3220

TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

3220

The teacher is directly responsible to the principal.  The definitions as applied in this policy are as follows:

Professional responsibilities:  All duties of a teacher that support the total school program and the objectives of the school and school system, including the duty to conduct oneself in a professional manner.  Professional responsibilities include instructional and non-instructional duties, extracurricular duties, special duties, duties mandated by law, duties associated with the code of ethics adopted by the State Board of Education, and reasonable requirements of the local Board of Education.

Instructional duties:  All responsibilities of a teacher that are related to the instructional program that the teacher implements for students and/or peers regardless of whether they occur during the regular school day or at other times.  (Examples:  teaching; addressing student needs within the classroom setting; lesson planning; curriculum development; evaluating student work; record keeping; mentoring; professional development; attendance at student conferences, parent conferences, school meetings, rehearsals, performances; membership on school improvement team or student support team; and participation in instructionally-related student trips.)

Non-instructional duties:  All duties performed by a teacher that are part of the professional responsibilities of the teacher but that are not directly involved with the instructional program or the implementation of the standard course of study.  (Examples: monitoring the cafeteria, hallway and student transportation pick-up and drop-off.)

Extracurricular duties:  All duties performed by a teacher involving students that are outside the regular school day and not directly related to the instructional program.  (Examples:  athletic coach, cheerleading coach, taking pictures at a sporting event, and some before or after-school club sponsorships unless it is related to instructional duties.)

A.

The teacher’s primary functions are specified in Policy 3219 and other Board policies and laws.  It is an essential function of the job for any teacher assigned a class load to teach classes of students at least 50% of the school day. Teachers without class loads include, but are not limited to, instructional resource teachers (IRTs), intervention and coordinating teachers, and math or literacy coaches. 

B.

Assignments of non-instructional and extra-curricular duties to all teachers shall be limited to the extent possible under federal, state, and local laws, rules, and policies, and shall be distributed equitably among school employees.

C.

In revising existing policies or adopting new policies, the Board of Education will endeavor to consider the impact of the policy change on the non-instructional and extra-curricular duties assigned to teachers.

D.

The principal for each school shall review all non-instructional duties and extra-curricular duties regarding the feasibility and appropriateness of either eliminating each duty or assigning it to an individual who is not a teacher if this can be accomplished without impacting on the safe and effective operation of the school.

The school principal will make the final decision on whether each duty will be maintained, eliminated, or assigned to a non-teacher, and will then make specific assignment of each duty, endeavoring to distribute the assignments equitably among school employees.

1.

Teachers’ assistants may not be assigned duties that would require that they work more than a 40-hour work week except in extreme circumstances.  Such duties must be with the written approval of the principal, and must be within the school site’s budgetary constraints.

2.

Teacher assistants may not be assigned coaching responsibilities without the written approval of the principal and the assistant superintendent for human resources- staffing and development.

E.

School administrators and their designees shall not assign extracurricular activities to teachers with initial certification and teachers with 27 or more years of experience unless (i) the teacher requests the assignment in writing and (ii) the other non-instructional duties assigned to the teacher are minimized.

F.

The Board of Education may temporarily suspend the rules and policies regarding assignment of non-instructional and extra-curricular duties to teachers at a school when there is a compelling reason for not implementing the rules or policies.  The following circumstances will be considered to be a compelling reason:

1.

A staff member who is scheduled to perform an extra-curricular or non-instructional duty is unexpectedly unavailable and the position must be filled quickly;

2.

The school cannot adequately fill extra-curricular or non-instructional duties without additional reliance on teachers, including reliance on teachers with initial certification or teachers with 27 or more years of experience; or

3.

An extra-curricular or non-instructional duty requires an individual with certain experience, skills, or qualifications and only teachers at that particular school with initial certification or with 27 or more years of experience possess the required experience, skills or qualifications.

G.

The Board of Education recognizes that other circumstances not listed in this policy may create a compelling reason.  Where it is not feasible for the circumstance to be presented to the Board of Education for consideration, the Superintendent or his designee is authorized to make a determination as to whether a compelling reason exists for the temporary suspension of local rules and policies regarding the assignment of non-instructional and extra-curricular duties.

H.

Teachers with initial certification or teachers with 27 or more years of experience may volunteer in writing to perform extra-curricular duties or may be required to perform such duties if the limitations on these assignments are suspended as provided above.

I.

The failure to volunteer to perform extra-curricular duties will not be just cause for a less than satisfactory evaluation of a teacher with initial certification or a teacher with 27 or more years of experience, provided, however, that the teacher has conducted herself/himself in a professional manner when declining to accept extra-curricular duties.  Moreover, a teacher’s failure to perform a non-instructional or extra-curricular duty in a competent and professional manner may be considered as a part of the teacher’s evaluation.

J.

Any person initially hired in a faculty position who is also assigned coaching responsibilities must continue to fulfill the duties and responsibilities as a coach as a condition to continued employment as a faculty member provided the faculty member is not a teacher with initial certification or a teacher with 27 or more years of experience.

1.

Any contract of employment entered into between the board and a faculty member who is also assigned coaching duties and responsibilities must contain the following special condition:

It is understood that as primary consideration of this contract the teacher will perform any coaching duties assigned by the administration.  Any failure or refusal to perform coaching duties assigned by the administration shall be just cause for dismissal as a teacher pursuant to N.C. G. S. §115C-325(e)(1)(d) and (j) notwithstanding the fact that the teacher may have gained career status as a teacher with the Wake County Public School System.

K.

The attached form must be completed by all teachers with initial certification or with 27 years or more of teaching experience who request assignment to or agree to accept an extra-curricular duty.  It is not necessary to use the form when making non-instructional duty assignments.

 Legal Reference: G.S. 115C-288, 307, 308, G.S. 115C-325(e)(1)(d) and (j), and G.S. 115C-47(18a).

Adopted:  July 19, 1976

Revised:  August 17, 1998

Revised:  September 27, 1999

Revised:  May 21, 2002

Revised:  March 6, 2012