri pants, clothing designed for
sports or exercise, flip flops, hats, jeans of any color, multiple piercings, open button down
shirts, overalls, dungy looking clothing, short dresses, short skirts, shorts, sweat pants, sweat
shirts, stir-up pants, t-shirts, tank tops, tennis shoes, visible tattoos, etc. Remember too short, too
tight, or too low is NO-NO. We cannot enforce dress code rules for students when adults in the
building are dressed inappropriately. The exception to these rules would be for the PE teacher.
ECES will have dress down days. On those days, teachers and staff can wear jeans with an
ECES / RCS shirt.
Student Dress Code
Please refer to the student handbook for specific rules on appropriate student dress. All teachers
are expected to be consistent in enforcing the student dress code. Teachers should scan their
classes each period and, if a student is in violation, take action to correct the situation. Students
who are in violation of the dress code should be given an opportunity to “fix” the problem if
possible so that instructional time is not compromised. Mrs. Teems and Dr. Drummond shall be
the final judge as to the appropriateness of the apparel for students.
EMAIL
The primary communication method at East Central Elementary School will be email. School
personnel will send general instructions and announcements through email, so all teachers are
required to check their email account a minimum of twice per day, morning and afternoon. In
addition to checking email, teachers must also check their mailboxes.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
All staff members must have a copy of the School-Wide Crisis Response Plan, Fire Drill Map,
and Tornado Drill Map posted in their rooms and copies of these included in their substitute
folders. These must be posted prior to the first day of school and must remain posted for the
duration of the school year. Teachers are to teach these plans to their students and review them
often. We will have drills once a month.
Lockdown Protocol
In the event of an intruder, community threat, hazardous material spill/threat, death on campus,
or other clear and present threat to the safety and security of East Central Elementary School, an
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announcement will be made via the intercom (or through personal verbal announcement via
runners if the intercom is non-functional). Since the P.A. system may be our only means of
communication during a crisis, it is important that everyone pays close attention to all
announcements. The following two codes will be used:
“Precautionary Lockdown” – This indicates that all teachers should immediately lock their
classrooms doors and windows. They should stay inside and keep all their students in the
classroom until further notice. No one should be allowed in the hallway during this alert for any
reason. Please wait to be notified of additional instructions. Normal instruction should
continue, but the teacher should monitor email for further instructions.
“Threat Lockdown” – This indicates that there is a clear and present danger to people on
campus. All teachers should immediately lock their classroom doors and windows. They should
stay inside and keep all their students in the classroom until further notice. No one should be
allowed in the hallway during this alert for any reason. Students should be removed from all
windows and take cover in the classroom. Do not open the door for any administrator,
teacher, staff member, or other person until you get the “All Clear” signal via intercom.
In the event of a tragedy (death or serious injury/event that poses no further threat to the school),
the following steps will be taken by the principal, assistant principal, and/or counselor:
1. Lockdown Procedure Initiated (if persons are present at school).
2. If the tragedy occurs prior to the opening of the school day, a “chain call” procedure will be
initiated by the principal. The caller will not discuss the nature of the crisis on the telephone but
will simply say to faculty members that the crisis management program is in effect and that the
faculty will meet in the media center at 7:15 to discuss plans for the duration of the crisis.
3. If the crisis occurs during the school day, the principal will call the assistant principal and the
counselor to the principal’s office (if possible) to discuss further implementation of the Rome
City Schools/East Central Elementary School crisis management plan.
4. When the threat has passed and normal operations may resume, an announcement of “All
Clear” will be made on the P.A. system or through other verbal means.
Chain Call Procedure
Please keep a phone contact list at home for this purpose. Grade Level Leaders call their
teachers.
Principal calls Mr. Michael Bray, Dr. Drummond, Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Loveless, Mrs. Robbins,
Mrs. P.White.
Dr. Drummond calls Mr. Chesser, Mrs. J.White, Ms. Dae, & Mrs. Lawson.
Mrs. Loveless calls Mrs. Byington, Mrs. Hightower, Mr. Maddox, & Ms. Acree.
Mrs. P.White calls Mrs. Nichols, Mrs. Houser, Mrs. Davenport, & Ms. Pyle.
Fire Evacuation Plan
The alarm to evacuate the building will be made in the event of a fire or similar emergency.
When the fire alarm sounds, take your class roll and evacuate your students quickly and quietly
to the assigned location as posted in your classroom. Report any missing students immediately
to the on-site administrator. Hold up a green sign for okay and a red sign for any problems (such
as missing students). Stay outside until told by an administrator to return.
Fire drills should be considered a serious matter by both teachers and students.
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Tornado Disaster Plan
Weather Warning Definitions:
1. Severe Thunderstorm Watch – weather conditions are such that a severe thunderstorm may
develop.
2. Severe Thunderstorm Warning – a severe thunderstorm has developed and will probably
affect those areas stated in the weather bulletin.
3. Tornado Watch – weather conditions are such that a tornado may develop.
4. Tornado Warning – a tornado has been developed and will probably affect those areas stated
in the weather bulletin.
Recommended Actions:
1. Severe Thunderstorm Watch – Review the plan.
2. Severe Thunderstorm Warning and Tornado Watch – All persons outside move inside the
building.
3. Tornado Warning – Be prepared to evacuate rooms to the assigned location as posted in your
classroom and follow these guidelines.
a. All persons should be seated on the floor facing walls. Double-up, triple-up, etc.
b. Students should be located as far as possible from exterior walls.
c. Textbooks and jackets should be used to cover heads, arms, and legs so as to reduce injuries
from flying debris.
d. Remain in this area until the all clear signal is given.
e. Each teacher is responsible for seeing this plan is carried out by the students in his/her room at
the time of the warning.
f. Once the teacher sees that his/her class is in the correct location and position, the teacher is to
be seated on the floor as the students are.
g. All persons are to be absolutely quiet.
h. Teachers who do not have teaching responsibilities at the time of the warning are to report
directly to their assigned location as posted in their classrooms and assist with students as
outlined above.
i. Should a warning occur near the end of the school day, students will not be dismissed until the
warning is over.
j. Should a warning occur during breakfast or lunch, all faculty personnel are responsible for
spreading the word and assisting in getting students to a “tornado resistant area.”
