Policies and Procedures

Employees at SCS work a wide variety of schedules and hours. The work year may be based on a 10-month, 11-month, 12-month or other schedule, and regular work hours may range from less than 10, to 40 hours or more per week, depending upon the nature of the position and the school’s needs. One’s supervisor or Principal will explain the work hours associated with a position in accordance with SCS policies and answer any pertinent questions. Any adjustments or special requests must be made directly to the Principal.

Within the work day, every employee is guaranteed a 30 minute, duty-free lunch and an additional 30 minutes (non-continuous) 

*Please notify the Human Resources Manager each time you leave from and return to campus during the school day.

Due to the unique physical location of SCS, proper documentation is required to access the school. 

All employees are required to follow designated procedures for access to Naval Air Station Key West (NASKW) bases. This includes carrying their MCSD identification, license and car registration at all times. Employees should be familiar with all Base requirements. Information can be found on the school’s website. 

Misuse of base privileges may result in a loss of access, which may necessitate termination. 

Students must be supervised (in line of sight of the assigned adult) at ALL times! If sending students to another area, staff must contact the receiving staff member via radio.

If an emergency requires a change in supervision, the Front Office should be contacted. 

Staff children should not be unattended or free to roam the campus at any time. 

All Homeroom Teachers welcome their students into the classrooms by standing at their doors beginning at 7:45 AM. 

Staff should concentrate attention on the students during this time, refraining from discussions with parents or other staff members. 

Students should enter the classrooms quietly and calmly, each being greeted personally by a lead teacher or support teacher. 

Be sure to take accurate attendance as quickly as possible.

Cash and checks received in the classroom are logged on the appropriate Money Collected Form and forwarded each day.  Cash is not to be kept in classrooms.  

All classrooms dismiss at 3:00 PM (11:30 AM on early dismissal days, 12:00 PM (K-5) or 2:00 PM (Enrichment and 6-8) on Wednesdays). Do not release students earlier.

If assigned a Dismissal Duty, please be sure to be at that location on time.  Staff members are responsible for getting coverage for their assignments should they be absent or unavailable.

Kindergarten students who are dismissed in a car line or going to MWR may be released a few minutes earlier, with a teacher or support teacher guiding them. 

Staff should not leave students unattended and must be watchful to ensure that other adults do not take students from waiting areas without our knowledge. 

Staff should include arrival/dismissal procedures on their substitute plans.  

It is required that homeroom teachers develop a tracking system for recording daily dismissal. There are always situations where a student does not arrive at home at an expected time. Teachers are expected to know how they left the property (car line, walking, riding a bike, with a friend). 

Unless an employee is transporting a student at the direction of the Principal, during an emergency, or during an officially approved trip in accordance with SCS procedures, an employee’s transportation of a student is not permitted. An employee who provides such transportation except for an emergency or during an officially approved trip shall be acting outside the scope of that employee’s employment.

Each employee must provide a copy of a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance to the organization prior to transporting any student for any reason.

Throughout the year, school staff take pictures of students and events that happen during the school day and during extracurricular activities.  Parents are able to request that their children not be photographed.  The Enrollment Specialist will notify school staff of those requests.

Should a staff member wish to use student photographs for any other reason, they must notify the Principal in writing.  Once they receive permission, the staff member should request written permission from the students' parents/guardians.  Students should not be individually identified in electronic media without express written permission from the parents.

Staff should not use pictures of students on their personal social media accounts.

There are some special events and field trips that occur outside of the contracted day and require staff to attend. These events will be identified by the school principal at least two weeks in advance. 

In addition, instructional staff are expected to accommodate parents who wish to meet for a parent-teacher conference outside of school hours. Reasonable accommodations must be made for parents who have a restrictive work schedule. 

Any employee who anticipates an absence at any required school activity must notify the Human Resources Manager at least one week in advance to be excused from the activity. 

Instructional staff are also required to attend all Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Multi-tiered Student Support (MTSS) meetings for students assigned to their caseload. Staff must come to the meeting prepared with data, anecdotal notes and conference notes and stay at the meeting for its entirety. 

Coverage to attend the meeting should be secured with the Human Resources Manager well in advance. 

SCS will utilize only qualified substitutes for all employee groups. The Office Manager is responsible for procedures for reporting employee absences, assigning substitutes and monitoring a substitute compensation plan.

Substitute teachers shall meet all legal requirements for substitute teachers. The rate of compensation shall be according to the annual school budget approved by the Governing Board. Records shall be kept by the Office Manager concerning the number of days taught by substitutes and the amount of funds expended. The Governing Board shall be informed concerning this data at periodic intervals.

