Resources > VBISD Staff Resources > Memo:  Professional Development Requirements:

MEMORANDUM

TO: Professional Staff Members and Administrators
FROM: Jeffrey Mills, Superintendent
DATE: November 6, 2006
RE: Professional Development Requirements

After many meetings with administrators and union representatives the following are the professional development requirements that were jointly agreed upon:

Applicable rules and procedures governing the development and use of professional development time include:

  1. Individual Professional Development Plans must tentatively be formulated and submitted to the appropriate supervisor by May 15 of the current school year for the subsequent school year. As an example, professional development plans for the 2007/2008 school year are to be submitted by May 15, 2007.

    By November 15 of each school year plans may be updated to include specific staff development programs. Persons failing to submit a tentative professional development plan by May 15 (as described above) will be provided with a mandatory plan for professional development for the subsequent school
    year. The mandated program does not allow for sick or personal leave day utilization as fulfillment of the requirements unless an emergency condition
    can be documented.

  2. All professional development must apply directly to the staff member’s certification/state approval area, current job responsibilities, or be expected to provide information that will enhance proficiencies within the individual’s professional responsibilities. If the VBISD pays for post graduate course work taken as part of an approved professional development plan it can not be used for advancement on the salary schedule. When a college/university class is used as part of a professional development plan, hours counted toward professional development will be determined by multiplying: (1 credit = 2 professional development days, (3 credits = max. of 5 professional development days per contract year). Each full day credited to professional development shall be at least 7 hours and 15 minutes duration.

  3. A clearing house of current professional development opportunities will be established through the professional development tracking system.

  4. In instances where the administrator and the professional staff member can not reach agreement on an individual professional development program, the dispute will be referred to an arbitration committee consisting of two professional staff members and two administrators who are not party to the dispute. The superintendent shall cast the deciding vote in the event the arbitration committee cannot reach a majority position. When a professional staff member submits a request, the administrator will respond within 10 working days. If unacceptable to the professional staff member, they will have 10 workingdays to refer to this arbitration committee.

  5. The Board contribution to the five days included in an individual professional development plan shall be $700 or a subsequently negotiated amount. Monies could be carried over up to 3 years (current plus 2) with approval of supervisor. Amounts less than $50 will not be carried over.

  6. The current school calendar is based on at least 189 contracted days. At this time 5 of the 189 days are district mandated professional development and 5 days are reserved for individual professional development time. Other than extended year employees, all employees must work 189 days. Of these days 5 days are district mandated and scheduled. Up to 5 days may be worked outside scheduled work days (e.g. evenings, weekends, vacations). Days fulfilled under this option will be subtracted from the final 5 days of the regular school calendar. Professional development days plus in-district workdays shall equal the employee contracted number of workdays. Part time staff receive full funding but prorated days.

  7. The following provisions are applicable:

    • It is possible to earn professional development time on a day when the employee also worked in the district for a full day.

    • Travel time does not count as professional development time unless it is part of a full day in-service (am and pm).

    • Professional development time may be counted in .25 hour increments.

    • In instances where employees are earning in-service credit on an hourly basis, 7.25 hours shall be used as one day of credited professional development. Adjustments in time (reductions or additions) may be approved due to unexpected changes in schedule. Additional time could be allowed if approved in advance. Credited time will not include mealtime or extended breaks.

    • The Board or designee shall approve all overnight and out-of-state travel in advance. Written reports will be filed with the superintendent’s office prior to the Board meeting immediately following the professional development activity. Final credit will not be granted in the absence of a written report.

  8. The following provisions are applicable to summer professional development days.

    • Staff development may be credited to either the preceding year or the subsequent year when taken in the summer.

    • In the event an individual fails to complete staff development days scheduled during the summer, which are to be credited to the previous school year they will be docked an appropriate amount per diem for each day of staff development not completed.

    •  An individual approved for staff development days scheduled and completed during the summer which are applicable to the ensuing year shall receive neither pay nor other form of compensation should employment with the district be severed prior to the first day of the ensuing school year.

    • Individual plans may be renegotiated if the employee wishes and will take effect only with the consent of the administrative supervisor.

    • Multi-year plans (not to exceed 3 years) are an option at the discretion of the district. All multi-year plans must have the additional approval of the superintendent and the recommendation of the immediate administrative supervisor.

  9. It is understood that Professional Staff must attend Professional Association Conferences at which Program Consultants from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth’s present State Curriculum and Program Updates. It is also understood that these Association Conferences serve to keep program instructor’s informed and, thus, compliant with State mandated curriculum updates, changes, and initiatives.

    Therefore, Professional Staff members will not have money deducted from their Individual Development Fund to attend Annual Curriculum Specific Association Conferences at which Department of Labor and Economic Growth Program Consultants present State Curriculum Updates for the entire day; as Professional Staff attendance at these conferences serves to directly benefit the Van Buren Intermediate School District.

  10. Professional development for staff members who have not yet completed their initial first three years of service is governed by Section 1526 of the Michigan School Code. It specifies that during this initial three year period intensive professional development shall consist of at least 15 days of professional development and shall consist of information regarding effective practices in university-like professional development programs and regional seminars conducted by master teachers and other mentors.

    Section 1527 of the Michigan School Code which establishes the 5 days of professional development for all teachers states that, "...professional development days provided under this Section 1527 shall not be counted toward the professional development requirements under Section 1526."
 
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