Communications
1. Superintendent’s office will be notified by Civil Defense of any impending severe weather
conditions.
2. Schools will be notified by Superintendent’s office.
3. School will tune radio station WRGA (official station for this purpose) for latest information.
4. Students and school personnel will be advised through the school intercom system.
5. Should a Tornado Warning occur, the school will be advised thusly: “This is a Tornado
Warning, please implement the Tornado Disaster Plan Immediately.” When the warning has
passed, an administrator will inform teachers over the PA system to return to their classes.
Communication with Press
Throughout the duration of a crisis or at any other time, Mrs. Teems, the principal, acts as the
spokesperson for the school. No teacher, staff member, or student should undertake the
responsibility of speaking for the school in the event of a crisis; multiple spokespersons can lead
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to confusion and sometimes misinformation. If Mrs. Teems is unable to carry out this
responsibility, Dr. Drummond will serve in that role as necessary.
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND BUILDING SAFETY
Everyone must do his/her part in conserving energy – close doors and windows when the heat or
air conditioning is running, be sure lights are turned off when a room is not used, and turn off
your computers and monitors before you leave for the day. Kids love to do this, make it a
classroom job!
EVALUATIONS
All certified staff at East Central Elementary School will be evaluated using the Teacher Keys
Effectiveness System (TKES) in accordance with Official Code of Georgia 20-2-210, all
applicable rules of the State Board of Education, and the Implementation Handbook for TKES.
Teachers will be notified of their evaluating administrator at the beginning of each school year.
The TKES evaluation is made up of three parts: 1) Teacher Assessment on Performance
Standards [TAPS](10 standards scored based on data from 4 walkthroughs, 2 formative
evaluations, and requested/submitted documentation); 2) Student Surveys of Instructional
Practice, and 3) Student Growth Measures (Student Growth Percentiles [SGP] for teachers who
teach tested subjects and Student Learning Objectives [SLO] for teachers who teach non-tested
subjects).
Because we believe that every student at East Central Elementary School should have an
outstanding teacher, and because educational research has consistently demonstrated that the
teacher is the most important aspect of improving student learning and achievement, all teachers
at East Central Elementary School are expected to be proficient or exemplary in all areas of
evaluation. To help meet this expectation, targeted professional learning, constructive feedback,
and individual conferences will be provided for all teachers.
“FAIR-USE” COPYRIGHT LAW – FACT, NOT FICTION
Although there are a number of restrictions placed on the use of videotaped television programs,
the most critical limitations are:
1. Videotaped recordings may be kept for not more than 45 calendar days after the recording
date, at which time the tapes must be erased.
2. Videotaped recordings may be shown to students only within the first 10 school days of the
45-day retention period.
3. Off-air recordings must be made only at the request of an individual teacher for instructional
purposes, not by school staff in anticipation of later requests by teachers.
4. The recordings are to be shown to students no more than two times during the 10-day period,
and the second time only for necessary instructional reinforcement.
5. The taped recordings may be viewed after the 10-day period only by teachers for evaluation
purposes, that is, to determine whether to include the broadcast program in the curriculum in the
future.
6. If several teachers request videotaping of the same program, duplicate copies are permitted to
supply their requests; all copies are subject to the same restrictions as the original recording.
7. The off-air recordings may not physically or electronically be altered or combined with others
to form anthologies, but they need not necessarily be used or shown in their entirety.
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8. All copies of off-air recordings must include the copyright notice on the broadcast program as
recorded.
9. These guidelines apply only to nonprofit educational institutions, which are further "expected
to establish appropriate control procedures to maintain the integrity of these guidelines."
FIELD TRIPS
You are responsible for selecting trips that are instructional and safe for children. The Rome
City Schools buses are available on a first come, first served basis. A list of students not going
on field trips should go to all off-team classes. Substitutes should be provided a list by periods
of who goes where. On the morning of the field trip, a list of students going and a separate list of
students not going must be provided to the Ms. Robbins. This must be in alphabetical order, and
the students’ names must be as they appear in the computer - no nicknames.
Mrs. Teems must approve any behavior requirements or contracts that are given prior to a trip,
and students and their parents must sign a written explanation of the requirements or contracts.
Since a field trip is equivalent to instructional time in the classroom, no student may be excluded
from a trip due to prior conduct unless given approval by the principal in advance.
All money collected for field trips must be turned in to Mrs. Robbins before the purchase
order is completed requesting a check, 24 hours prior to the field trip. Always put your
name and the student’s name on every check that is collected. Please advise the office of
any extenuating circumstances.
When you are taking a class on a field trip, follow this procedure precisely:
1. Complete a field trip form, including a list of students participating and give it to Mrs. Teems
for her approval no later than 3 full weeks prior to the trip.
2. After Mrs. Teems approves the field trip, a request should be e-mailed to Brenda Rampley at
brampley@rcs.rome.ga.us. Ms. Rampley will print each email request and place them in the
order of time received in our office so it is important to email Ms. Rampley and not rely on
phone calls. You may still call and check to see if a date is available, but in order to log your
trip, Ms. Rampley must have email request. Ms. Rampley will then check the calendar and
respond via e-mail with the requesting teacher and verify if a bus will or will not be available
that day. If a bus is not available, Ms. Rampley will work with the teacher to establish another
date that can accommodate the trip. In the e-mail, please provide: Date of Trip, School, Grade,
Number of Students, Leave and Return times. Due to using the same buses that transport Rome
City School students to and from school, all field trips must be between the hours of 9:00 a.m.
and 1:00 p.m.
3. After Mrs. Teems approves the field trip, all trips must be submitted on the “orange” bus
request forms. They must be signed and dated by the teacher and by the principal. These forms
are then to be sent to the appropriate people for approval. A completed orange bus request form
must be attached if you are requesting system buses (one form per bus), and directions to the
location of your field trip should be attached to the bus request form.
a. All out of town trip requests are to be sent to Ms. Teresa Price at the Central
Office for approval by Dr. Buck. Ms. Price will then send the forms to Ms.
