EL 2.3 Treatment of Staff

1. EL 2.3 • Treatment of Staff • Governance Policy • Updated • 07/31/2012 HR

2. GOVERNING POLICY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION Executive Limitations Policy 2.3 – TREATMENT OF STAFF Date Adopted/Last Revised: October 7, 2010, October 20, 2011 • With respect to treatment of paid and volunteer staff, the Superintendent will not cause or allow conditions, procedures, actions or decisions that are unclear, unfair, unsafe, untimely, undignified, or unresponsive. Accordingly, the Superintendent will not: • Allow paid or volunteer staff whose background checks fail to meet district standards to have unsupervised contact with students; • Operate without ensuring paid staff is provided with written personnel policies, approved by legal counsel, which clarify personnel rules, provide for effective staff evaluations and handling of complaints, and protect against wrongful conditions. • Fail to inform paid staff of this Staff Treatment policy and the Superintendent’s interpretations of their protections under this policy; • Prevent staff from bringing complaints to the Board of Education when internal complaint procedures have been exhausted and the staff member alleges that district policy has been violated. • Allow retaliation against a paid staff member for non-disruptive, internal expression of dissent, or for reporting to management or to the Board (per the complaint process in the personnel manual) acts or omissions by paid or volunteer staff or the Board that the employee believes, in good faith and based on credible information, constitutes a violation of state or federal law or a governing policy of the Board. • Allow staff to be unaware of opportunities to participate on district committees. • Allow staff to be unprepared to deal with emergency situations. • Fail to ensure that staff are valued and supported.

3. EL 2.3.1 • Treatment of Staff • The Superintendent will not allow paid or volunteer staff whose background checks fail to meet district standards to have unsupervised contact with students. • Background Checks include: • Reference checks with previous employers • Checks with CDE, CBI and FBI • Interpretation: • The district shall have procedures for implementing background checks, shall follow a consistent process ensuring compliance with those procedures and, shall maintain data to demonstrate the validity of the process. Passing such a check is a prerequisite for any individual to be hired in the district or to be approved as a volunteer in the district. Only a licensed staff member shall supervise and direct the instructional program by state law. Classified staff and volunteers who work directly with students are supervised by a licensed staff member.

4. EL 2.3.2 • Treatment of Staff The Superintendent will not operate without ensuring paid staff is provided with written personnel policies, approved by legal counsel, which clarify personnel rules, provide for effective staff evaluations, handling of complaints, and protect against wrongful conditions. Interpretation: Written personnel policies and procedures shall be posted on the district’s website and updated as recommended by the Human Resources Policy Review Committee, comprised of representative staff, a community member and facilitated by the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. Human Resources policies shall clarify rules for staff regarding their benefits and working conditions, shall provide for effective staff evaluation processes that include clearly defined performance expectations, guide staff on what to do if they have a complaint, and provide for staff protection.

5. Following are Human Resources administrative policies that: • Relate to rules for benefits: • GBBD – Interest-Free Tuition Loans • GBC – Employee Leave Policy • GBCA – Limited Sick Leave Bank • GBCB – Military Leave • GBGA – Workers’ Compensation Leave Policy • GCR – Longevity Bonus Policy • Relate to working conditions: • GB – Employment • GBA – Equal Employment Opportunity • GBEA – Staff Ethics/Conflict of Interest • GBEB – Staff Conduct and Responsibilities • GBEBA – Staff Dress Code • GBEC – Alcohol/Drug-Free Workplace • GBJ – Personnel Records and Files • GCCBC – Instructional Staff Supplementary Pay Plans • GCE/GCF – Licensed Staff Recruiting/Hiring • GCFC – Professional Staff Licensing Responsibilities • GCG – Guest Teacher Employment • GCKA – Licensed Staff Assignments and Transfers • GCLA – Length of Instructional Staff Workday • GCQA – Instructional Staff Reduction in Force • GCQF – Discipline, Suspension, and Dismissal of Licensed Staff (and Contract Non-Renewal) • GDA – Classified Staff Positions • GDBB – Overtime Regulation and Compensation for Classified Staff • GDG – Temporary Labor and Classified Guest Staff Employment • GDQD – Discipline, Suspension, and Dismissal of Classified Staff • Relate to effective staff evaluation: • GCN-1 – Evaluation of Non-Administrative Licensed Personnel • GCN-2 – Evaluation of Principals and Assistant Principals • GCOE – Evaluation of Coaches • Relate to the complaint process: • GBK – Staff Concerns and Complaints • Relate to staff protection against wrongful conditions: • GBAA – Sexual Harassment of Staff • GBE – Staff Health and Safety • GBGB– Staff Protection

