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gilmer high school teacher handbook 2011

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table of contents accidents involving students school personnel 25 bookkeeping accounting procedures 11 building security 12 copy center equipment 13 counseling department procedures 14 discipline school wide classroom 16 ethics of professional personnel 4 extra credit points 20 extracurricular activities 21 field trips 22 flower gift procedure 27 forward 2 fund-raising 28 general regulations 9 grading 18 grievance procedure 29 hall passes 30 homework a philosophical statement 23 leave personal professional sick 24 lesson plans 15 medication 35 non-instructional absences 32 religious student/group policy 33 school activity calendar 31 standards of professional performance 6 statement of non-discrimination 3 student attendance 35 student failures 36 teacher attendance substitute teachers 33 teacher certification 26 teacher dress appearance 36 textbooks 37 transporting students for school 34 website 37 worker s compensation 38 writing as punishment 39 exhibits sample referral form 40 student obligation policy 41 textbook policy 44 gilmer high school 8/2/2010 2

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forward the purpose of the handbook is to provide in writing the pertinent information affecting the operation of gilmer high school and the functioning of the staff the handbook should serve as a reference guide in answering many questions regarding rules and regulations affecting staff the information in the handbook is based upon georgia state board of education policy gilmer county board of education policy state standards and the policies of gilmer high school each staff member will be issued a handbook expected to periodically update it and return it during post-planning statement of non-discrimination federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color or national origin title vi of the civil rights act of 1964 sex title ix of the educational amendments of 1972 and title ii of the carl d perkins vocational education act of 1984 age age discrimination in employment act of 1967 29 u.s.c religion section 702 title vii 42 u.s.c or handicap section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 in educational programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance employees students and the general public are hereby notified that the gilmer county school system does not discriminate in any educational programs or activities or in employment practices the person designated as coordinator of the system s effort to implement this non-discriminatory policy is mrs kathy elliott inquiries concerning the application of title ii title vi title ix or section 504 to the policies and practices of the system may be addressed to the person listed above at the gilmer county board of education 250 bobcat trail ellijay georgia 30607 to the department of education twin towers east atlanta georgia 30334 to the regional office for civil rights atlanta georgia 30323 or to the director office of civil rights education department washington d.c 20201 gilmer high school 8/2/2010 3

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gilmer high school teacher handbook ethics of professional personnel the professional practices commission is authorized to develop with the advice of the teaching professional criteria of professional practices in the area of ethical and professional performance and to make recommendations to the state board concerning the discipline of teachers etc for violation of such standards the code of ethics of the education profession sets certain standards for the educator regarding his/her commitments they are as follows preamble the educator believes in the worth and dignity of man he/she recognizes the supreme importance of the pursuit of truth the devotion of excellence and the nature of democratic citizenship he/she regards as essential to these goals the protection of the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal educational opportunity for all the educator accepts his/her responsibility to practice his/her profession according to the highest ethical standards the educator recognizes the magnitude and the responsibility he/she has accepted in choosing a career in education and engages oneself individually and collectively with other educators to judge his/her colleagues and to be judged by them in accordance with the provision of this code commitment to the student in fulfilling his/her obligation to the student the educator 1 shall not without just cause restrain the student from independent action in his/her pursuit of learning and shall not without just cause deny the student access to varying points of view 2 shall not deliberately suppress or distort subject matter for which he/she bears responsibility 3 shall make a reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning or to health and safety 4 shall conduct professional business in such a way that he/she does not expose the student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement 5 shall not on the grounds of race creed or national origin exclude any student from participation in or deny him benefits under any program nor grant any discriminatory consideration or advantage 6 shall not use professional relationships with students for private advantage 7 shall keep in confidence information that has been obtained in the course of professional service unless disclosure serves professional purposes as required by law and 8 shall not tutor for remuneration students assigned to his/her classes unless no other qualified teacher is reasonably available gilmer high school 8/2/2010 4