Rampley.
b. Any trips that are in-town are to be sent directly to Ms. Rampley at the
Maintenance Department.
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4. When the field trip is approved or denied, it will be returned to the school. If it should come
directly to you, the original form is given back to the Mrs. Teems so she will know that it has
been approved. The confirmation copy of the bus request form will be stamped with the notation
driver assigned, trip scheduled. The Rules of The Road will be attached to review with your
students. The driver must be provided a list of students when boarding the bus or buses. No
food or drinks are allowed on the buses at any time.
5. Only when all steps are thoroughly completed and all copies are submitted to Mrs. Teems is
the field trip request complete.
6. Make certain you are clearing enough money to pay all expenses of the trip before final
arrangements are made.
FUND-RAISING PROJECTS
It shall be the policy of the Rome Board of Education that:
 Each elementary school will be limited to one fund raising project per year.
 No school time will be devoted to student rewards (for fundraising achievement), and no
group incentives will be given which might eliminate some students.
 Administrators and teachers shall supervise and be in control of fund raising activities,
including the collection of monies.
 There will be no door-to-door selling or telephone solicitation by students representing
schools, school clubs, and school organizations.
 Requests for fund raising projects under the sponsorship of the schools must be presented
to the Board of Education.
 King and Queen contests or other student’s popularity contests involving the purchase of
votes for students shall not be permitted.
The Board strongly recommends service projects or projects of a nature that have more benefit to
the buyer than candy, cookies, etc. The Board will not approve any projects that could be
classified as gambling or chance. Please refer to Policy JK for questions concerning fundraising. SACS standards do not permit door-to-door selling by students. School Booster Clubs
may sponsor and carry out fund raising projects other than the ones referred to above.
INCENTIVES FOR STUDENTS
Please look for ways to use positive reinforcement for behaviors and efforts that we would like to
encourage in our students. If we want the commitment of our students, we must make school a
place where students want to be. If we combine appropriate praise and recognition with clear
expectations, we will get the most out of our students. Teachers are expected to reward students
appropriately with Wolf Bucks, good behavior referrals, mailed postcards, positive phone calls,
etc. Please be creative in implementing class or grade-level incentives as needed.
Wolf of the Month
On the last Friday of each month, each teacher will submit to Mrs. Teems the name of his or her
"Wolf of the Month". Input for this honor should be received from team members (if
applicable), activity teachers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, Mr. Jones, and any
other segments of our school population. Students receiving Wolf of the Month will be
recognized on ECES’s morning TV news program, recognized on our website, and receive a
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certificate and goody bag. These students should be celebrated and recognized on team in some
fashion as well.
INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN
In the event of an official school closing, the following chain call procedure will be utilized to
inform the faculty. Grade level leaders will notify their respective teachers. Please keep a phone
contact list at home for this purpose.
Chain Call Procedure
Principal calls Mr. Michael Bray, Dr. Drummond, Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Loveless, Mrs. Robbins,
and Mrs. P.White.
Dr. Drummond calls Mr. Chesser, Mrs. J.White, Ms. Dae, & Mrs. Lawson.
Mrs. Loveless calls Mrs. Byington, Mrs. Hightower, Mr. Maddox, & Ms. Acree.
Mrs. P.White calls Mrs. Nichols, Mrs. Houser, Mrs. Davenport, & Ms. Pyle.
LESSON PLANS
Lesson plans are to be submitted each Monday by 8:30 a.m. in the appropriate Google file
through Google Docs. All teachers will plan appropriately and adequately for their classes (Bell
to Bell Learning). Lesson plans must list the CCGPS to be taught, daily activities, homework,
SPED modifications, EL modifications, and enrichment activities. Teachers who are chronically
late with lesson plans are subject to a graduated list of sanctions, including, but not limited to:
email reminders, a formal conference with an administrator, a letter of concern in their personnel
file, or a rating of Level I or Level II on the TKES Evaluation.
MAINTENANCE REQUESTS
Any maintenance/custodial concern or request should be directed to Dr. Drummond by email. If
you have any problems whatsoever in your classroom, please report these concerns immediately.
MESSAGES
In order to preserve instructional time, the office will deliver personal messages to teachers only
in extreme emergencies.
MEDIA CENTER PROCEDURES
1. The Media Center will remain open to students from 8:15 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. daily.
2. Teachers are requested to send no more than three (3) students per class period to the Media
Center for independent work.
3. If you need to bring a class to the Media Center for research, please sign up in advance on the
calendar posted in the Media Center.
4. All students entering the Media Center should have the standard library pass issued by the
classroom teacher. The teacher's name and the time the student left the classroom should be
clearly noted on the pass. Students will leave the pass with Mrs. Pyle until they are ready to
return to class. Students should check out of the Media Center and take their pass before
returning to class.
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5. Teachers needing services or equipment from the Media Center will need to see Mrs. Pyle.
She would like to help you with the production of materials you may need for instruction. Please
give her as much advance notice as possible.
6. Please do not remove books, magazines, newspapers, A.V. equipment, software, etc. from the
Media Center without checking them out through Mrs. Pyle.
7. Please adhere to all copyright laws concerning print and non-print materials. For a detailed
outline of copyright law as it pertains to school use of materials, see Mrs. Pyle.
8. Please feel free to make suggestions about ways to improve services offered through the
Media Center.
MEDICATION OR MEDICAL EMERGENCY
All student medication will be kept in the office and given to students only by Nurse White or
her designee. School personnel may not administer medicine to students unless directed by a
physician in writing. No student is to have any type of medicine on his/her person.
If a question of illness should arise, refer the student to the front office. Nurse White will be
responsible for dispensing medications if necessary and determining if the student should call
home. If you feel there is an emergency, call the office and request an administrator. Hold the
student in the classroom until someone arrives to escort the student safely. Do not let a seriously
ill student travel unescorted in the building or with another student.
