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TABLE OF CONTENTSWAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM2014-2015 EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKTABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTS . 1 SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTER. 6 WCPSS MISSION, VISION AND CORE BELIEFS . 7 WCPSS OVERVIEW. 8 INTRODUCTION TO THE WCPSS EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK . 9 Handbook Acknowledgment Form . 10 EMPLOYEE POLICY UPDATE . 11 CLASSIFICATION OF PERSONNEL . 12 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES . 12 TYPES OF EMPLOYEES . 12 Employee Classifications for Benefits Purposes . 12 At-Will Employees . 14 Renewable Contract Teachers . 14 Career Status (Tenured) Teachers . 14 School Administrators and Administrator Contracts . 15 EMPLOYEE CONDUCT . 16 Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct . 16 Gifts to Employees . 18 Fraud Hotline . 18 Employee Acceptable Use of Electronic Resources . 20 Computer Insurance for Individual Responsibility . 25 Collection, Use, and Release of Social Security Numbers and Other Personal IdentifyingInformation . 25 Sexual Harassment . 26 Harassment/Bullying . 28 Prohibited Conduct on School Property and at School Events . 30 Conduct of Employees Toward Students . 30 Student Safety and Supervision . 31 Corporal Punishment . 31 Use of Seclusion and Restraint . 31 Drug-Free Workplace Environment . 32 Drug and Alcohol Testing of Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators . 33 Tobacco Free Environment . 33 Weapons Prohibited on School Property. 34 Criminal Charges and/or Records . 35 Reporting Information to the Principal and External Agencies . 35 Reporting Child Abuse . 36 WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PROCEDURES . 37 1

WORKDAY HOURS, TIMESHEETS, AND ABSENTEEISM . 37 Fair Labor Standards Act Compliance . 37 Time Sheets . 38 Teacher Assistant Workday Hours . 38 Teacher Workday Hours. 38 Employee Absences. 39 Procedures for Reporting Absences . 39 ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFERS . 40 Transfers for Support Personnel . 40 Transfers for Instructional Personnel . 40 Transfers for Administrators . 41 TEACHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES . 41 Responsibilities and Duties . 41 Instructional Planning . 41 Duty-Free Lunch Period . 41 Tutoring for Pay . 42 Job Sharing for Certified Employees . 42 LICENSURE . 42 Licensure for Certified Instructional Personnel . 42 Praxis Reimbursement . 43 Teacher Assistant Experience Credit for Teachers . 44 Non-Teaching Experience Credit for Teachers . 44 SUBSTITUTE PROCEDURES . 44 AESOP Automated Substitute Placement Service . 44 Substitute Teacher Folders . 45 Substitute “Do Not Use” Requests . 46 EVALUATIONS . 46 Teacher Evaluation Instrument. 47 Improvement Plans . 47 PERSONNEL FILES. 48 Maintenance and Content of Personnel Files . 48 Removal of Information from Personnel File . 48 EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES . 49 Complaints. 49 Grievances . 49 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES . 49 Procedures for Adjusting Schedules . 49 Procedures for Reporting Employee Absences . 51 Procedures for Emergency Operations Plan . 52 HEALTH RELATED WORKPLACE PROCEDURES . 53 Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure . 53 Contagious Diseases . 53 Dealing with Student Allergies and Medications . 53 TRAVEL PROCEDURES . 54 GIFTS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM . 54 LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT . 56 National Board Certification . 57 Wake Education Partnership . 58 2

Advisory Council for Programs and Services for Children with Special Needs . 58 Community Schools . 59 School Improvement Planning . 59 eSchoolSolutions (eSchools) . 60 TUITION ASSISTANCE . 61 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WCPSS EMPLOYEES . 61 EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM . 61 COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS. 63 EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION . 63 Pay Dates . 63 Direct Deposit . 64 Electronic Pay Stub . 64 W-2 Tax Forms. 64 Federal and State Withholding . 65 FICA Withholding . 65 State Employees’ Credit Union . 65 Payroll Deductions . 65 NC State Retirement Contributions . 65 Summer Cash Savings Account . 65 EMPLOYEE INSURANCE BENEFITS . 66 Employee Obligation . 66 Insurance Changes . 67 Insurance Benefits Eligibility . 67 Qualifying Events . 68 WCPSS Flexible Benefits Plan . 68 COBRA Benefits . 68 Employee Insurance Benefits Quick Reference Guide . 69 LONGEVITY . 70 Earning North Carolina State Service . 70 Payment of Longevity Pay . 70 Leave Without Pay and Longevity Pay . 70 New Employees Longevity Credit . 71 LEAVES AND ABSENCES . 72 VACATION AND MISCELLANEOUS LEAVES . 72 Annual Vacation Leave . 72 Bonus Vacation Leave . 75 Holiday Leave . 76 Civil Responsibility Leave . 77 Educational Leave . 77 Professional Leave. 79 Military Leave . 79 Other Leaves Without Pay. 80 Compensatory Leave (FLSA). 80 Parental Involvement in Schools Leave . 81 MEDICAL LEAVES . 81 Sick Leave . 81 Voluntary Shared Leave . 85 3

