ARTICLE 5

 

TRANSFER

 

5.1.                            Glossary

 

5.1.1.         Involuntary Transfer: A transfer initiated by management which

                           results in the movement of a unit member from one school site to

                           another or from one program to another.

 

5.1.2.         Qualified: Certificated and competency through training or

                           experience.

 

5.1.3.         Program Need: An identified certificated position within the

                           bargaining unit, other than an extra duty position, necessary to

                           provide the instructional curriculum or other required programs

                           established or revised by formal action of the Board of Education.

 

5.1.4.         Vacancy: An unfilled position within the bargaining unit created by a

                           known resignation, retirement or non-reelection.

 

5.1.5.         Voluntary Transfer: A transfer initiated by the unit member which

                           results in the movement of the unit member from one school site to

                           another or from one program to another.

 

 

5.2.                            Timeline of Events

 

              (The following events are scheduled to be accomplished by the dates given)

 

              January           15         Subsequent year enrollment projections

 

              February         1           Staffing allocations

 

              February         15         Anticipated special needs/new programs are identified.

 

              March               15         Tentative classification

 

              March                            15         Deadline for Application for Priority Transfer Pool

 

              April                  1 -15   Interviews for Priority Transfer Pool

 

              April                   1           Subsequent year assignment preferences

 

 

 

              April                   1           Initial identification of unit members going-on-leave, returning from leave, retiring, resigning, and involuntary transferees eligible for return

 

              April                   15         Leave of Absence letter

 

              April                  15         Reevaluation of credentials

 

              April                  22         Notification of Priority Transfer Committee’s Decision

             

              April                   25         Tentative assignments

 

              Apr 25 - May 1      On-site adjustments

 

              May                   1           Principals assigned

 

              May                   1           Notification of involuntary transfer

 

              May                1 - 4   Preview of first posting for involuntary

                                                      transferees, review of credential(s) and qualifications

 

              May                   6           First posting of known vacancies (applicant shall have at least five (5) work days from this date to request an interview)

 

                                                      Each office manager and MDEA building representative will have received a posting packet. That packet will contain several copies of the first posting. The MDEA representative’s packet will also contain flyers to be placed in each unit member’s box which will say, in large letters, that the voluntary transfer posting is available and a copy of it can be obtained from the office manager or the building MDEA representative. The voluntary transfer posting will also be posted and copies of the voluntary transfer vacancies will be available in a conspicuous area.

             

              May                 25 – 31 Addendum posting

 

              June                2          Rehire temporary teachers where there is no conflict

 

              June                 15         Placement of remaining involuntary transferees

 

              June                 17         Final date for filing Voluntary Transfer Interest Form

 

              June                 30         Rehire temporary teachers for remaining positions

 

              Fifteen work                Last date for involuntary transferees to be

              days before                 given an opportunity to return to vacancies at

              the first                         their original sites.

              student day

 

 

              Fifteen work                Last date for voluntary transferees to be

              days before                 considered if they filed a Voluntary Transfer

              the first                         Interest Form

              student day

 

              August             31         Vacancies after this date must be initially filled by temporary unit members

 

              If any of the above dates fall on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the event(s) will take place on the following workday.

 

5.3.                            Establishment of Seniority

 

5.3.1.         Seniority, for purpose of transfer, shall be determined in the following

                           manner:

 

5.3.2.         For employees first rendering paid probationary service on the same

day, seniority shall be determined by lottery.

 

5.3.3.         Employees whose first probationary service is retroactively

determined (e.g., pursuant to §44918 Ed.C.), shall be placed as least

                           senior with others whose first probationary service is the same day.

 

5.3.4.         By March 1 of each school year the District and MDEA shall conduct

                           the lottery.

 

5.3.5.         The seniority list shall be prepared no later than March 15 of each

                           year. Copies shall be sent to each school and to the Association.

 

5.3.6.         If an employee has a break in service by reason of resignation or

                           dismissal (not layoff), the date of reemployment shall govern.

 

 

5.4.                            Voluntary Transfer

 

5.4.1.         A voluntary transfer is one that is requested by a unit member.

 

                           5.4.1.1.            First year probationary unit members shall not be                                                                considered for voluntary transfer so that the second                                                         year of probationary service will not be in a new school.

