SUBSTITUTE HANDBOOK 610 Alta Vista Santa Fe, NM 87505 505-467-2015 Updated 2014-2015 1 Welcome! Welcome to the Santa Fe Public Schools. We are pleased that you have decided to work as a Substitute Teacher in our district. In your capacity as a Substitute Teacher, you are a very important person to the community, to the school, and especially to the students. We trust that you will enjoy the assignment and experience, and we wish you success in your work. These pages outline responsibilities of your position as a Substitute Teacher and detail information necessary for you to function as a successful employee with our school district. In the absence of the regular teacher, the district relies on you to provide the continuity of instruction for each student. As a Substitute Teacher, you are depended upon to manage unfamiliar and varied educational situations. Adaptability and flexibility are two characteristics of a successful Substitute Teacher. These characteristics coupled with organizational skills, patience, stamina, and most certainly, reliability, can produce success for you. We ask that you read the information contained within this handbook, and that you refer to it often, since it is designed to aid you in carrying out your duties. Please remember that this handbook only contains general information and guidelines. It is not intended to be comprehensive or to address all the possible applications of, or exceptions to, the general policies and procedures described. For that reason, additional information or clarification may be obtained at Human Resources, 610 Alta Vista, emailing [email protected], or by telephoning (505) 467-2015. 2 Mission and Vision Vision Our vision for the Santa Fe Public Schools is to provide every student with a high quality education in a system devoted to equity, diversity and social justice. Every student will have multiple learning opportunities to meet challenging standards in a safe, caring, and respectful environment. Every student is expected to graduate prepared to take advantage of lifelong learning opportunities. Mission The Santa Fe Public Schools exist to ensure that every student graduates prepared to be a productive citizen of our local and global community. 3 Important Contact Information Substitute Employment General Information Office Hours - Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Phone - (505) 467-2015 Fax - (505) 995-3302 Email - [email protected] Aesop Online (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) *Search for available jobs *Review assignments *Cancel jobs *Modify availability (online) *Change Phone Number or PIN Web: www.aesopeducation.com Mobile Site: m.aesoponline.com Toll Free: 1-800-94-AESOP (1-800-942-3767) Questions about your paycheck Office Hours - Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Phone - (505) 467-2044 4 Personnel Files Human Resources maintains personnel files on all individuals employed within District, including Substitute Teachers. The contents of these files are the property of the Santa Fe Public Schools. Your personnel files contain your pre and post employment paperwork. This includes but is not limited to your application, references, background check results, transcripts and/or a copy of your high school diploma, substitute profile/work preferences, and a copy of your substitute or teacher license. Your personnel file may also contain satisfactory and/or unsatisfactory work performance reports. In the event either one of these reports is submitted to Human Resources, every effort will be made to notify you that a report was received. If at any time you wish to review the contents of your personnel file, please submit a written request to Human Resources. You will be contacted with a date and time that you may review your file. 5 Payroll Information Payment of Salary Salary payment is made on the 15th and the last working day of the month, for base salary due according to the corresponding pay period. If a normal payday falls on a SFPS recognized Holiday or weekend, paychecks will be distributed one workday prior to the aforementioned schedule. Under no circumstances will SFPS release any paychecks prior to the announced schedule. Please remember that you are responsible to record your time in and out during every assignment. Please check with the school secretary for specific site procedures. Any questions concerning pay for days worked are to be directed to the school secretary where services were rendered. Any errors on your paycheck will be corrected on the following paycheck. Paychecks Substitutes are eligible to be paid through direct deposit. Your direct deposit confirmation will be mailed to your home address in accordance with the payroll schedule. This statement of earnings outlines your Gross Pay and Statutory Deductions. Please ensure that your address information is kept up to date with our office to ensure timely receipt of your summary. It is your responsibility to notify Payroll if your bank account number changes. 6 Salary Information The Salary Schedule for Santa Fe Public Schools Substitutes is based upon Regular Long educational credentials and is not Salary Schedule Daily Term negotiable. We review the pay scales Rates Rates every year and adjust them to meet budgetary guidelines. Non-degree $75.00 $90.00 Your salary will be determined Bachelor’s Degree or according the credentials and licensure $85.00 $100.00 higher you present to Human Resources at the time of your hire. All substitute Licensed NM employees are expected to work at least $90.00 $105.00 4 full days a month. Teacher/Administrator Long Term Pay* Long Term Pay is ONLY assigned for those Substitute Teachers who are designated as having a Long Term Substitute assignment. Substitute assignments eligible for long term pay are those generally designated as replacing a teacher out on Family/Medical Leave (FMLA) or extended personal leave. All Long Term assignments are arranged by Human Resources in conjunction with School and/or Department Administrators. Once you are assigned to a Long Term Substitute position, Long Term Pay will be paid for each day during that assignment. For assignments which aren’t initially intended to be longer than ten days but exceed beyond ten days will still qualify for Long Term Pay. The applicable pay increase will be paid retroactively for the first through tenth day of the assignment. Your Long Term Pay rate will not be affected by an absence on your part. You simply will not be paid for that day. However, any excessive absences or pattern of absences during a Long Term assignment may cause you to be reduced in pay or removed from that assignment. Your next assignment will revert back to your regular daily rate. The New Mexico Public Education Department requires written notification to parents of those students who are being taught for longer than four consecutive weeks by a substitute teacher or by a person who is not qualified to teach the grade or subject. The school principal will send this notice to parents if your assignment extends beyond four weeks. *IMPORTANT NOTE: A Substitute assigned to a position regularly held by an Educational Paraprofessional, Non-Certified Librarian, or Secretary will not qualify for Long Term Pay. 7 Half Day vs. Full Day All substitutes are paid a half day or full day rate. Any assignment that is less than four (4) hours will be considered a half day. Any assignment four (4) hours or longer will be considered a full day. If you accept an assignment which is four (4) hours or longer but less than the full work day, your services may be requested by a school administrator through the end of the work day. The district requires that you fulfill such requests as a full day’s pay is being issued. Noon Duty All sites are encouraged to cover noon duty shifts through creative scheduling. Therefore, administrators may schedule and/or request your services during this time. A substitute is still entitled to a 30 minute duty free lunch. Other Duties Unless you have a long-term assignment, administrators may call upon you to perform additional work related duties during the regular teachers prep period. As such, this means you may be instructed to substitute for another class or perform other duties. Work Requirements Your services as a substitute are valued by the district. With your assistance, the district seeks to fill 100% of absences. In order to assure that all substitutes are actively working in the district, there are minimum work requirements that we request. All substitutes are requested to work 4 assignments each month. Each assignment that you accept will count towards the requirement. For example, a half day assignment will count as one assignment for the purposes of this requirement. If you will be unavailable to work for an extended period of time, please notify Human Resources so you may be inactivated and then reactivated upon your return without having to re-apply as a new applicant or a former SFPS employee. Qualifications All Substitute Teachers are required to possess a valid NM Substitute Teaching, Teaching or Administrator License. If there is ever a lapse in appropriate licensure, the district may have to temporarily deactivate you until appropriate licensure is obtained. Effective July 1, 2014, any substitute who is hired and does not hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher will only be allowed to substitute in non-teaching positions. Examples of non- teaching positions are: Educational Assistants, Secretaries and Health Aides. 8 Inclement Weather Santa Fe Public Schools’ Superintendent and staff will monitor weather reports regularly for the purpose of anticipating delays, early release or cancellation of school when conditions prevent the safe transportation of students. When weather conditions require a change in the school day schedule, the Superintendent will respond accordingly.