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communication to the public in fulfilling his/her obligation to the public the educator 1 shall not misrepresent an institution or organization with which he/she is affiliated and shall take adequate precautions to distinguish between his/her personal and instructional or organizational views 2 shall not knowingly distort or misrepresent the facts concerning educational matters in direct public expressions 3 shall not interfere with a colleague s exercise of political and citizenship rights and responsibilities 4 shall not use instructional privileges for private gain or promote political candidates or partisan political activities 5 shall accept no gratuities gifts or favors that might impair or appear to impair professional judgment nor offer any favor service or things of value to obtain special advantage commitment to the profession in fulfilling his/her obligation to the profession the educator 1 shall not discriminate on the grounds of race color creed or national origin for membership in professional organizations nor interfere with the free participation of colleagues in the affairs of their association 2 shall accord just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession in the exercise of their professional decisions of colleagues 3 shall not use coercive means nor promise special treatment in order to influence professional decisions of colleagues 4 shall withhold and safeguard information acquired about colleagues in the course of employment unless disclosure serves professional purposes 5 shall not refuse to participate in professional inquiry when requested by an appropriate professional association 6 shall afford the aggrieved party upon request the opportunity to discuss in private the specific reason for recommendations that lead to the denial if increments significant changes in employment or termination of employment 7 shall not misrepresent his/her professional qualifications and 8 shall not knowingly distort evaluation of colleagues commitment to professional employment practices in fulfilling his/her obligation to professional employment practices the educator 1 shall apply for accept offer or assign a position of responsibility on the basis of professional preparation and legal requirements 2 shall apply for a specific position only when it is known to be vacant and shall refrain from underbidding or commenting adversely about other candidates 3 shall not knowingly withhold information from any applicant regarding a position nor misrepresent an assignment or conditions of employment 4 shall give prompt notice to the employing agency of any change in availability of service and the employing agency shall also give prompt notice of change in availability or nature of a position 5 shall not accept a position when so requested by the appropriate professional organization 6 shall adhere to the terms of a contract or appointment unless these terms have been legally terminated falsely represented or substantially altered by unilateral action of the employment agency 7 shall conduct professional business through channels when available that have been jointly approved 8 by the professional organization and the employing agency 9 shall not delegate assigned tasks to unqualified personnel 10 shall permit no commercial exploitation of his/her professional position and 11 shall use time granted for the purpose for which it is intended gilmer high school 8/2/2010 5

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gilmer high school teacher handbook standards of professional performance rules of the professional practices commission standards of competent professional performance the standards listed here are held to be the generally accepted minimal standards of the educational profession in georgia and are therefore desired to be the basis for reviewing the performance of professional educators it is the intent of the professional practices commission that the standards set forth herein shall apply to those who teach in classrooms and those who supervise and provide administrative services to those who teach in the classrooms administrative and supervisory requirements competent educators must possess the abilities and skills necessary to complete the designed task therefore the educator shall keep records for which he/she is responsible in accordance with law and accepted practices of the school system shall supervise others in accordance with law and accepted practices of the school system and shall recognize the role and function of community agencies and groups as they relate to the school toward the same end each educator shall utilize available instructional materials and equipment necessary to accomplish the designated task and shall adhere to and enforce administrative policy of the school toward the same end each administrator shall use available instructional personnel materials and equipment necessary to accomplish the designated task shall adhere to and enforce school law state board regulations and school board policy and shall use suitable channels of communications when interacting with teachers community agencies and groups analysis of individual needs and individual potential the competent educator shall utilize or promote the utilization of acceptable techniques to analyze the needs and potential of individuals gilmer high school 8/2/2010 6

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instructional procedures each competent educator shall seek accomplishment of the designated task through selection and utilization of appropriate instruction procedures therefore each educator · shall create an atmosphere which fosters interest and enthusiasm for learning and teaching · shall use procedures appropriate to accomplish the designated task and · shall encourage expression of ideas opinions and feelings toward the same end each teacher · shall create interest through the use of materials and techniques appropriate to the varying abilities and background of students and · shall utilize individual student interests and abilities when planning and implementing instruction toward the same end each administrator · shall support the creation of interests by providing the materials equipment and encouragement necessary for the teacher to accomplish the designated task and · shall make assignment and tasks and duties in light of abilities and specialties communication skills in communications with students and other educators each competent educator within the limits prescribed by his/her assignment and role · shall use information and materials that are relevant to the designated task · shall use language and terminology which are relevant to the designated task · shall use language which reflects an understanding of the ability of the individual or group · shall assure that the task is understood · shall use feedback techniques which are relevant to the designated task · shall extract major ideas or themes from the statements of others and · shall encourage each individual to state his/her ideas clearly manage techniques in exercising management techniques the competent educator · shall resolve discipline problems in accordance with law state board regulations school board policy administrative regulations and accepted school policies · shall maintain consistency in the application of policy and practice · shall use management techniques which are appropriate to the particular setting such as group work seat work lecture discussions individual projects and others and · shall develop and maintain standards of conduct competence in specialization each competent educator shall possess knowledge within his/her area of specialization to a degree consistent with his/her record of professional preparation and shall be able to show evidence of having an awareness of current development in his/her field evaluation of learning and goal achievement a competent educator accepts responsibility commensurate with delegated authority to evaluate learning and goal achievement and the competent educator gilmer high school 8/2/2010 7

