Preston County Board of Education
Policy 2-19 - Faculty Senates

I. Faculty Senate Membership

Membership is defined as "all permanent, full-time professional educators employed at the school."

NOTES:
1. Professional educators are defined in School Code 18A-1-1 and 18-1-1 to include teachers, principals, librarians, registered professional nurses, and other other person(s) regularly employed for instructional purposes.

2. "Traveling" personnel will be members of the Faculty Senate at their "home school." Any such person may change his/her "home school" by notifying the County Office.

II. Organization

A. Elected officers

1. Chair

2. Vice-Chair - "Shall Preside at meetings when the Chair is absent."

3. Secretary

C. The Faculty Senate may adopt bylaws.

D. "Each Faculty Senate shall organize its activities as it deems most effective and efficient based on school size, departmental structure, and other relevant factors."

III. Meetings

A. Initial Meeting - "Prior to the beginning of the instructional term each year, but within the employment term, the principal shall convene a meeting of the Faculty Senate to elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary and discuss matters relevant to the beginning of the school year."

B. "Each Faculty Senate shall be provided by its local board of education at least a two-hour per month block of noninstructional time within the school day, provided, that any such designated day shall constitute a full instructional day. This time may be utilized and determined at the local school level and shall include, but not be limited to, Faculty Senate Meetings."

C. "Meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be held on a regular basis as determined by a schedule approved by the Faculty Senate and amended from time to time if needed."

D. "Emergency meetings may be held at the call of the Chair or a majority of the voting members by petition submitted to the Chair and Vice Chair."

E. The Faculty Senate may hold more meetings other than during the monthly minimum two-hour block of time scheduled during the instructional day by the Board. However, attendance at any meetings beyond the regular work day is voluntary.

F. The meeting scheduled during the two-hour block of time need not necessarily last two hours. After adjournment, it is the principal's responsibility to schedule any remaining time in the employees' workday. Also, the meeting may last longer than the two hours scheduled. However, if the meeting lasts longer than the regular end of the workday, the Faculty Senate is on its "own time" and attendance is voluntary.

G. "An agenda of matters to be considered at a scheduled meeting of the Faculty Senate shall be available to the meeting at least two employment days prior to the meeting, and in the case of emergency meetings, as soon as possible prior to the meeting."

H. "'A quorum of more than one-half of the voting members of the faculty shall be present at any meeting of the Faculty Senate at which official business is conducted."

IV. Responsibilities/Powers

A. The Faculty Senate shall, according to 18-5A-5:

1. Control funds allocated to the school from legislative appropriations and any other funds made available to the Faculty Senate. (See V)

2. "Select three faculty representatives to the local school improvement council established pursuant to 18-5A-2."

1. "Establish a process for faculty members to interview new prospective professional educators and paraprofessional employees at the school and submit recommendations regarding employment to the principal, who may also make independent recommendations for submission to the county superintendent,"

(NOTE: "Such process must permit the timely employment of persons to perform necessary duties.")

2. "Nominate teachers for recognition as outstanding teachers under state and local teacher recognition programs and other personnel at the school, including parents, for recognition under other appropriate recognition programs and may establish such programs for operation at the school."

3. "Submit recommendations to the principal regarding the assignment scheduling of secretaries, clerks, aides, and paraprofessionals at the school."

4. "Submit recommendations to the principal regarding establishment of the master curriculum schedule for the next ensuing school year."

5. "Nominate a member for election to the county staff development council pursuant to 18A-3-8."

(NOTE: A county wide election will be held to select staff development council members from among those nominated by this and other processes.)

6. "Make recommendations on the selection of the faculty to serve as mentors for beginning teachers under beginning teacher internships at the school."

7. "Review the evaluation procedure as conducted in their schools to ascertain whether such evaluations were conducted in accordance with the written system required pursuant to 18A-2-12 ......regarding meaningful performance evaluations of school personnel. If a majority determine that such evaluations were not so conducted, they shall submit a report in writing to the state board of education, provided that nothing herein shall create any new right of access to or review of any individual's evaluations" (effective January 1, 1992).

8. "Establish a process for the review and comment on sabbatical leave requests submitted by employees at the school pursuant to 18-2-11."

V. Funds

Each Faculty Senate shall control funds allocated to the school from legislative appropriations and any other funds made available to the Faculty Senate.

A. Funds appropriated to Faculty Senates at the 1990 August Legislative Session:

1. Funds to be expended for "....academic materials, supplies, or equipment which in the judgment of the teacher of librarian will assist him or her in providing instruction in his or her assigned academic subjects."

2. "Academic materials, supplies or equipment shall be interpreted broadly, but shall not include materials, supplies or equipment which will be used in or connected with interscholastic athletic events."

3. "Accounts shall be maintained of the allocations and expenditures of such funds for the purpose of financial audit."

4. "The amount of county funds already budgeted for the fiscal year 1990-91 shall not be reduced for such materials, supplies, and equipment."

5. "Each classroom teacher and librarian shall be allocated fifty dollars."

(NOTE: "Classroom teacher' is defined in 18A-1-1 as a professional. educator who has direct instructional or counseling relationship with pupils, spending the majority of his/her time in this capacity. Therefore, the $50 allocation will be made to teachers, counselors, and librarians.')

a. Payment will be made directly to the teacher, counselor, or librarian.

b. Receipts must be provided by each recipient to the Faculty Senate.

c. "Expenditure must be made during the instructional year ... or shall be returned to the Faculty Senate."

6. The remainder of funds ($150 per qualifying Faculty Senate member at each school) "....shall be expended for academic materials, supplies, or equipment in accordance with a budget approved by the Faculty Senate."
a. An account will be kept at each school for that school's Faculty Senate. Expenditures will be made via county purchase orders.

b. "Funds not expended in one school year shall be available for expenditure in the next school year."

LEGAL REFERENCE: 18-5A-5, 18-9A-9(4)
ADOPTED: March 25, 1991

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