Staff members who require substitutes are encouraged to make arrangements with substitutes from the approved list for SCS. A list of potential substitutes will be supplied to staff members. However, the Office Manager or administrative designee is the only person to schedule the substitute.

All staff members are expected to provide detailed schedules and plans for each absence.  Plans should emphasize the importance of maintaining the integrity of the instructional day for students.  Additionally, each staff member should maintain an emergency substitute plan in the shared drive for absences that arise without warning.

Periodically, weather or other emergency conditions may necessitate that schools be closed due to inclement weather, such as tropical storms. Such closings due to inclement weather are announced on radio and local media. In addition, the Principal will initiate contact via a text messaging system. Certain employees may be required to report to work under severe weather or other emergency conditions. The Principal or supervisor will advise employees if their positions falls within this category.

Instructional Staff and Support Services (Classroom teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, behavior specialist, library/media specialist)

The authorizing statute for district evaluation systems, s.1012.34, Florida Statutes, requires schools to establish procedures for evaluating the performance of instructional, administrative, and supervisory personnel to increase student performance. A performance evaluation must be conducted for each employee at least once a year, except that a classroom teacher, as defined in s.1012.01(2)(a), who is newly hired by the charter school governing board, must be observed and evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching at the charter school. The evaluation system is designed to support effective instruction and student learning growth. Performance evaluation results are used for individual goal setting and in developing the School’s Improvement Plan (SIP). 

The Principal or designee shall formally evaluate an employee’s job performance and assess how satisfactorily he/she performs the responsibilities of his/her position. Evaluations for all instructional staff and support services staff will be based on the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) Evaluation System. All documentation related to classroom observations, walkthroughs, goal setting, and final evaluations will be stored electronically in the Observe4Success Platform. The employee is responsible for reviewing and acknowledging all feedback provided in this platform. 

Data is gathered from formative and summative assessments, attendance records, meetings with the principal, participation in professional development opportunities, input from instructional coaches and consultants, and formal and informal observations, including walk-throughs and anecdotal records. The employee has the right to know the date and time of any formal observation. 

The employee has the right to meet with the Principal within thirty (30) days of receiving the final evaluation to discuss it and request an explanation or reconsideration. The performance evaluation and any written response an employee may submit will be included in the employee’s permanent personnel record.

Supporting Documents:

• Classroom Walkthrough Form

• Student Services Personnel Evaluation

• Curriculum Support Personnel & Media Specialist Evaluation System

• FCPCS Classroom Teacher Performance Evaluation Form

• FCPCS Individual Professional Growth Plan for Teachers and Other Instructional Personnel

Non-instructional staff (support teachers, office manager, finance director, enrollment specialist, IT specialist, nurse, maintenance, cafeteria, activities director, testing coordinator)

The Principal will develop and implement an evaluation matrix and form to be used to evaluate all non-instructional staff members, which will provide feedback and guidance to support staff in alignment with the intent of this policy.

Administrator Evaluation

The Governing Board shall complete the evaluation of the Principal.  At least one member of the Governing Board should receive adequate training on the use of the adopted evaluation system to ensure proper administration of the instrument.

Performance Indicators for Instructional and Administrative Staff

The final result of the evaluation system will result in one of the following annual performance levels:

• Highly Effective

• Effective

• Needs Improvement (or for employees in their first three years of employment ‘Developing’)

• Unsatisfactory

Annual Evaluation

Each staff member will receive a written annual evaluation each year, which will be presented to employees by July 15th, whenever possible. 

Student Performance Data

Some staff members have a portion of their annual evaluation based on student performance indicators, as Florida law requires. If the student performance data is not available before the due date of the annual evaluations, the evaluations may be amended to incorporate the data once it becomes available. 

Individual Writing Evaluation

Employees shall be notified at the start of each year who their immediate supervisor is. An administrative staff member will supervise instructional and support staff. 

Miscellaneous

Following the completion of the annual evaluation, the supervisor may meet with the employee to discuss the evaluation. Employees may provide a written response to the evaluation as a permanent attachment to the annual evaluation. Employees will be expected to sign the evaluation, however the signature does not necessarily indicate consent with the findings, only that the employee has received a copy of the evaluation. If the employee refuses to sign the evaluation, the supervisor shall provide a written amendment documenting the date the evaluation was discussed with the employee and that the employee refused to sign the document acknowledging its receipt. 