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· · · · · shall utilize several types of evaluation techniques shall provide frequent and prompt feedback concerning the success of learning and goal achievement efforts shall analyze and interpret effectively the results of the evaluation for judging instructions the achievement of stated goals or the need for further diagnosis shall utilize the results of evaluation for planning counseling and program modification and shall explain methods and procedures of evaluation to those concerned human and interpersonal relationships a competent educator is held to possess effective human interpersonal relations skills and therefore he or she · shall encourage others to hold and express differing opinions or ideas · shall not knowingly misinterpret the statements of others · shall not show disrespect for nor lack of acceptance of others · shall provide leadership and direction for others by appropriate example · shall offer constructive criticism when necessary · shall comply with reasonable requests and orders given by and with proper authority · shall not assign unreasonable tasks and · shall demonstrate self-confidence and self-sufficiency in exercising authority personal requirements certain traits are held to be desirable personal characteristics of professional educators each competent educator within the scope of delegated authority · shall be able to engage in physical activity appropriate to the designated task · shall be able to communicate so effectively as to accomplish the designated task · shall appropriately control his/her emotions and · shall possess and demonstrate sufficient intellectual ability to perform designated tasks gilmer high school 8/2/2010 8

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gilmer high school teacher handbook general regulations hours 7:45 a.m 3:45 p.m teachers must sign in and out every day the sign in/out sheet is located in the mailroom all teachers are to be in their assigned rooms by 8:00 a.m unless they are completing their hall duty responsibilities duty station responsibilities are a factor in the development of the gtdri teachers are responsible for informing substitutes of their weekly responsibility in the event they are absent teachers are to be in the hallway outside their door during class changes and at the start of the day students are to be supervised at all times daily lesson plans are to be maintained and should correlate with the qcc gps and local curriculum lessons plans are to be filed through teacher websites teachers should not be in the workrooms while responsible for the supervision of students food and/or drink should not be taken into the classroom no staff member should leave the campus during the school day if an emergency should arise an administrator should be notified teachers should provide each student with a course syllabus outlining grading procedures classroom expectations tardy policy implementation or exclusion of exam exemption policy semester course projects any other information pertinent to the course/class all the above information must be available on the teacher website final exams a copy of the teacher s final exam and answer sheet will be submitted to the principal s office and kept on file these final exams will be destroyed after the ten-day limit allotted for grade changes or incompletes grades maintaining a neat and organized grade book is critical to the defense of awarded grades daily attendance should be clearly recorded and defendable all students must have a minimum of one grade per week power grade should be updated weekly exam exemption there are no exam exemptions students taking an eoct course may use the eoct as the final exam gilmer high school 8/2/2010 9

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evaluation teachers will be evaluated annually by the principal and assistant principals all aspects of the professional teacher s responsibilities will be considered evaluations are done daily and informally faculty meeting day faculty meetings will be called as needed with as much notice given as possible staff should make every effort to attend these meetings as staff members will still be responsible for the information mailboxes each teacher has a mailbox in the copy center located in the administrative suite all correspondence bulletins and small packages will be placed in the boxes each teacher should check his/her mailbox daily students are not allowed in the copy center teachers are expected to keep their individual mailboxes clean board of education agenda/minutes the minutes from the board of education meetings will be available online through the gilmer county school website telephone usage since a limited number of telephone lines are available for the entire school phones should be used for local school business during the school day teachers are to follow the cell phone policy and they are not to be used during instructional time fire and tornado drills fire drills are required to be conducted on a monthly basis all staff members should take these exercises seriously and discuss with students the importance of being orderly at least one tornado drill is conducted yearly please follow the maps that are posted in your classrooms by the door vacancy notices in order to provide opportunities for our employees to be aware of positions becoming available in the district/state vacancy notices will be posted on bulletin board in the mailroom these notices will include classified and certified positions substitute teachers substitute teachers are available for the entire gilmer county school district every effort should be made to avoid scheduling professional and/or personal activities on monday or friday please recognize that you are responsible for acquiring a substitute when you are going to be absent a list of substitutes will be made available to you through electronic mail please inform ms linda rogers when you will be absent finally be sure to have lesson plans ready and available for your substitute gilmer high school 8/2/2010 10

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gilmer high school teacher handbook bookkeeping and accounting procedure requisition orders all purchases must be recorded on a requisition order which can be obtained online and submitted for approval before the actual purchase of goods or services the principal approves all purchases regardless of cost orders for central office must be done electronically receipts for purchases made without prior approval may not be reimbursed no money will be reimbursed without the proper requisition order note it is strongly recommended that an itemized bill accompany any requisition order this insures that the vendor and the ghs faculty/staff member are in agreement as to the actual items being purchased check request a check request must be submitted to ms cathy hyatt with the original invoice before payment will be made please note on the check request if an original invoice was submitted with the requisition order checks will be written on tuesday and thursday only please note the days in order to submit your check request in a timely fashion money deposit deposits must be made to mrs cathy hyatt prior to 10:00 a.m each day the exception to the rule is in the event that you intend to receive a large sum of money after the noon deadline if you have prior knowledge of such a transaction contact mrs hyatt ahead of time in the event you are depositing checks into your respective club/activity account please make sure the name of the club/activity appears on the check this will insure the money is deposited in the appropriate account students are not to deliver money to the bookkeeping office account report accounts are established through ms cathy hyatt for classes clubs or activities where bookkeeping and check dispersals are required should you need a printout of your account information forms are available in the mailroom requests are to be given to ms cathy hyatt carefully review in order to confirm your receipts and disbursements field trip funds checks given by students for payment of field trip activities should be deposited as soon as possible every effort is to be made to deposit student checks prior to the respective activity in order to provide ample time for the personal check to clear the bank prior to writing a single school check for the field trip expenses make sure to see ms cathy hyatt in advance of taking a field trip gilmer high school 8/2/2010 11