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). 87 Leave for New Parents . 90 Parental Leave without Pay . 91 Annual Vacation Leave for Catastrophic Illness . 91 LEAVES FOR TEACHERS ONLY. 92 Personal Leave. 92 Extended Sick Leave . 93 Leave For Teachers Employed in Charter School . 93 Leave for Teachers on Loan . 94 DISABILITY AND WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LEAVE . 95 Disability Income Plan . 95 Workers’ Compensation Leave . 95 Return to Work Program . 96 Episode of Violence . 98 ENDING EMPLOYMENT WITH WCPSS . 99 Retirement . 99 Resignation . 99 Reduction in Force . 100 Dismissal . 100 WCPSS DEPARTMENTS. 101 COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT . 101 Communications Department . 101 Working with News Reporters . 102 Telling Your Story. 102 News Media and Students . 103 News Media and Special Programs Students . 104 Approvals for Distribution and Display of Materials . 104 Community Services Program . 105 WCPSS PRINT SHOP . 105 DATA AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 106 OFFICE OF GRANTS . 107 SAFETY. 107 Emergency Shelters . 107 Principal’s Monthly Fire Drill and Inspection. 108 SECURITY . 108 Emergency Response. 108 Identification Badges . 109 ACADEMICS . 109 Title I . 109 MAGNET AND CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMS. 110 Magnet Programs: . 110 Curriculum Enhancement Programs. 110 Year-Round Education . 111 Translation and Interpretation Services . 111 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES . 111 Counseling and Student Services . 111 Student Due Process . 112 4

Office of Early Learning (OEL) . 112 Intervention Services . 113 Alternative Schools . 113 Board Policy . 113 DIRECTORIES, CALENDARS AND RESOURCES . 114 DIRECTORIES . 114 School Board Members . 115 Superintendent’s Leadership Team . 116 Human Resources Department Directory. 117 Assistant Superintendent’s Office . 117 Office of Retention and Recruitment . 118 Staffing and Operations . 119 Salary and Licensure . 122 Employee Relations . 123 2014-2015 Holidays . 124 CALENDARS, PAYROLL. 125 For 10-, 11-,12-Month & Year Round Employees. 125 For Bus Employees. 126 For CNS Employees . 127 For Substitutes . 128 CALENDARS, SCHOOLS . 129 Traditional . 129 Year Round . 130 Modified . 131 STEM . 132 Wake Early College - Vernon Malone CCA . 133 Leadership Academy . 134 RESOURCES . 135 Website Reference List. 135 Important Phone Numbers . 136 5

SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTER6

WCPSS MISSION, VISION AND CORE BELIEFSMissionThe Wake County Public School System will significantly increase achievement for all studentsby providing a world-class education that equips students with the knowledge and expertise tobecome successful, productive citizens.VisionWCPSS will serve as the national standard for increasing student achievement in the 21stCentury. Highly effective teachers and principals are empowered to raise the achievement of allchildren and will provide students with high quality classroom instruction that fosters intellectualdevelopment.WCPSS recognizes children have different needs. WCPSS is committed to ensuring all studentsare challenged to reach their full potential and to be accountable partners in their learning.Students will graduate in increasingly high percentages and compete successfully as productivecitizens. WCPSS will continue this community’s proud tradition of education leadership andacademic excellence with a proactive school staff, effectively supported by the Board ofEducation and Central Services.Core Beliefs1. All children, regardless of their personal and socio-economic circumstances, can be highachieving students.2. Academic achievement gaps can and will be eliminated.3. Challenging all students by providing academic rigor is essential to student success.4. Highly effective principals and teachers are key to improving growth in studentachievement.5. The Board of Education and Central Services promote an environment of continuousimprovement that results in a high performing organization and is 100% focused onstudent achievement.6. Supportive and passionate parents, families, student mentors, and other members of themulti-cultural Wake County community are active participants in the education of ourstudents.The Wake County Public School System was created through the 1976 merger of the formerWake County and Raleigh Public School Systems. WCPSS serves the entire county. Thisincludes Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Raleigh,Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon. The school district has schools located in urban,suburban, and rural areas.7

WCPSS OVERVIEWThe Wake County Public School System is the largest school district in North Carolina, servingmore than 156,000 students in 171 schools. Families choose from a variety of schools that offerdifferent calendars, magnet themes, instructional networks, early college options and careeracademies.Wake County has 35 magnet schools offering kindergartners to seniors the chance to take part inmagnet themes such as Academically or Intellectually Gifted, Creative and Performing Arts,Global Studies, International Baccalaureate and Leadership.

Wake Education Partnership . The Wake County Public School System is the largest school district in North Carolina, serving more than 156,000 students in 171 schools. Families choose from a variety of schools that offer . timesheets, assignments, evaluations, etc.;