6. EL 2.3.3 • Treatment of Staff • The Superintendent will not fail to inform paid staff of this Staff Treatment Policy and the Superintendent’s interpretations of their protections under this policy. • Interpretation: • Human Resources shall ensure that all principals and department heads inform staff related to this policy.

7. EL 2.3.4 • Treatment of Staff • The Superintendent will not prevent staff from bringing complaints to the Board of Education when internal complaint procedures have been exhausted and the staff member alleges that district policy has been violated. • Interpretation: • A staff member shall not be prevented from following the complaint Policy GBK and Procedure GBK-R.

8. EL 2.3.5 • Treatment of Staff • The Superintendent will not retaliate against a paid staff member for non-disruptive, internal expression of dissent, or for reporting to management or to the Board (per the complaint process in the personnel manual) acts or omissions by paid or volunteer staff or the Board that the employee believes, in good faith and based on credible information, constitutes a violation of state or federal law or a governing policy of the Board. • Interpretation: • All staff shall receive information related to complaint Policy GBK and Procedure GBK-R and shall be informed that the goal is to provide a prompt and equitable resolution of concerns. No staff member shall experience adverse action for having participated in the complaint process.

9. EL 2.3.6 • Treatment of Staff • The Superintendent will not allow staff to be unaware of opportunities to participate on district committees. • Interpretation: • All district staff shall receive information regarding opportunities to serve on district committees.

10. EL 2.3.7 • Treatment of Staff • The Superintendent will not allow staff to be unprepared to deal with emergency situations. • Interpretation: • All schools or other district facilities will have safety plans for dealing with accidents, serious assaults, bomb threats, kidnapping or missing students, death at school, suicide threats or attempts, gang altercations, weapons possession, serious violations of policy or law, or any other event that requires a secured building, lockdown, evacuation or shelter-in-place. • All schools and other district facilities will conduct monthly fire drills and schools will conduct a lockdown drill and tornado drill at least twice annually. • Evacuation routes and shelter locations will be posted in every classroom and other areas, which may be occupied by the public or non-resident staff.

11. EL 2.3.8 • Treatment of Staff • The Superintendent will not fail to ensure that staff are valued and supported. • Interpretation: • The district shall initiate and maintain procedures and practices to recruit, hire and retain a highly qualified staff and to preserve a working environment for all employees that is respectful, cooperative and rewarding.

12. Next we will have an overview of Human Resources Administrative Policies that provide protection to staff.

13. Policy GBAA • Sexual Harassment of Staff • All staff shall be treated with respect and shall be protected from intimidation, discrimination, physical harm and harassment.

14. Policy GBE • Staff Health and Safety • The district administration seeks to provide a safe environment for employees and to assist them in the maintenance of good health. • Employees are encouraged to maintain their well being through the practice of safe and healthy habits.

15. Policy GBGB • Staff Protection • The District Administration is committed to providing a safe working environment for all staff. We do not tolerate any form of violence or abuse including but not limited to actions, words or insults towards our staff. The procedures in this policy may be initiated to protect district staff in alleged instances of: • assault, • disorderly conduct, • harassment or intimidation, • knowingly making a false allegation of child abuse, • knowingly making a false allegation of an alleged offense, • any alleged offense under the “Colorado Criminal Code”, • the use of profane language • the use of threatening language • verbal or written insults • by a student, another staff member, parent or a community member towards any staff member.