DEFINITION
Licensed staff, including administrators, are those staff required to hold an appropriate license from the Iowa Department of Education for their position as required by the Board of Educational Examiners, or others with professional licenses. Licenses required for a position will be considered met if the staff member meets the requirements established by the Iowa Department of Education.
The Superintendent shall establish job specifications and job descriptions for licensed staff positions. Job descriptions may be approved by the Board.
QUALIFICATIONS, RECRUITMENT, AND SELECTION
Persons interested in a licensed position, other than administrative positions which will be employed in accordance with board policies in Series 300, "Administration," will have an opportunity to apply and qualify for licensed positions in the District in accordance with applicable laws and District policies regarding equal employment. Job applicants for licensed positions will be considered on the basis of the following:
- Training, experience, and skill;
- Nature of the occupation;
- Demonstrated competence; and
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, state license, if required, for the position.
All job openings shall be submitted for posting on TeachIowa. Additional announcements of the position may occur in a manner which the Superintendent believes will inform potential applicants about the position. Whenever possible, the preliminary screening of applicants will be conducted by the administrator who will be directly supervising and overseeing the person being hired.
The Board will employ licensed staff after receiving a recommendation from the Superintendent. The Superintendent, however, will have the authority to employ a licensed staff member on a temporary basis until a recommendation can be made and action can be taken by the Board on the position.
INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS
The Board will enter into a written contract with licensed staff, other than administrators, employed on a regular basis. Each contract will be for a period of one year, beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30.
The Superintendent will complete the contracts for licensed staff and present them to the Board for approval. The contracts, after being signed by the Board President, shall be returned to the Superintendent who shall obtain the staff member’s signature. After being signed, the contract shall be filed with the Board Secretary.
Contracts entered into with licensed staff, other than an administrator, will continue from year to year except as modified or terminated as provided by law. The Board may issue temporary and nonrenewable contracts in accordance with law.
Licensed staff whose contracts will be recommended for termination by the Board will receive due process as required by law. The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the Board for the termination of the licensed staff contract.
Contracts entered into with licensed staff, other than an administrator, will continue from year to year except as modified or terminated as provided by law. The Board may issue temporary and nonrenewable contracts in accordance with law.
Licensed staff whose contracts will be recommended for termination by the Board will receive due process as required by law. The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the Board for the termination of the licensed staff member’s contract.
Licensed staff who wish to resign, to be released from a contract, or to retire must comply with applicable law and board policies.
CONTINUING CONTRACTS
Contracts entered into with licensed staff, other than an administrator, will continue from year to year except as modified or terminated as provided by law. The Board may issue temporary and nonrenewable contracts in accordance with law.
Licensed staff whose contracts will be recommended for termination by the board will receive due process as required by law. The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the board for the termination of the licensed staff member’s contract.
Licensed staff who wish to resign, to be released from a contract, or to retire must comply with applicable law and board policies.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of licensed staff on their skills, abilities, and competence shall be an ongoing process supervised by the building principals and conducted by approved evaluators. The goal of the formal evaluation of licensed staff, other than administrators, but including extracurricular employees, shall be to improve the education program, to maintain licensed staff who meet or exceed the Boards standards of performance, to clarify the licensed staff role, to ascertain the areas in need of improvement, to clarify the immediate priorities of the Board, and to develop a working relationship between the administrators and other employees.
The formal evaluation criteria shall be in writing and shall provide an opportunity for the evaluator and the licensed staff member to discuss the past year's performance and the future areas of growth. The formal evaluation shall be completed by the evaluator, signed by the licensed staff member, and filed in the licensed staff member’s personnel file. This policy supports, and does not preclude, the ongoing informal evaluation of the licensed staff member’s skills, abilities, and competence. The Superintendent shall ensure licensed staff are evaluated. New and probationary licensed staff shall be evaluated at least twice each year.
PROBATIONARY STATUS
The first three years of a new licensed staff member’s contract shall be a probationary period unless the staff member has already successfully completed the probationary period in an Iowa school district. New employees who have successfully completed a probationary period in a previous Iowa school district will serve a one year probationary period. For purposes of this policy, an employee will have met the requirements for successfully completing a probationary period in another Iowa school district if, at the teacher’s most recent performance evaluation, the teacher received at least a satisfactory or better evaluation and the individual has not engaged in conduct which would disqualify the teacher for a continuing contract.
Based on the Superintendent’s recommendation, only the Board, in its discretion, may waive the probationary period. The Board may extend the probationary period for one additional year with the consent of the licensed staff member. The Board may extend the probationary period based on the Superintendent’s recommendation. During this probationary period, the Board may terminate the licensed staff member’s contract at year-end or discharge the staff member in concert with corresponding board policies.
Licensed staff may also serve a probationary period based upon their performance. Such probationary period shall be determined on a case-by-case basis in light of the circumstances surrounding the staff member’s performance as documented in the staff member’s evaluations and personnel file.
ORGANIZATION AFFILIATION
Licensed staff who qualify may join the Webster City Education Association and participate in its activities as long as the participation does not, in any way, interfere with the delivery of and the provision of the education program and District operations.
The Superintendent shall have sole discretion to determine whether Association activities interfere with the education program and District operations.
The Board shall not interfere with the rights of a staff member to organize or form, join or assist any staff member organization.
Approved: March 2007
Reviewed: February 2022
Revised: February 2022