MONEY COLLECTIONS
All money should be collected and turned in to Mrs. Robbins daily with a completed Rome City
School money collection form. Mrs. Robbins has been instructed to return any money that is
submitted without a correctly completed money collection form. Do not leave money in an
unsecured location in your classroom. Teachers are responsible for any money that is lost or
stolen after being turned in to them by students or parents.
PARENT CONFERENCES
Teachers must schedule parent conferences during non-academic time. A written record of all
parent conferences should be kept. Meetings can be held during your planning time if it involves
only teachers who have common planning. However, if it involves others in the building or
central office personnel, it MUST be held after school, and all relevant teachers are expected to
attend. Teachers are expected to bring all pertinent materials to these meetings such as student
work, documentation, and grades. Once scheduled, a parent conference is not optional. If an
administrator needs to attend a conference, please work with that administrator in scheduling it.
PARENT CONTACT
Documentation, Documentation, & Documentation – Documentation of contacts (meetings,
letters, phone calls, notes, etc.,) with parents is essential. Keep documentation of certain
situations such as meetings and discipline problems with students. Teachers should document
both positive interactions and challenging interactions. Teachers should build relationships with
the parents of the students in your classroom. Teachers are strongly encouraged to make good
telephone calls and send positive notes home as often as possible. Not only will a teacher’s
efforts build a relationship, but these actions are an investment. NEVER, EVER, NEVER,
EVER should a teacher have discussions with parents through emails about their children.
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Emails can negatively impact your relationship with a parent due to your tone being inaccurately
judged. It is the teacher’s responsibility always to return phone calls – the 24 Hour Rule is in
effect when you receive a call from a parent.
Thursday Student Folders
Papers will be sent home to parents every Thursday for their review and signature. Students
should not be punished for not returning signed papers. This responsibility is to be taught in a
positive manner rather than a negative one. Teachers can reward students for handling this
responsibility rather than punish those who do not.
Weekly Grade Level Newsletters will be sent home to parents every Thursday for their review.
The newsletter should contain topics being taught, announcements of homework assignments,
quizzes, tests, and projects, and anything else relevant to school for the week. This should be no
longer than one page in length back and front. Teachers are encouraged to be creative with this –
a vocabulary word of the week, a problem of the week, extended activities, etc. Newsletters are
due to Mrs. Teems by Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE CLASSROOM & SCHOOL
Your classroom should be a hub of learning - attractive, appealing, orderly, and comfortable.
The structure and care you have for your classroom is an indicator to students of the structure
and care you have for their learning. Our classrooms should be colorful with timely bulletin
boards that are informational, motivational, and/or interactive. Current student work should be
abundantly displayed, changed monthly, and posted with teacher commentary and appropriate
standard(s). Management information (date, homework, upcoming events, etc.) and/or sponge
activities for any transition time should be displayed. In addition, classrooms should be free
from clutter; materials should be organized for maximum availability, and desks and tables
should be arranged to facilitate learning. Please do not place students’ desks directly against the
wall or facing a corner of the classroom. Please use only blue painter’s tape or Command 3M
hanging products to hand stuff in the classrooms and hallways – NO sticky tape, Gorilla Glue
products, Liquid Nails products, or glue guns.
Students should experience the content in a way that appeals to all learning styles (visual,
auditory, kinesthetic). Also, when you provide a teacher-made visual organizer, students
understand the material better.
Teachers should extend their classrooms with student work into the halls. In fact, the halls
should be used to "publish" and celebrate students as much as possible all year. There will be
frequent visitors to East Central Elementary School; they should be impressed.
Every effort should be made to have our school grounds and building in top condition at all
times. It is very important that our school projects an image of cleanliness and readiness.
Teachers will direct their students in following a regular schedule for cleaning the classroom
many times throughout the day and especially at the end of the day. Students need to be in the
routine of keeping their school clean. The administration is asking that all teachers and staff set
a good example by picking up any trash on the school campus and rewarding/recognizing
students who do the same. Mr. Bray and Mrs. Pippin are incredible in all they do, but they
cannot do it alone.
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POLITICS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
By Rome City School’s Board Policy GAHB, teachers and staff cannot promote candidates with
signs, shirts, buttons, etc. on school property.
PROMOTION POLICY
Please refer to Rome City School Board Policy IHE for grade-specific promotion policies.
PTO REQUIREMENTS
Attending PTO meetings, performances, and school events is extremely important; it is evidence
that you are invested. You are required to attend Meet Your Teacher and Open House. You may
miss only one of the PTO events by informing Mrs. Teems in writing prior to the
meeting/performance/event. All teachers and staff are encouraged to attend as many school
activities as possible. Rome City School employees are eligible for free admission to all regular
season athletic contests and many other student activities sponsored by the system.
Meet Your Teacher
You never get a second chance to make a first impression – Bulletin boards should be attractive
and complete; classrooms should be organized and ready for learning; hallways should be clear
of clutter and trash. We should be ready to receive company. Our school will be ready by 3:00
on Thursday, July 30th when students and parents arrive to meet you. Meet Your Teacher will
begin at 4:00 p.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. Teachers' names should be on the door or wall next to
door, and the teacher’ s class roll, in alphabetical order, should also be posted.
PURCHASE ORDERS AND INVOICES
All teachers need to submit any instructional needs to the academic coaches. The principal will
approve no purchase order on items or services after the purchase. If a staff member chooses to
purchase something or place an order prior to the principal’s written approval, the staff member
may either pay for the item or service personally or return the item. Any request for school
funds for student incentives must be made in advance and submitted through an ECES purchase
order provided by Mrs. Robbins.
RESTROOM BREAKS
Teachers are to schedule restroom breaks at a minimum of twice a day for students. Students are
not allowed out of the classroom for any reason other than an emergency. Please check the
restrooms periodically for graffiti and cleanliness. If there is something that needs to be handled
immediately, please let Mr. Bray or Mrs. Pippin know. Students should not be allowed to visit
the restroom alone unless it is an extreme emergency.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Grade levels are not allowed to make any changes to schedules unless approved by Mrs. Teems.
