Wake County Public School System 2 Employee Handbook Letter from Superintendent Moore Cathy Q. Moore, Superintendent tel: (919) 533-7770 Crossroads 1 5625 Dillard Drive Cary, NC 27518 Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! While we may not know exactly what lies ahead this school year, I am confident that we have the right people to make it a successful and productive year for our students and staff. We are all charting this new territory together and have all been impacted in some way by the global COVID-19 pandemic. I sincerely appreciate your dedication to our school system, our students, our staff, and our community. I anticipate we will need maximum flexibility and grace from our staff, students, and families this year, as we serve our community and make adjustments as needed based on COVID-19 developments and any accompanying public health reQuirements. Thank you in advance for your patience, cooperation, understanding, and leadership. All of that said, I want to remind you what has not and will not change: our high quality staff and our high standards. ñ Our 2019 graduation rate (the most recent, as of this printing) was near 90%, a record high, and has risen for seven consecutive years. ñ Our district has had the most National Board Certified teachers in the country for more than a decade. ñ Magnet Schools of America awarded Standards of Excellence Certification to 16 WCPSS magnet schools in January 2020. An additional 23 schools were named Schools of Distinction. ñ Our support services are routinely recognized as some of the best in the state. For returning staff, I say thank you for your continued service. For employees new to our district, I say welcome. I hope you find this to be a challenging, rewarding, and supportive work environment. We often say “What starts here changes everything” And we know that everything we do as a district starts with you. It is my honor to work alongside you as we serve our community. No matter what challenges the future may bring, I look forward to working together to ensure we continue delivering the same high level of service our students, families, and community have come to expect. Sincerely, Cathy Q. Moore www.wcpss.net3 Wake County Public School System Table of Contents Letter from Superintendent Moore ----------------------------------------------------------- 3 Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Employee Handbook and Board Policy ---------------------------------------------------------- 9 New Information for 2020-2021 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 Important Reminders for 2020-2021 ------------------------------------------------------------- 11 About the Wake County Public School System ------------------------------------------------ 12 Our Strategic Plan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 Classification of Personnel -------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Equal Employment Opportunities --------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Types of Employees -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 At-Will Employees ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Career Status (Tenured) Teachers --------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Renewable Contract Teachers -------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 School Administrators ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Employee Conduct ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct ------------------------------------------------------ 18 Gifts to Employees --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Fraud Hotline ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Technology Responsible Use --------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Confidentiality of Personal Identifying Information ------------------------------------------- 25 Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying ------------------------------ 26 Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Complaint Process ------------------------------------- 30 Prohibited Conduct on School Property and at School Events ------------------------------ 35 Conduct of Employees Toward Students ------------------------------------------------------- 36 School Safety --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 Corporal Punishment ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 Use of Seclusion and Restraint ------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 Drug-Free Workplace Environment ------------------------------------------------------------- 39 Drug and Alcohol Testing of Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators ----------------------- 40 Tobacco Free Environment ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 41 Weapons Prohibited on School Property ------------------------------------------------------- 41 Criminal Charges and/or Records ---------------------------------------------------------------- 42 Reporting Information to the Principal and External Agencies ------------------------------ 43 4 Employee Handbook Reports of Child Abuse and Related Threats to Child Safety -------------------------------------- 44 Code of Student Conduct ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 Approvals for Distribution and Display of Materials ------------------------------------------- 47 Employee Mailboxes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47 Work Environment and Procedures -------------------------------------------------------- 48 Workday Hours, Timesheets, and Absenteeism ----------------------------------------------- 48 Time Sheets ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 Instructional Assistant Workday Hours --------------------------------------------------------- 49 Employee Absences ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50 Procedures for Reporting Absences ------------------------------------------------------------- 50 Procedures for Requesting Temporary Accommodations ----------------------------------- 50 Assignment and Transfers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 51 Transfers for Support Personnel ----------------------------------------------------------------- 51 Transfers for Licensed Employees --------------------------------------------------------------- 52 Travel Procedures ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52 Gifts to the School System ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 52 Teacher Duties and Responsibilities -------------------------------------------------------- 54 Responsibilities and Duties ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 54 Lesson Planning ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 54 Teacher Workday Hours --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54 Duty-Free Lunch Period --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55 Tutoring for Pay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 55 Job Sharing for Certified Employees ------------------------------------------------------------ 55 Licensure for Certified Instructional Personnel ------------------------------------------------ 55 Praxis Reimbursement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57 Tuition Assistance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57 Instructional Assistant Experience Credit for Teachers --------------------------------------- 57 Non-Teaching Experience Credit for Teachers ------------------------------------------------- 57 Substitute Duties and Responsibilities ------------------------------------------------------ 58 Absence Management - Automated Substitute Placement Service ------------------------ 58 Substitute Teacher Folder ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58 General Practices ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59 Substitute “Do Not Use” Requests --------------------------------------------------------------- 59 Substitute Teacher Renewal --------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 5 Wake County Public School System Evaluations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61 Certified Evaluation Process ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 61 Classified Evaluation Process --------------------------------------------------------------------- 61 Improvement Plans --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62 Personnel Files ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63 Maintenance and Content of Personnel Files ---------------------------------------------------