Unsatisfactory Evaluations

If an employee has received an unsatisfactory or needs improvement performance assessment or concerns exist throughout the year, such as following a formal observation, the supervisor shall confer with the employee and make specific recommendations for actions the supervisor believes should result in improvement. The supervisor and employee shall develop a plan, which will be shared with the organization's principal and attached as an amendment to the next contract. The plan shall include a prescribed period of time in which the corrective actions must be completed. If the employee has received an unsatisfactory/needs improvement evaluation, the employee shall be placed on a 90-day probationary period in which the employee shall receive assistance and training to correct the deficiencies noted in the evaluation. 

Jessica Lunsford Act

This law went into effect on September 1, 2005, requiring a Level 2 screening (fingerprinting and FBI background check) of any non-instructional school district personnel or contractual personnel who are permitted access on school grounds when students are present, as well as those who have direct contact with students or who have access to or control school funds. “Contractual personnel” has been defined as any vendor, individual or entity under contract with the school board.  More information is available at the Florida Department of Education and Monroe County School District websites.

Background Investigations

It is SCS policy and in compliance with the Jessica Lunsford Act, to conduct thorough background investigations and fingerprinting on all new hires. At a minimum, the following checks are completed:

Education Verification:

• All post-secondary degrees or high school diploma will be verified

• A criminal records search at the highest court in all counties where the person has resided, worked, or attended in the past seven (7) years will be conducted. Any misdemeanor convictions, felony convictions, open arrest warrants, and/or related activities are reported.

Criminal Records Search:

• A search of an individual’s connection to his or her social security number to determine if there is any background information that was not reported by that individual will be made.

Employment eligibility (E-Verify) process (effective 1/1/2021):

• E-Verify, authorized by Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees.

• In the E-Verify process, employers create cases based on information taken from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. E-Verify then electronically compares that information to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). 

• For Contractors the E-verify approval form needs to be received from the Company for all new employees in their company after 1/1/2021. 

Mandatory Fingerprinting:

• As a condition of employment and in compliance with the Jessica Lunsford Act, all employees are required to submit to fingerprinting which the State Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have processed. If your application or fingerprint report reflects an arrest record, your file will immediately be reviewed. Based upon the type of arrest, further action may be taken up to and including failure to hire or termination of employment.

• The fingerprinting/background check is conducted at the Monroe County School District Offices.

SCS has established and maintains a Drug Free Workplace policy to provide a safe, healthy, and productive work environment in accordance with the Florida Drug Free Workplace Act, Section 440.101 and 440.102, Florida Statutes.

Prohibition

Employees are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, being under the influence of, or use of alcohol and/or a controlled substance (as defined in Chapter 893 of the Florida Statutes): in the workplace or during the workday; or when on duty; or in the presence of students or students’ families as part of any work-related activities. Violating this prohibition shall result in appropriate disciplinary action, including termination and referral for prosecution. 

Drug-Free and Alcohol-Free Workplace

A drug-free and alcohol-free workplace shall be maintained. Each employee shall be given a copy of this policy as part of this Policy Manual. Additionally, each employee shall be notified that, as a condition of employment, the employee will abide by the terms of this policy and notify the employer of any criminal drug and/or alcohol statute conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than five days after such conviction. The employer will initiate certification/revocation proceedings pursuant to Section 1012.795 F.S. for certificated employees convicted of criminal charges. Within thirty (30) days of notification, appropriate personnel action against such an employee shall be taken, up to and including termination. Employees can also be required to participate satisfactorily in a drug and/or alcohol abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such purposes by a Federal, State, or local health, law enforcement, or other appropriate agency. 

Smoking of Tobacco Products on School Property

The purpose of this policy is to comply with the “Florida Clean Indoor Air Act” in protecting the public health, comfort, and environment by creating areas in all school facilities that are free from tobacco smoke. No person may be in possession of a lighted cigarette, lighted pipe, lighted cigar, or any other lighted tobacco product, in any school facility, including the outside grounds, or within 100 feet of any building or area used by the organization. No areas for smoking shall be designated on the Organization’s property, or within 100 feet of any building or area used by the Organization. Staff members found in possession of tobacco products will face disciplinary actions as described within this policy manual. 

The organization retains the right to perform testing for Drugs and Alcohol at the following times: 

• • • • Pre-employment testing: All individuals whom the organization intends to hire on a permanent or temporary basis may be tested at the discretion of SCS.

      • Reasonable Suspicion Testing: When a covered employee’s conduct or appearance is directly observed as indicative of being under the influence of a drug or alcohol during on-duty time. 

      • Post-Accident Testing: As soon as practicable following an accident, a driver (unless deceased) shall be tested for alcohol and controlled substances when any person involved in the accident has been fatally injured or the covered employee received a citation for a moving traffic violation arising from the accident. Testing will be conducted not later than thirty-two (32) hours after the accident for drugs and not later than eight (8) hours after the accident for alcohol. For the purpose of this rule an accident is defined as an incident involving a commercial motor vehicle in which there is either a fatality, an injury treated away from the scene, or a vehicle is required to be towed from the scene. 