East Central Elementary School is expected to meet the daily and weekly requirements for total
teaching time of every subject according to SACS guidelines. Student schedules and daily
teaching schedules may be changed only with the administration’s prior approval. Teachers who
see the need for a schedule change should submit the request to Mrs. Teems and the appropriate
instructional coach in writing. The request will be approved or denied in writing.
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STAFF NEEDS AND EVENTS
Please let the administration know of any special events or misfortunes that occur in the personal
lives of staff members. All of ECES is a team, one which supports each other in every way
possible. Mrs. P. White will be in charge of the Hospitality Committee. Teachers and staff
members are asked to donate $10.00 to the Hospitality Fund so flowers, plants, and other
purchases can be made when appropriate.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Each faculty member is responsible for knowing the information in the student handbook and
teaching the students how to follow its contents. Teachers are encouraged to be creative with
this – scavenger hunt reading activity, partner reading the nonfiction text, jigsaw activity, etc.
STUDENT INSURANCE
Student insurance information will be provided for each homeroom teacher during pre-planning.
Please stress the importance of having some form of insurance. Student insurance must be
turned into the office on the forms provided. All instructions must be followed explicitly. No
insurance forms can be processed by the school after the due date; this must be adhered to
without exception.
STUDENT LEAVING CAMPUS
No student is allowed to leave the school grounds during the school day without specific
permission from the parent. Even with parent permission, this must be limited to doctor
appointments. Students must never be allowed to run errands during the school day for
themselves, parents, or staff members.
STUDENT RECORDS
Maintaining accurate, current permanent records, permanent record cards, test folders, and EIP
cards is an important responsibility as a teacher. These records will be checked periodically by
the counselor. Do not remove such records or any part of these records without prior approval.
STUDENT WELFARE
The State of Georgia requires by law that any principal, teacher, counselor, or other school
administrator report all cases of suspected child abuse of children less than eighteen years of age.
The law requires the reporting of injuries or neglect of minors, provides immunity for those
reporting in good faith, and provides a penalty for violation of the law.
Mrs. Loveless, our school counselor, shall be considered the appropriate school system personnel
to make reports of suspected child abuse and neglect to the Department of Family and Children
Services of the county in which the child lives (Georgia Code: 32-2111). Mrs. Loveless shall be
the school liaison with protective services staff of the county's Department of Family and
Children Services in relation to the child's school adjustment and performance and shall take
individual appropriate investigative steps before finally reporting suspected cases of child abuse
and neglect to the county's Department of Family and Children Services. In the event that Mrs.
Loveless is not on campus, Nurse White will serve as a substitute.
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The education of school system personnel in the identification of child abuse and neglect shall
rest with the system and be coordinated by the school counselor.
In accordance with this law, the Superintendent shall establish the necessary rules and
regulations. LEGAL REF.: Georgia Laws, Section 74-111 ADOPTED: August 15, 1978
Procedures for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect
1. The principal will be informed by the counselor or school social worker of any suspected case
of child abuse or neglect.
2. A report will be made to the school counselor giving data concerning the alleged case. The
Rome City Schools referral form should be completed by the referring school at this time.
3. A telephone call is made immediately to Protective Services by the school counselor giving
pertinent information. A copy of the referral form will be given to the Protective Services
worker if it is requested.
4. A copy of the referral form is given to the principal by the school counselor on every case
referred to Protective Services.
5. A copy of each referral will be filed by the school counselor, and the principal will keep a
copy.
6. The principal, his designee, school social worker, or counselor will be present during the
interview when the Department of Family and Children Services Worker visits to the school.
If the school counselor and the school nurse are not available to receive the referral, the
school principal should make the referral directly to the protective services unit of the
Department of Family and Children Services and follow the outlined procedures above.
SUPERINTENDENT’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A teacher will serve as East Central Elementary School’s representative on the Superintendent’s
Advisory Committee. Beginning in September, the Committee will meet on the Thursday
following the Board Meeting at 3:30 p.m. in the Superintendent’s office. All concerns and
questions must be submitted to our representative and to Mrs. Teems by Monday, 3:30 p.m.
before the meeting on Thursday.
SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS
Teacher supervision is critical for the protection of our students. No child will ever be
unsupervised.
All homeroom teachers should be in their classroom doorways each morning at 7:55 a.m. ready
to greet their students. Students should never arrive to a classroom prior to the teacher. Students
are to enter the classroom and complete assignments from the board, ELMO, etc. Teachers
without a homeroom will be at your morning duty stations every day at 7:30 a.m.
Transitions
Transition times are when problems can occur. Teachers should be actively walking with their
students during all transitions to and from lunch, activity, recess, the media center, the computer
lab – to and from anywhere. Teachers should be monitoring the line by walking from one end to
the other and reminding students to walk in a quiet and orderly fashion. When you are in the
halls with your students, other classes are still being conducted. All classes will walk in the
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hallways silently on the third block from the wall. Please explain to your students why this is so
important.
Playground Supervision (MAXIMUM SUPERVISION / NO RELAXATION)
Teachers will always supervise the playground when in use by students and will always have a
walkie-talkie with them. Standing around in conversation with other teachers while students are
on the playground is not acceptable supervision. Teachers will spread out on the playground to
supervise students. Recess time is built into your schedule – it is not “free time” for teachers.
Typically, discipline problems and injuries are more likely to occur during recess than any other
time. Teachers are responsible for any incidents and injuries that occur. Teachers help students
to watch for poison ivy, snakes, and any person who is not an employee of ECES. Teachers
should be observant of where the students are at all times; students should never be in the
wooded area. If a member of our maintenance team is on the property for landscaping, please
escort your students back to the classroom for safety reasons.
SUPPLIES FROM OFFICE
Ms. Robbins will be happy to get supplies you need. However, she cannot do this on a walk-in
basis since she has office tasks and responsibilities she is constantly doing. Please be patient;
there is only one of her. Do not send students to the office for supplies during instructional time;
teachers must get supplies before school, during their planning time, or after school.
