Staff Absences/Tardies

• Please remember that during certain times of the year, especially on Mondays and Fridays, it is almost impossible to secure substitutes, therefore, If you know in advance when you need a sub, please set it up early to ensure coverage.  

•  All absences will be entered in Skyward and will reroute you to Red Rover to request a substitute. 

• 25-26 Discretionary Days

• If you know in advance you will need to take off (ex: prearranged doctor visits, wedding, surgery, personal day), please fill out the form located in the basket outside the secretary's office and place the form back into the same box. A digital version of the form can be found  by clicking here: Absence Request Form Please make sure AM and PM duties are covered on the days you are requesting off. Please also make sure you adjust the time in Skyward and Red Rover to include duties. (for example, if Red Rover says job starts at 8:00, make sure you change time to start at 7:30am).

• Absences are referred to as Leave Requests in Red Rover. Screenshot directions for how to enter your absence can be found HERE.

• Professional Development Days- that require a sub need to be submitted to the campus secretary to be entered into the Red Rover System.  Staff that does not require a substitute will need to enter a request for professional development training in Skyward. All days off should be approved in Skyward and Red Rover prior to the following Monday at 8:30 am. 

  • Exempt Employees:

    •  All Exempt employees, those not entitled to over-time compensation, are not required to record daily attendance through Skyward timekeeping system. However, this does not remove the requirement for all employees to submit leave or absence requests in Skyward. Anytime an exempt or non-exempt staff member will be absent from work, they must notify their direct supervisor and must enter their leave or absence in Skyward. This document provides directions to enter an absence request in Skyward.

  • Non Exempt Employees:

    • CLOCK IN AND OUT

    • USE APP ON PHONE OR COMPUTER   

    • 63097.tcplusondemand.com/app/webclock/#/EmployeeLogOn/63097/1 

    • UPON ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

    • LUNCH HOURS

    • DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS OR ANY OTHER REASON LEAVING

    • ANY TIME OVER 36.25 HOURS WILL AUTOMATICALLY FLOW TO COMP TIME

    • LEAVE REQUESTS/ABSENCES WILL BE ENTERED IN TCP

    • TIME MUST BE APPROVED BY EMPLOYEE AND THEIR MANAGER IN ORDER FOR THE EMPLOYEE TO BE PAID

•  For last minute absences, please enter your absence in the system asap. After entering your absence, please text your team leader, the campus secretary, and the principal, by 6:15 AM on the day of your absence to ensure that your duty area is being covered and a substitute can be arranged ASAP.  Kim Luyster's cell phone number-972-768-0640. Tracey Weldon's cell phone # is: 469-861-5337

• Have a plan in your sub folder to split students amongst the other classes in the event that a substitute is not secured for the open job. Make sure your TL knows where your sub folder is located in your classroom.

• Make sure you go back and approve all of your absences in the Skyward system prior to Monday at 8:30 am.

• Staff that is running later than 7:40 am should communicate to their team leader and an administrator through text. 

• Staff should not split their class or leave before 3:30 PM with out prior approval.  If there is an emergency with a sick child and you must leave immediately, please inform your team leader, make class split arrangements and text your principal and assistant principal. 

• Exempt teachers are required to clock in using the Skyward program once a day. Non-Exempt Employees (teachers not on salary) must clock in, clock out for 30 minute lunch, clock back in after lunch and clock out at the end of the day. Employees must approve their own time before the manager can approve their time schedule. Non-Exempt teachers who have not approved their time by Monday morning at 8:30am are at risk of not getting paid. 

• There is a time clock in the staff workroom. 

Comp Time for Para Professionals:

•  It is the teacher's responsibility to manage their para professional's weekly time.  If a para has to stay late one day, the para should work with the teacher they serve to schedule a time to make up their minutes/hours within the current work week. No paras can occur comp time without administrator prior approval. In order to support the para's contract time, the McGowen Duty Schedule has been updated so that paras only have one duty a day (morning or afternoon).

Discretionary Leave-(If requesting time off exceeding 5 or more consecutive days)

• If requesting 5 or more consecutive days off, please see the campus secretary for the district discretionary leave form.  

• 2025-2026 Blackout Days 

• Student Attendance/Tardies

• Teachers must keep accurate records of students’ class attendance and tardiness. At 9:15 a.m., mark the daily roll according to the Attendance Clerk’s instructions. 

• Teachers should follow up with a parent phone call and/or email after a pattern of tardies and/or absences. Please let campus administrators know as soon as you suspect a pattern of excessive absences. 

• NOTE:  Forward all proper documentation to the office for filing as it is received.  This would include formal doctor’s notes and all parent/guardian written notes/excuses. 

Tardies

• Students arriving  in the building after 8:10 A.M. should report to the office to receive a tardy slip from the attendance secretary. 

•  Please notify parents and the registrar as soon as possible when students begin to accumulate an excessive amount of tardies (4 tardies in one grading period).