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gilmer high school teacher handbook building security it is the responsibility of all faculty members to secure their respective area of the building at the conclusion of those activities for which they are responsible check and secure all outside doors within the area of your activity students should be encouraged to exit the building from the same location directors coaches and sponsors should make it a point to turn out all lights prior to leaving the building faculty sponsors coaches and directors are to remain at the school until all students have been transported home this responsibility is not to be transferred to another adult chaperone do not leave a student alone under the assumption a ride is forthcoming we should all be mindful of building security as we make our way out of the building on a daily basis as you leave the building look at the doors to be sure they are locked sharing in this responsibility provides for a greater sense of security and protection from theft gilmer high school 8/2/2010 12

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gilmer high school teacher handbook copy center equipment copiers are located in the mailroom and the workroom adjacent to the vocational supervisor s office copying should be limited to school-related needs students are not allowed in the workroom for any reason student office aides as designated by the principal and by their identification badge may access the mailroom copy center only teachers are not to send students to the copy center to retrieve mail to make copies for their course work or for any other items located in the copy center see ms linda rogers for copier code when copier has error message needs toner or is jammed call ms linda rogers please do not attempt to fix copier yourself paper is brought to copy rooms as needed if you need more contact ms linda rogers be sure that if you are making overheads you are using the proper material if you have questions see ms linda rogers gilmer high school 8/2/2010 13

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gilmer high school teacher handbook counseling department procedures we are looking forward to working with you this year we are here to assist you and our students and to do everything possible to make your job easier please feel free to call on us if we can help you with concerns regarding an individual student or an entire class or if you just need someone with whom to talk we are certainly available please announce to your students several times during the first two weeks of school that if they wish to see a counselor they should go to the counseling office through the door in the commons area students should complete a request to see counselor form before school during break or after school they will be sent for as soon as possible in case of an emergency i.e you perceive that a student is upset etc please contact a counselor as soon as possible so that a counselor can see the student immediately if at all possible we appreciate your willingness to let students come see us when we request this but we certainly understand when it is not convenient we will send for students via office aide a note in their first period teacher s mailbox or by using the request to see counselor form that the student has completed and we have initialed please check your mailboxes regularly to check on any appointments your students may have with the guidance office referrals to the student support team requesting help and information about a student experiencing academic behavioral or other problems should be given to the sst coordinator for gilmer high school because we enjoy using a variety of counseling approaches we will conduct small groups dealing with pertinent issues in addition to seeing students individually your permission will be requested for students to participate in these groups we are also available to do classroom guidance on a variety of topics please contact the counselor working with the grade level of the subject you are teaching to arrange for a visit to your room mrs sue moore the administrative receptionist will collect homework assignments for students absent 3 days please have these assignments to mrs moore by the time and date listed on the request the assignments are to be placed in the mailbox labeled homework assignments in the faculty/staff mailroom gilmer high school 8/2/2010 14

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gilmer high school teacher handbook lesson plans lesson plans effective teaching cannot be accomplished without thoughtful lesson plans all teachers are expected to execute their daily lesson plans and these plans should be made at least one week in advance lesson plans are to be available on teacher websites emergency lesson plans a well-prepared daily lesson plan should preclude the need for an emergency lesson plan in the event of an unforeseen teacher absence the emergency plans should be comprised of three days of detailed assignments the substitute teacher in the event of an unforeseen emergency will utilize the plans these assignments should be kept within easy access in case a teacher is absent and unable to forward assignments for one s classes copies of these plans should be submitted to the respective department heads and kept on file key points regarding lesson plans are 1 there is sufficient academic work to keep the students on task for a full class period 2 the assignments should be pertinent to the topic/subject area and not busy work 3 tests should not constitute an emergency lesson plan if at all possible substitute teachers are not to be given the responsibility of administering any type of exam or measurement of evaluation which may reflect upon the student s grade 4 student assignments should be graded and returned as soon as possible upon the return of the teacher gilmer high school 8/2/2010 15

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