TARDINESS
Students should be seated and ready for class at the designated times. Please have a sponge,
warm-up, or do now activity on the board each day. With the exception of 1st period, if students
do not have a pass for their tardiness, do not send them to the office to get one. The teacher
should mark the student for an unexcused tardy and follow the discipline guidelines for tardiness.
TECHNOLOGY
Teachers are encouraged to use all available technology and resources when planning lessons.
Our world is a world of digital learning, and our students are 21st Century Learners!!! Videos
brought from home or downloaded MUST BE approved through the media center and Mrs.
Teems/Dr. Drummond before shown to the students. Please use the video approval form. The
TVs, DVD players, Smartboards, etc. in your room are to be used for educational programming
only with students during the school day unless you have discussed otherwise with the principal.
Teachers should use Internet access and available technology in an appropriate manner and at
appropriate times. Teachers should use school resources for educational purposes only, not
personal use. Staff members should not use school computers or instructional time for
completing graduate work, shopping, vacation planning, or non-school related activities. All
adults employed by Rome City Schools are “on the clock” from 7:45 until 3:15 each day. Any
personal business must be conducted before or after school and not using school devices.
Teachers should not use personal laptops or other internet-accessible devices such as phones or
IPads for personal use during instructional time.
Teachers should monitor student computer use vigilantly. Teachers are expected to check the
history of computers in their classroom periodically and report any misuse. Teachers who use
the computer labs must actively monitor computer use including checking histories before and
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after each class and WALKING AROUND. Although the school has filters in place, students
are very resourceful when it comes to circumventing our safeguards.
Students and staff using the Internet shall comply with the administrative procedures provided by
the principal. The Board of Education reserves the right to monitor all computers and Internet
activity by students and staff. Anyone misusing the internet shall be subject to revocation of
internet privileges and potential disciplinary and/or appropriate legal action.
TELEPHONE (CELL PHONE) USAGE
Teachers are not to place or to receive telephone calls in their classrooms during instructional
time. This includes the use of personal cell phones. AT NO TIME SHOULD A TEACHER
USE A CELL PHONE WHILE SUPERVISING STUDENTS (DURING CLASS TIME,
TRANSITIONS, LUNCH, RECESS, AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES) OR IN THE
PRESENCE OF STUDENTS. This includes texting, accessing the internet, messaging,
checking the time, posting, etc. Cell phones should be turned silent during the school day, all
meetings, and school functions. If there is a circumstance, and the teacher feels he/she must
have a cell phone at all times, the teacher must talk with the principal about this.
East Central Elementary School students are allowed to use electronic devices (even cell phones)
for instructional purposes within the classroom or media center when instructed to do so by the
teacher and when monitored closely. Students are not allowed to use their cell phones at any
other time unless a teacher or administrator has given the student explicit permission. This
includes but is not limited to transitions, in the bathroom, on the playground, or in the cafeteria
unless a teacher or administrator has given the student permission,. Students are not allowed to
take “selfies.” Students who do not follow these instructions may receive consequences in a
logical and progressive manner. The first consequence may be a warning, and the student is
asked to put the phone away. If a student is noncompliant on a second instance, the phone will
be stored in the front office, and the student is allowed to pick up the phone at the end of the day.
If a student is noncompliant on a third or subsequent incident, the device is stored in the front
office until a parent is able to pick up the device. Students will continue to earn consequences
for noncompliance, and chronic noncompliance may result in an office referral.
TESTING
Testing is important!!! It is the primary way the public "judges" our success with our students;
“It is the game we play.” Successful students can perform poorly due to not knowing test taking
strategies and not being exposed to test type questions. GA Milestones is given in grades 3-6.
Teachers must give their students practice with the testing format. Test prep is a very important
ingredient for students to be successful on standardized tests. Mrs. Teems and Dr. Drummond
expect our students to excel in all areas. The principal, assistant principal, counselor, and
academic coaches will be the test coordinators. Our school will be above reproach in every
aspect of testing procedures and policies. Reminder: In regards to testing, you need to read
every direction in every manual and on every test to be sure that you understand what is
expected of you and our students. I expect you to closely monitor your students throughout
the testing process. I do not ever want to see teachers on the computer or working on other
things while our students are testing. As a directive, teachers are to follow all testing
procedures.
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TEXTBOOKS (IF APPLICABLE)
All books must be numbered before they are assigned to students. Any distributed books are to
be numbered on the inside and on the ends with a magic marker. This makes the number visible
for easy recognition by students and teachers. Give out to all students the basic textbooks during
the first week of school. Maintain an accurate textbook inventory as you are assigning books.
This inventory is due to Dr. Drummond on Friday, August 14th by the end of the school day. It is
strongly recommended for each teacher to do periodic textbook inventory checks with their
students throughout the school year. Teachers should reference the school calendar for textbook
inventory check dates. An accurate textbook inventory of assigned textbooks to each teacher is
due Tuesday, May 24th by the end of the day
VISITORS
Security concerns are very much a priority at East Central Elementary School. A tragedy can
happen in our town just as it could happen in a large urban setting. ECES will strictly limit
access to the school and our campus. With this in mind, all teachers and staff will adhere to the
following procedures for having visitors at East Central Elementary School.
Procedure:
1. First and foremost, every faculty and staff member at East Central Elementary School is a
guardian of our campus. It is everyone’s responsibility to help ensure safety and security for our
students.
2. When the outside doors are open for class change, do not let anyone other than East Central
Elementary School students into our building. All people must come in the front door and
through the front office. This means salesmen, friends, spouses, and children. ALL PEOPLE NO EXCEPTIONS.
All visitors must check in at the front office, verbally let a secretary know why they are here, and
whom they wish to see. They must then sign the register and state, in writing, the time, reason
for visit, and person they are seeing. They must receive and wear a visitor's nametag and sign
out the time when they leave. This includes lunch visits as well.
