A. Credit for Experience and Preparation
All training for salary credit purposes shall be supported by official transcripts from accredited colleges and universities. With the exception noted in subsection A.1 below, graduate hours subsequent to the bachelor's degree shall be required for salary purposes. Graduate credits and stipends for advanced degrees must have a reasonable relationship to the teacher's responsibilities in the District, or to potential responsibilities and positions in education. In evaluating such applications, the following rules shall apply: such credits or stipends shall be reviewed by the Director of Personnel or his/her designee, and in instances when the application is denied, the teacher shall have the right to appeal to a salary review committee consisting of four members, two of which are appointed by the Superintendent and two by the Association. The decision shall be by majority vote and shall be binding on all parties. A grievance with respect to the denial of an application for salary credit shall be initiated at Stage 2 of the grievance procedure but limited to whether or not the decision to deny (or, as the case may be, the inability to approve because of a tie vote) was arbitrary and capricious and without evidentiary support.
1. The Director of Personnel is given discretionary authority to recommend salary credit for certain undergraduate work which, in his/her judgment, is necessary for improved competence on the job. Teachers who have a bachelor's degree are not usually given salary credit for undergraduate work. However, requests for salary credit for undergraduate work or in-service work may be approved if the courses are part of a systematic program toward an objective which is in the best interests of the District.
2. In the case of a teacher who does not hold a bachelor's degree, it is necessary for the teacher to file an official copy of the degree or certification program and any amendments thereto, to make certain that salary adjustments granted for undergraduate work are approved only for work leading to the degree or to certification.
3. Teachers must secure approval in advance when they plan to take undergraduate work for salary credit, and also for courses where there is doubt about the relevancy of the course to the job that the teacher is doing. Any exemption to such advance approval must be for reasons which are acceptable to the Director of Personnel, or his/her designee.
4. Any work beyond the bachelor's degree plus thirty (30) hours must be graduate level work taken for credit and so certified by an accredited institution. This will allow credit for upper division undergraduate courses which may be taken for graduate credit in the awarding institution.
5. Teachers without a bachelor's degree may take undergraduate work for salary credit.
6. Members of the Unit shall maintain a satisfactory record and proper certification, in accordance with the Education Laws of the State of New York and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.
7. In evaluating salary credit applications for correspondence courses the following rules shall apply:
a. The Director of Personnel shall review all applications and approve those from accredited institutions of learning.
b. Accredited institutions of learning shall mean those institutions which promulgate appropriate course work for employees and are recognized colleges and universities.
c. Teachers taking "correspondence courses" from an institution must have prior permission from the Director of Personnel before credit will be granted for such courses. Correspondence courses are interpreted to mean those in which the participant does not have an on-campus involvement.
d. Teachers must secure such prior approval fifteen (15) school days in advance of taking any correspondence courses so that there is no doubt as to the relevancy of the course to the job that the teacher is doing.
B. Application for Salary Adjustment
In all salary adjustments, the primary responsibility for making the written request, and obtaining substantiating proof, rests with the individual making the request. In applying for a salary adjustment, the teacher shall:
1. Obtain from his/her principal the form entitled Request For Salary Adjustment .
2. Obtain from the college or university substantiating proof supporting the request (i.e., transcript and/or other appropriate documents).
NOTE: In order to be OFFICIAL, any item submitted to substantiate the request must bear the signature of the authorized representative and seal of the issuing institution.
3. The Request For Salary Adjustment form should be properly completed. When the transcript, and/or other substantiating proof supporting the request has been received by the teacher it should be sent, together with the completed Request For Salary Adjustment form, to the Personnel Division, ATTENTION SALARY ADJUSTMENTS, at the Central Offices of the District. In the event such substantiating proof and/or transcript has not been received by the teacher it shall be the responsibility of the teacher to see it is provided to the District in a timely fashion. Request for salary adjustment, and substantiating proof including a transcript if required, must be received by the Personnel Division on or before November 15th in order to entitle the teacher to receive retroactive payment to September 1st of that school year for work completed during the prior summer semester. Similar documentation must be received on or before September 1st in order for the teacher to receive payment by September 1st for work completed during the prior spring semester. Similar documentation must be received on or before June 15th in order for the teacher to receive retroactive payment to February 1st of that school year for work completed during the prior fall semester.
4. The Personnel Division shall acknowledge receipt of the Request For Salary Adjustment within fifteen (15) business days by returning to the teacher the lower portion of the adjustment request form. If such acknowledgment is not received within fifteen (15) working days, it shall be the responsibility of the requesting teacher to inform the Personnel Division of that fact, in writing, on or before the September 1st, November 15th, or June 15th dates, as the case may be.
5. When a salary adjustment has been approved, a copy of the Personnel Memorandum shall be transmitted to the teacher. When a request for salary adjustment has been denied, the teacher shall be notified, in writing, with the reasons.
6. The individual's salary credit shall be effective the beginning of the next payroll period following the submission and approval of evidence of additional education or in-service credit. Individual salary credits submitted prior to June 15th and approved shall be credited on July 1st.
C. Regulations for Salary Adjustment
1. All training for salary credit purposes shall be supported as described in subsection A of this Article.
2. An official transcript documenting awarding of the undergraduate (bachelor's) degree, and date awarded, must be on file before any salary adjustment is implemented. Such adjustments for additional professional preparation shall not be retroactive for more than one college semester. Work completed during the summer college semester must be verified by official transcripts prior to November 15th of each current school year in order to be retroactive to September 1st of that school year. Work completed during the fall college semester must be so verified by June 15th in order to be retroactive to February 1st of that school year.
3. Work completed during the spring semester must be verified prior to September 1st in order to be effective September 1st.
4. Requests for any salary adjustments must be accompanied by substantiating proof and, if approved, shall become effective as provided in this Article after receipt of proper materials. Implementation shall be at the beginning of the payroll period following the next regular Board meeting.
D. Reappointment
Any teacher hired by the District who has previously been appointed to tenure in a public school system in New York State shall serve a probationary period of two (2) years. All appointments of new hires shall be on probationary status unless no bona fide vacancy exists within the applicable tenure area.
E. In-service Salary Credit
1. Teachers may apply to the Director of Personnel, or his/her designee, for the granting of salary credit for in-service opportunities offered by agencies or organizations not connected with either the District or institutions of higher learning. Said in-service opportunities must meet the criteria established by the Personnel Division. Application for such salary credit shall be made not later than thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of the course in question and no such credit shall be granted retroactively.
2. If in-service courses are offered during the normal workday there shall be no salary adjustments for such courses.
F. The District shall reimburse speech/language pathologists for a Certificate of Clinical Competence where the District requires such a certificate.
G. Direct Deposit
Employees may, pursuant to District policy, have their net pay amounts directly deposited into a bank account of their choice at any local banking institution on the District's current payroll savings deduction listing or the School Employees of Central New York Federal Credit Union.
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