      • Follow-Up Testing: As part of or as a follow-up to counseling or rehabilitation the covered employee is subject to unannounced follow-up drug or alcohol testing. The covered employee shall be subject to a minimum of six (6) follow-up drug or alcohol tests in the first twelve (12) months.

      • Random Testing: Random testing can be performed at any point in time at the discretion of the Principal. 

      • Return to Duty Testing: Before a covered employee returns to duty requiring the performance of a safety-sensitive function after engaging in a prohibited conduct the covered employee shall undergo a return-to-duty test. In the event a return-to-duty test is required, a substance abuse professional (SAP) must also evaluate the covered employee and the employee must participate in any assistance program prescribed. 

Testable Substances

Individuals shall be tested for the following drugs: marijuana (unless the employee has a valid medical prescription for such), cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), alcohol, and all other illegal or controlled substances. Covered employees who engage in prohibited drug and/or alcohol related conduct must be immediately removed from duties. Such removal shall be affected for the following, in addition to other actions deemed dangerous or improper by the Principal.

1. 1. 1. 1. Using or being under the influence of alcohol while on SCS property or during a school-sponsored event.

         2. When required to take a post-accident alcohol test, using alcohol within eight (8) hours following the accident or prior to undergoing a post-accident alcohol test, whichever comes first.

         3. Refusing to submit to a drug or alcohol test required by post-accident, reasonable suspicion, or follow-up test requirements. 

         4. Reporting for duty or remaining on duty, requiring the performance of safety-sensitive functions, when the covered employee uses any drug, except when instructed by a physician who has advised the covered employee that the drug does not adversely affect the covered employee’s ability to safely operate a CMV. 

         5. Reporting for duty, remaining on duty or performing a safety-sensitive function, if the covered employee tests positive for drugs. 

Disciplinary Consequences If Positive Results

Disciplinary action up to and including termination may be instituted against covered employees who have violated the standards of conduct cited in this policy. Nothing will preclude the organization from seeking prosecution for violation of this policy where the Board deems appropriate. An employee who receives a positive drug test result or an alcohol test result (.04 or greater concentration) from a required test during on-duty time will be immediately suspended without pay and recommended for dismissal. An employee who refuses to submit to a required alcohol or controlled substances test will be immediately suspended and recommended for dismissal. Refusal to submit to an alcohol or controlled substances test is defined as: (1) failing to provide adequate breath for testing without a valid medical explanation after the employee has received notice of the requirement for breath testing; (2) failing to provide adequate urine for controlled substances testing without a valid medical explanation after the employee has received notice of the requirement for urine testing; or (3) the employee engaging in conduct that clearly obstructs the testing process. The employee will be provided with the name(s) of a qualified substance Abuse Professional (2) (SAP) and resources available from which the employee may choose to seek assistance. 

An offer of employment will be withdrawn for any individual who receives a positive drug test result or who receives a result showing an alcohol concentration of .02 or greater on a required pre-employment test. 

An employee who receives a result showing an alcohol concentration of .02-.039 from a required test shall be removed from performing any school-related function for a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours. Duty time missed shall be charged to unpaid leave or may be charged to PTO time if available. Disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with these policies. 

An employee who receives a result showing an alcohol concentration of .02-.039 from a required post-accident test shall be removed from performing any school-related function for a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours. Duty time missed shall be charged to unpaid leave or may be charged to PTO time if available. Any covered employee who is cited and found guilty of a violation as a result of involvement in an accident will also receive a letter of reprimand. Disciplinary action for subsequent incidents will be taken in accordance with these policies. 

An employee who is convicted of felony driving under the influence (DUI) or any drug related offense will be recommended for dismissal. As used in this policy, conviction is defined as a finding of guilt, a plea of guilt, a plea of Nolo Contendere, or entering a Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program, whether or not there is a formal adjudication of guilt. 

Confidentiality

The laboratory may disclose test results only to the Principal. Any positive results which the organization justifies by acceptable and appropriate medical or scientific documentation to account for the result as other than the intentional ingestion of an illegal drug will be treated as a negative test result and may not be released for the purpose of identifying illegal drug use. Test results will be protected under the provision of the Privacy Act, U.S.C. Section 552(a) et seq., and Section 503(e) of the Act, and may not be released in violation of either Act. The Organization may maintain only those records necessary for compliance with this order. Any records of the organization, including drug test results, may be released to any management official for purposes of auditing the activities of the organization, except that the disclosure of the results of any audit may not include personal identifying information on an employee. 