If you see someone in the building who you do not know, please ask the person if you can be of
assistance and escort the person to the front office if possible. If this is not possible, please
contact the office right away, and a school employee will come to you. Every visitor must wear
a visitor’s nametag, again NO EXPECTIONS. We want to know who is on campus at all times.
This handbook is NOT intended to be a complete legal explanation of every Georgia, Rome City
Schools, or East Central Elementary School rule, procedure, policy, and/or regulation. It is
simply intended to be a guidebook to help teachers and staff understand what is required and
offer information to guide you during the school year. It should not be assumed to cover every
situation and circumstance that arises during the course of the year. In all cases, the
administration will make decisions and changes as situations warrant.
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Effective June 15, 2015
505-6-.01 THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORS
(1) Introduction. The Code of Ethics for Educators defines the professional behavior of educators
in Georgia and serves as a guide to ethical conduct. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission
has adopted standards that represent the conduct generally accepted by the education profession. The
code defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary sanction and provides guidance for protecting the
health, safety and general welfare of students and educators, and assuring the citizens of Georgia a
degree of accountability within the education profession.
(2) Definitions
(a) “Certificate” refers to any teaching, service, or leadership certificate, license, or permit issued
by authority of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
(b) “Child endangerment” occurs when an educator disregards a substantial and/or unjustifiable
risk of bodily harm to the student.
(c) “Educator” is a teacher, school or school system administrator, or other education personnel
who holds a certificate issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and persons who have
applied for but have not yet received a certificate. For the purposes of the Code of Ethics for Educators,
“educator” also refers to paraprofessionals, aides, and substitute teachers.
(d) “Student” is any individual enrolled in the state’s public or private schools from preschool
through grade 12 or any individual between and including the ages of 3 and 17 under the age of 18. For
the purposes of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct for Educators, the enrollment
period for a graduating student ends on August 31 of the year of graduation.
(e) “Complaint” is any written and signed statement from a local board, the state board, or one or
more individual residents of this state filed with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission alleging
that an educator has breached one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators.A
“complaint” will be deemed a request to investigate.
(f) “Revocation” is the invalidation of any certificate held by the educator.
(g) “Denial” is the refusal to grant initial certification to an applicant for a certificate.
(h) “Suspension” is the temporary invalidation of any certificate for a period of time specified by
the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
(i) “Reprimand” admonishes the certificate holder for his or her conduct. The reprimand cautions
that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe action
(j) “Warning” warns the certificate holder that his or her conduct is unethical. The warning
cautions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe action.
(k) “Monitoring” is the quarterly appraisal of the educator’s conduct by the Georgia Professional
Standards Commission through contact with the educator and his or her employer. As a condition of
monitoring, an educator may be required to submit a criminal background check (GCIC). The Commission
specifies the length of the monitoring period
(l) “No Probable Cause” is a determination by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission
that, after a preliminary investigation, either no further action need be taken or no cause exists to
recommend disciplinary action.
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505-6-.01 Page 2
(3) Standards
(a) Standard 1: Legal Compliance - An educator shall abide by federal, state, and local laws
and statutes. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to the Commission or conviction of a felony or
of any crime involving moral turpitude; of any other criminal offense involving the manufacture,
distribution, trafficking, sale, or possession of a controlled substance or marijuana as provided for in
Chapter 13 of Title 16; or of any other sexual offense as provided for in Code Section 16-6-1 through 166-17, 16-6-20, 16-6-22.2, or 16-12-100; or any other laws applicable to the profession. As used herein,
conviction includes a finding or verdict of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere, regardless of whether an
appeal of the conviction has been sought; a situation where first offender treatment without adjudication
of guilt pursuant to the charge was granted; and a situation where an adjudication of guilt or sentence
was otherwise withheld or not entered on the charge or the charge was otherwise disposed of in a similar
manner in any jurisdiction.
(b) Standard 2: Conduct with Students - An educator shall always maintain a professional
relationship with all students, both in and outside the classroom. Unethical conduct includes but is not
limited to:
1. committing any act of child abuse, including physical and verbal abuse;
2. committing any act of cruelty to children or any act of child endangerment;
3. committing any sexual act with a student or soliciting such from a student;
4. engaging in or permitting harassment of or misconduct toward a student
that would violate a state or federal law;
5. soliciting, encouraging, or consummating an inappropriate written, verbal, electronic, or
physical relationship with a student;
6. furnishing tobacco, alcohol, or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any student; or
7. failing to prevent the use of alcohol or illegal or unauthorized drugs by students who are under
the educator’s supervision (including but not limited to at the educator’s residence or any other private
setting).
(c) Standard 3: Alcohol or Drugs - An educator shall refrain from the use of alcohol or illegal or
unauthorized drugs during the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not
limited to:
1. being on school or Local Unit of Administration (LUA)/school district premises or at a school or
a LUA/school district-related activity while under the influence of, possessing, using, or consuming illegal
or unauthorized drugs; and
2. being on school or LUA/school district premises or at a school-related activity involving
students while under the influence of, possessing, or consuming alcohol. A school-related activity
includes, but is not limited to, any activity sponsored by the school or school system (booster clubs,
parent-teacher organizations, or any activity designed to enhance the school curriculum i.e. Foreign
Language trips, etc).
(d) Standard 4: Honesty -An educator shall exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of
professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to, falsifying, misrepresenting or
omitting:
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505-6-.01 Page 3
1. professional qualifications, criminal history, college or staff development credit and/or degrees,
academic award, and employment history;
2. information submitted to federal, state, local school districts and other governmental agencies;
3. information regarding the evaluation of students and/or personnel;
4. reasons for absences or leaves;
5. information submitted in the course of an official inquiry/investigation; and
6. information submitted in the course of professional practice.
(e) Standard 5: Public Funds and Property -An educator entrusted with public funds and
property shall honor that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and responsibility. Unethical conduct
includes but is not limited to:
1. misusing public or school-related funds;
2. failing to account for funds collected from students or parents;
3. submitting fraudulent requests or documentation for reimbursement of expenses or for pay
(including fraudulent or purchased degrees, documents, or coursework);
4. co-mingling public or school-related funds with personal funds or checking accounts; and
5. using school or school district property without the approval of the local board of
education/governing board or authorized designee.
