SectionC: Certified Staff

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Personal Conduct:The teacher is looked upon as an example to the students. Staff should conduct themselves in a professional manner. A teacher should be friendly and helpful to students outside of school and still avoid improper familiarity.

Moral and Character Instruction:

Each teacher in the elementary and secondary school must annually impress upon the minds of the students the importance of truthfulness, temperance, purity, sexual abstinence, public spirit, patriotism, citizenship, respect for honest labor, obedience to parents, respect for the contributions of minority and ethnic groups to the heritage of South Dakota, and due deference to old age.

Public and Civic Activities:

Teachers are frequently asked to contribute services and talents to various religious and civic organizations. No objection is made to such activity, provided it does not involve too great a drain on the teacher’s energies and detract from the mission, vision and goals of the district.

School Calendar:

The Board of Education shall provide for a school calendar that has mutual input from the Board and the staff members of the Faulkton Area School District with the final decision to be made by the Board of Education.

Master Schedule:

The master schedule is located in the main office. All activities must be cleared through the Athletic Director. Wednesday nights are church nights. The school will attempt not to schedule activities after 6:00 PM on Wednesdays.

Keys:

Instructors are to be provided with all necessary keys. Do not “loan” your keys to persons outside the school system. Report all lost keys to the office.

Loan of School Property:

No person, except the superintendent, shall have the authority to loan school property. Teachers shall not remove district equipment from the building without authorization of the superintendent.

Requisition for Supplies:

All equipment and supplies are to be requested on a purchase-order system using the disk supplied by the Business Office. Every attempt should be made to calculate the number and type of supplies necessary for the next school year by March of the current year. If additional supplies and equipment are needed during the school year, teachers should make a request to their principal and the request will be approved or disapproved based on budget guidelines.

Equipment and supplies that are considered as Capital Expenditures will be requested earlier. It is important that teachers use conservative measures in requesting purchases. It is the goal of the Faulkton School to have everything necessary for a first-rate educational program based on State Content Standards.

Telephone:

The telephones located in the teacher workroom and coaches’ room cannot be used for sending long distance calls. Long Distance calls may be transferred by the main office if prior arrangements have been made. Please restrict your telephone calls to school business. Cell phones should be turned off during the school day and used in emergency situations only. Students are to be excused from class to make calls home for only emergencies and illnesses.

Accidents:

Teachers should report all accidents to the principal and the main office. Blood, or other body fluids, is to be cleaned by qualified personnel using safe procedures.

Classroom Visits:

Parents should be encouraged to make classroom visits and view classroom procedures. All school personnel are expected to encourage such visits.

School Hours:

Teachers are required to be on duty at school no later than 8:30 AM on regular school days. Teachers are required to remain at school until 3:55 PM Monday through Thursday and until 3:35 PM on Fridays and the day before vacations. Teachers shall secure approval from the principal to alter these school times.

Professional Attitude:

It is considered unethical to present school problems directly to a school board member or the school board without first consulting the superintendent. The superintendent is the executive head of the school district and will present such matters as deemed necessary to the school board. If a teacher feels that the superintendent has not properly dealt with a situation, he/she may request to appear before the board.

Differences of opinion regarding school policy or decisions should be discussed with the person concerned, and not with students or persons outside the school. Any unusual incident, which may produce problems for staff morale, should be reported.

All staff members are expected to exercise a positive influence on students.

Cleaning:

The area cleaning and the return of school equipment used for a school activity are the responsibility of the sponsor/adviser/director.

Fire/Tornado Drills:

Fire drills will be held at least twice a semester and tornado drill at least once a year. Teachers should be familiar with the evacuation plan in his/her classroom.

In the event of a fire or fire drill, students and teachers should quickly walk from the building and remain a safe distance from the building until the “all clear” notice has been given.

In the event of a tornado or tornado drill, students and teachers should quickly walk to the “tornado-safe” areas of the building and are to remain until the “all clear” notice has been given.

Each room in the school shall have a fire/tornado evacuation sheet prominently displayed on the classroom wall.

Announcements:

Announcements will be made be means of bulletin or through teachers meetings. Teachers are asked to read the bulletins carefully upon receiving them. If there is a disagreement as to responsibility or time or date of an event, the teacher should visit the principal.

Classrooms:

Classrooms are to be kept clean and comfortable. If school equipment is not working correctly, the teacher should contact the custodian or the Tech Coordinator for repair or replacement as needed. Before leaving for the day, the teacher should close all windows and lock the door to the room.

Care of School Property:

It is the duty of each school employee to safeguard and protect the property of the Faulkton Area School District. All employees are responsible for the proper accounting of all property used by them. Employees are responsible for reporting damage, loss, or theft of equipment or supplies to the superintendent.

Jury Duty:

The district shall provide normal salary compensation to any certified staff member called to jury duty. The juror’s salary, other than mileage or other expense compensation, shall be turned over to the school district.

Teacher Assistance Team:

The Faulkton Area School Administration shall appoint a teacher assistance team on a yearly basis. This team shall develop strategies to assist staff members in meeting the needs of students who have developed and exhibited academic or behavior difficulties. The teacher assistance team shall consist of principal, classroom teachers, and other resource persons considered necessary for each situation. Teacher assistance teams may not be used to supplant the process of referral to or implementation of special education.

The administration shall develop clear and precise instruments in the use of the teacher assistance team and shall make the process understood to staff as to when the teacher assistance team shall be used and steps involved.

Teacher Assistance Period (TAP):

The TAP period runs for the first 30 minutes of the day. Each student is assigned a “homeroom” for TAP where they can work on assignments, participate in organized teacher led study sessions or check out to a teacher’s classroom for extra help. 90% of the time students will report to TAP 1^st period. Approximately twice a month students will report to their Advisory or TAA group. During this time students will NOT be working on daily work. Each student will be participating in an organized activity that reflects one of the two Teachers As Advisers goals:

Faulkton TAA Goal(s)

1. To develop positive peer and community communication.

2. To build academic accountability and pride in one’s scholastic accomplishments.