The results of a drug test of an employee may not be disclosed without the prior consent of such employee, unless the disclosure would be:

1. To the Principal, who has authority to take adverse personnel action against such employee; To any supervisory or management official within the organization having authority to take adverse personnel action against such employee.

2.Pursuant to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction or where required by the organization to defend against any challenge against any adverse personnel action.

Any covered employee who is the subject of a drug or alcohol test shall, upon written request, have access to any records relating to the employee’s drug test, the results of any relevant certification, review or revocation of certification proceedings as referred to in 49 CFR Part 40 of the Privacy Act. Except as authorized by law, an applicant who is the subject of pre-employment drug testing, however, shall not be entitled to this information.

All drug testing information specifically relating to individuals is confidential and should be treated as such by anyone authorized to review or compile program records. In order to efficiently implement this order and to make information readily retrievable, the Principal shall maintain all records relating to reasonable suspicion testing, suspicion of tampering with evidence, and any other authorized documentation necessary to implement this order. Such shall remain confidential and maintained in a secure location with limited access. Only authorized individuals who have a “need to know” shall have access to them. 

SCS prides itself on the quality of our instruction and the care we provide our students.  All members of the SCS community should contribute to a respectful and inclusive environment.  Staff, students, or parents/guardians can raise concerns about any issues that affect a student's well-being and/or academic performance and work together to resolve them.  In rare cases where the issue cannot be resolved informally, an official registered complaint can be registered by a parent with the Principal.

Although no member of the School community shall be denied the right to petition the Governing Board for redress of a grievance, the complaints will be referred through the proper administrative channels for solution before investigation or action by the Governing Board. Exceptions are complaints that concern Governing Board actions or operations. 

The Board advises the School community that the proper channeling of complaints involving instruction, discipline, or learning materials is as follows: 

1. Teachers

2. Principal

3. Parent Liaison to the Board

4. Governing Board

Any complaint about school personnel will be investigated by the Administration before consideration and action by the Board of Directors. 

Stages for Resolution

Informal Resolution

If there is concern about a student’s progress, the teacher should be contacted. Instructional staff at SCS are expected to assist parents and students with concerns regarding student success. If an immediate resolution is not determined, Lead teachers or other specialists may be consulted. If a solution is still not satisfactorily resolved, the Principal will work with the School staff to ensure that each student succeeds to the best of their ability. 

Documentation of the complaint, investigation, and research shall be maintained as part of student records. If the situation is not resolved, it may be escalated to School leadership in the order described above.  Staff are required to keep a communications log to document all correspondence.  Teachers may ask the Principal to attend any meetings with parents.

Formal Resolution with Official Complaint:

If the complaint has not been informally resolved, parents may make a formal written complaint to the Principal's office. Forms are available upon request. 

The Principal, or their designee, will conduct any investigation necessary into the reported concern, including interviewing the complainant and the subject of concern as needed. The Principal will make every effort to satisfactorily resolve the complaint in a reasonable time period. 

If the person registering a complaint has suggestions to resolve the issue of concern, their advice is encouraged. 

Once all relevant and discoverable facts are considered, a decision and action to resolve the complaint, including reasons for the decision, will be provided in writing to the parent/guardian regarding the findings and the School’s decision. 

Appeal to the Board:

If a successful resolution still has not been made by a formal investigation by the Principal, concerned parties may petition the Governing Board for appeal. A written appeal request may be made to the Governing Board’s assigned parent liaison within five (5) days after receiving the Principal’s non-resolution letter. The item will be forwarded to the Governing Board Chairperson to be added to the agenda of the next regularly scheduled board meeting. If the item is urgent, the Chairperson has the ability to call an emergency meeting of the Board.

Conduct and Records

All concerns and complaints raised will be treated seriously, and confidentiality will be established and maintained wherever possible in accordance with relevant state and federal laws.

The Principal will maintain written records and must include the dates of every resolution step and dates of resolution. Correspondence, Statements, and records will be kept confidential except where any other legal obligation prevails. 

Employees may apply for or be considered for transfer to different positions or departments.  Transfer to a position with a different job description requires the employee to apply for the position with all other qualified candidates.  

In the event that an employee resigns, he/she is expected to provide a minimum of thirty days' written notice to the Principal and Board of Directors. Certain employees have a greater notice requirement under individual contracts. 

If an employee plans to retire, he/she should send a written advance notification to the Principal and Board of Directors. Any employee who has vested in a particular retirement system should also contact those agencies independently in advance of separating from employment and should follow their independent procedures as specified. 

Employees are encouraged to arrange an exit interview with the Principal and/or the Board of Directors.