(f) Standard 6: Remunerative Conduct - An educator shall maintain integrity with students,
colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional
compensation. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:
1. soliciting students or parents of students, or school and/or LUA/school district personnel, to
purchase equipment, supplies, or services from the educator or to participate in activities that financially
benefit the educator unless approved by the local board of education/governing board or authorized
designee;
2. accepting gifts from vendors or potential vendors for personal use or gain where there may be
the appearance of a conflict of interest;
3. tutoring students assigned to the educator for remuneration unless approved by the local board
of education/governing board or authorized designee; and
4. coaching, instructing, promoting athletic camps, summer leagues, etc. that involves students in
an educator’s school system and from whom the educator receives remuneration unless approved by the
local board of education/governing board or authorized designee. These types of activities must be in
compliance with all rules and regulations of the Georgia High School Association.
(g) Standard 7: Confidential Information - An educator shall comply with state and federal laws
and state school board policies relating to the confidentiality of student and personnel records,
standardized test material and other information. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:
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505-6-.01 Page 4
1. sharing of confidential information concerning student academic and disciplinary records,
health and medical information, family status and/or income, and assessment/testing results unless
disclosure is required or permitted by law;
2. sharing of confidential information restricted by state or federal law;
3. violation of confidentiality agreements related to standardized testing including copying or
teaching identified test items, publishing or distributing test items or answers, discussing test items,
violating local school system or state directions for the use of tests or test items, etc.; and
4. violation of other confidentiality agreements required by state or local policy.
(h) Standard 8: Abandonment of Contract - An educator shall fulfill all of the terms and
obligations detailed in the contract with the local board of education or education agency for the duration
of the contract. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:
1. abandoning the contract for professional services without prior release from the contract by the
employer, and
2. willfully refusing to perform the services required by a contract.
(i) Standard 9: Required Reports - An educator shall file reports of a breach of one or more of
the standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators, child abuse (O.C.G.A. §19-7-5), or any other required
report. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:
1. failure to report all requested information on documents required by the Commission when
applying for or renewing any certificate with the Commission;
2. failure to make a required report of a violation of one or more standards of the Code of Ethics
for educators of which they have personal knowledge as soon as possible but no later than ninety (90)
days from the date the educator became aware of an alleged breach unless the law or local procedures
require reporting sooner; and
3. failure to make a required report of any violation of state or federal law soon as possible but no
later than ninety (90) days from the date the educator became aware of an alleged breach unless the law
or local procedures require reporting sooner. These reports include but are not limited to: murder,
voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping, any sexual offense, any
sexual exploitation of a minor, any offense involving a controlled substance and any abuse of a child if an
educator has reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused.
(j) Standard 10: Professional Conduct - An educator shall demonstrate conduct that follows
generally recognized professional standards and preserves the dignity and integrity of the education
profession. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to any conduct that impairs and/or diminishes the
certificate holder’s ability to function professionally in his or her employment position, or behavior or
conduct that is detrimental to the health, welfare, discipline, or morals of students.
(k) Standard 11: Testing - An educator shall administer state-mandated assessments fairly and
ethically. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:
1. committing any act that breaches Test Security; and
2. compromising the integrity of the assessment.
(4) Reporting
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(a) Educators are required to report a breach of one or more of the Standards in the Code of
Ethics for Educators as soon as possible but no later than ninety (90) days from the date the educator
became aware of an alleged breach unless the law or local procedures require reporting sooner.
Educators should be aware of legal requirements and local policies and procedures for reporting
unethical conduct. Complaints filed with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission must be in
writing and must be signed by the complainant (parent, educator, or other LUA/school district employee,
etc.).
(b) The Commission notifies local and state officials of all disciplinary actions. In addition,
suspensions and revocations are reported to national officials, including the NASDTEC Clearinghouse.
(5) Disciplinary Action
(a) The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is authorized to suspend, revoke, or deny
certificates, to issue a reprimand or warning, or to monitor the educator’s conduct and performance after
an investigation is held and notice and opportunity for a hearing are provided to the certificate holder. Any
of the following grounds shall be considered cause for disciplinary action against the holder of a
certificate:
1. unethical conduct as outlined in The Code of Ethics for Educators, Standards 1-11 (GaPSC
Rule 505-6-.01);
2. disciplinary action against a certificate in another state on grounds consistent with those
specified in the Code of Ethics for Educators, Standards 1-11 (GaPSC Rule 505-6-.01);
3. order from a court of competent jurisdiction or a request from the Department of Human
Resources that the certificate should be suspended or the application for certification should be denied for
non-payment of child support (O.C.G.A. §19-6-28.1 and §19-11-9.3);
4. notification from the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation that the educator is in
default and not in satisfactory repayment status on a student loan guaranteed by the Georgia Higher
Education Assistance Corporation (O.C.G.A. §20-3-295);
5. suspension or revocation of any professional license or certificate;
6. violation of any other laws and rules applicable to the profession; and
7. any other good and sufficient cause that renders an educator unfit for employment as an
educator.
(b) An individual whose certificate has been revoked, denied, or suspended may not serve as a
volunteer or be employed as an educator, paraprofessional, aide, substitute teacher or in any other
position during the period of his or her revocation, suspension or denial for a violation of The Code of
Ethics. The superintendent and the educator designated by the superintendent/Local Board of Education
shall be responsible for assuring that an individual whose certificate has been revoked, denied, or
suspended is not employed or serving in any capacity in their district. Both the superintendent and the
superintendent’s designee must hold GaPSC certification. Should the superintendent’s certificate be
revoked, suspended, or denied, the Board of Education shall be responsible for assuring that the
superintendent whose certificate has been revoked, suspended, or denied is not employed or serving in
any capacity in their district.
Authority O.C.G.A. § 20-2-200; 20-2-981 through 20-2-984.5
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