Know Your Rights: Teacher Transfer Policies

This pertains to both disciplinary write-ups and evaluations.

If you receive a disciplinary write-up or evaluation result, SEE, SIGN, AND REBUT.

When you are given the paperwork, be sure to SIGN the write-up/evaluation result so you can receive a copy.

Signing a write-up/evaluation result does NOT constitute agreeing with the contents of the write-up/paperwork— it is a record that you have seen the paperwork before it is put into your personnel file. 

After you sign the write-up/evaluation, contact Red River United immediately at 318-424-4579 and write a rebuttal. A rebuttal tells YOUR side of the story, and is permanently attached to your personnel file with the write-up.  

Your personnel file/record is the ONLY thing a principal looks at if you are considering transferring to another school or another parish. Make sure you know what is in your personnel file, and that you write rebuttals for everything that goes in your personnel file. 

OWN YOUR PROFESSION.

If you receive an observation or evaluation that is not an accurate representation of your performance,  SEE, SIGN, AND REBUT.

When you are given the paperwork, be sure to SIGN the observation/evaluation result so you can receive a copy.

Signing an observation/evaluation does NOT constitute agreeing— it is a record that you have seen the paperwork before it is put into your personnel file. 

After you sign the document, the clock begins.  In most cases, you have 15 working days to write a rebuttal; however, teachers in Caddo have 48 hours to issue and appeal.  Contact Red River United immediately at 318-424-4579.

Your observations and evaluations may determine if you move up on the salary schedule as well as your possibility of becoming tenured.

OWN YOUR PROFESSION.

What you need to know about Student Learning Targets

Student Learning Targets (SLTs) are a crucial part of a teacher’s COMPASS evaluation. To make sure that your evaluation is an appropriate, accurate and fair representation of your professional abilities, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers offers the following hints for writing your SLTs in collaboration with your principal.

Student Learning Target tips:

• Set reasonable, realistic targets.
• SLTs should include teacher and administrator input.
• Consider including the stipulation that only the scores of students who took both the pre and post assessments will be included in the calculation.
• You might stipulate that a certain attendance factor will determine if a student remains in the SLT group. Refer to language for attendance requirements for updating students in CVR. The same rules should apply when writing SLTs.
• Students with high scores on the pre-assessment instrument may not be capable of achieving their targeted growth. Consider excluding those students from your group.
• SLTs should be written only for the students you teach, based on their specific past performance and pre-assessment data. Do not base them on the performance of the students in the entire school or school district.
• SLTs are intended to be a comparison of where your students were at the beginning of the year and how much they have progressed during the year, based on your teaching, just as a VAM score is based on the progress of only your students.
• Share your SLT drafts with your peers for wording and math calculations.
• Monitor and record student performance throughout the year.
• At midyear, check to see if you are eligible to make changes to your SLTs.

For one-on one assistance or questions, contact our Education Specialist today.

jthomas@redriverunited.org

318-424-4579

To understand more about what needs to be included in your Student Learning Targets, check out the SLT cheat sheet here.

A more complete list of tips to survive observations, assist with your classroom observations and Value Added Model evaluations, please click here.

These resources and more are available on the LFT’s Back-to-School resources page – click here for access.

Teachers, make sure you check all of your classroom rosters mid-year (in January) and remove students who are no longer in your class. Your SLTs (student learning targets) are based on your current roster— so make sure your roster reflects who is actually in your class.

 You also have the right to amend your SLTs (student learning targets) at the mid- year mark. Contact Red River United immediately at 318-424-4579 if you have any questions. 

You cannot be fired or disciplined for joining a union. Click the button to join now.

Caddo Parish School Board Policy JGA

Corporal punishment that may be administered to a child is “defined as, and limited to, punishing or correcting a student by striking the student on the buttocks with a paddle provided by the school board a maximum of three (3) times.”  The paddle is “located in the principal’s office.”  The punishment is administered “only by a principal, assistant principal, administrative coordinator or teacher after having obtained permission from the principal or his designee in each instance”, and then only “in the office of the professional staff of the school with a witness present.”

Bossier Parish School Board Policy JDA

“The Bossier Parish School Board shall allow reasonable corporal punishment of unruly pupils. If such punishment is required, it shall be administered with extreme care, tact and caution, and then only by the principal, assistant principal, or the principal’s designated representative in the presence of another adult school employee. At no time shall corporal punishment be administered in the presence of another student. All school personnel and parents shall be fully informed of these provisions at the beginning of each school year….  Corporal punishment administered other than as outlined hereinabove shall be deemed and defined to be impermissible corporal punishment.  Any accusations involving employees using impermissible corporal punishment shall be promptly investigated, in accordance with provisions of policy GAMC, Investigations.”

Caddo Parish School Board Policy JGA-R

“If a student, parent or other person files a complaint in writing with the Caddo Parish School Board accusing a school employee of impermissible corporal punishment or moral offenses involving students, the complaint shall be investigated…”  The principal will give you a copy of the complaint and ask for a written response within 24 hours; you may request an additional 24 hours if circumstances warrant.  He/she will meet with you within 24 hours to review allegations, and you may have representation. Due process procedures continue from this step.

Bossier Parish School Board Policy GAMC

“If an employee is accused of impermissible corporal punishment, or of a moral offense involving a student, a prompt, thorough investigation shall be conducted by the Superintendent or designee.  The investigation shall proceed as outlined below under Reporting Procedures.  A written report of the results of the investigation shall be prepared, and the employee shall be provided with a copy of such report.  The Superintendent may promulgate such administrative regulations as he/she deems necessary to implement this policy.  Any employee found to have violated the provisions of Board policy shall be disciplined by such means as appropriate to the incident, including reprimand, suspension, termination, and/or referral to the local child protection agency/law enforcement.

If the allegation falls within the definition of abuse as defined in Board policy JGCE, Child Abuse, then all school employees with knowledge of such incidents become mandatory reporters and the allegations must be reported to child protection or law enforcement as provided by state law and Board policy.  Such reporting shall be made and applied in conjunction with the procedures outlined in this policy.”

What is impermissible corporal punishment?

Many teachers and paraprofessionals think impermissible corporal punishment is paddling a child without authorization from the parent or principal.  But you should also be aware that any touching of a student could be construed as impermissible corporal punishment.  An accusation can result in not only the loss of your job, but also the filing of criminal charges against you.

More and more experts believe that educators should never touch children under any circumstances.  But this philosophy may not be practical for all educators in all situations.  Know the student! Know the parent!  If you know that either the student or the parent may present problems, avoid being alone with them, and avoid any kind of physical touching.

What are your rights if accused?

RRU’s attorney stresses that you have the right to representation at every step of the investigation.  You do not have to write your response in the administrator’s office.  A proper response takes time and patience to make sure that important facts are not omitted.  Your RRU representative will help you, but only if you call Red River United at 318-424-4579.

What to do if an accusation is made against you?

• Immediately contact Red River United at 318-424-4579.
• Do nothing else until you have been presented the actual written statement from the child or the parent/guardian.  Do not respond or engage in conversation with the child or parent/guardian.
• Your 24 hours to respond starts once you get the statement.  Use this time wisely by seeking representation.  From this point on, you have the right to representation in any further meetings.
• The written statement that you hand in must be carefully worded.  A proper response takes time and patience to make sure that important facts are not omitted under pressure or in haste.  Do not let yourself be pressured into making a written record right there in the administrator’s office.
• Make sure your Red River United representative reads your statement before you hand it in.

You cannot be fired or disciplined for joining a union. Click the button to join now.