 

5.4.2.         Each posting shall indicate:

 

5.4.2.1.                All known vacancies at the time of printing the posting.

 

5.4.2.2.                Subject, grade level, full-time equivalent, work site.

             

5.4.3.         It is the responsibility of the unit member seeking a transfer to initiate

                           with the principal, program administrator, or designee a request in

                           writing for an interview for any of the unfilled positions in which he/she

                           is interested. Any eligible unit member who requests an interview

                           shall be granted one. If the transfer applicant fails to request an

                           interview within the time specified in the announcement, which shall

                           be at least five (5) work days from the date of the announcement,

                           he/she forfeits the right for consideration for the unfilled position.

 

5.4.4.         All applicants for a position shall be notified in writing by the District

                           within five (5) work days of the final decision. Those not selected

                           shall be entitled to the reasons for denial within five (5) work days of a

                           request for reasons.

 

5.4.5.         The unit member may request a review of those reasons by the

                           Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services, within three (3) work

                           days of receipt of the statement of reasons. Thereafter, the

                           Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services, shall convene a

                           conference with the principal/program administrator and the unit

                           member who may be represented at the conference by an

                           Association representative.

 

5.4.6.         A request for voluntary transfer may be withdrawn at any time prior to

                           confirmation of the transfer.

 

5.4.7.         Unit members will be considered for vacancies which occur after the

                           final posting on June 1 provided they complete and file in the

                           Personnel Services Office a Voluntary Transfer Interest Form no

                  later than June 17. Unit members shall identify special interest in

                           subject area(s) and/or elementary grade span and school or site on

                           the District provided form.

 

5.4.8.         In addition, members filing the Voluntary Transfer Interest

                           Form must provide a mailing address for the period of June 17

                           through August 17.

 
5.4.9.         Members who have filed in accord with this section shall be
                           notified by phone or mail of appropriate vacancies. It shall be
                           the responsibility of the unit member to call the Personnel Services Office within seven (7) calendar days from the date of the letter if they wish to be considered. In order to be guaranteed an interview, unit members shall make themselves available for the interview at the scheduled time.

 

 

5.5.                            Priority Voluntary Transfer Pool Procedure (PTP)

 

5.5.1.         Notwithstanding the above cited voluntary transfer procedure a unit

                           member may choose to apply for a voluntary transfer procedure

                           through the Priority Transfer Pool (PTP) procedure.

 

 

 

5.6.            GLOSSARY

5.6.

5.6.1.  Priority Transfer Committee (PTC) - a committee of administrators

designated by the District for the specific purpose of identifying candidates for the Priority Transfer Pool (PTP).

5.6.2.  Priority Transfer Pool (PTP) - the PTP consists of eligible teachers

who have qualified for a guaranteed offer of transfer.

 

 

5.7.            ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

5.7.

5.7.1.  Eligible teachers must:

5.7.1.

be permanent employees

meet or exceed District performance expectations in all areas of the evaluation process

 

pass an oral screening interview

5.7.2.  The PTC shall determine which teachers are eligible to be assigned

to the PTP, and shall have a goal of assigning a number equaling ten percent (10%) of the number of estimated vacancies. However, nothing herein shall preclude the PTC from finding that fewer or more teachers are eligible in any given year. Each teacher assigned to the pool will receive one (1) guaranteed offer for which he/she is qualified and credentialed. Insofar as practical, the PTP will reflect a proportionate number of estimated vacancies at each level.

 

5.7.3.  Teachers must apply for the PTP on an annual basis. If a teacher

accepts an offer, the teacher will be ineligible for the PTP for a five-

year period. This will not preclude a teacher from seeking a

transfer via the regular voluntary transfer process outlined in

§5.4.

 

 

5.8.            PANEL:

5.8.

5.8.1.  Panel members will be determined by the District

5.8.1.

5.8.1.1.    The decisions of the Panel are not subject to the grievance

procedure.

5.8.1.2.    The Panel is the final authority in all decisions.

 

5.8.1.3.    The Panel will provide feedback of the interview if requested

by the unit member.

 

5.8.2.  Notification, in writing, including the reasons for the transfer request

and a resume, must be submitted to the Director of Certificated

Personnel no later than March 15.

 

 

 

5.9.                            General Procedures for Involuntary Transfer

 

5.9.1.         Unless otherwise stated in §5.10 and §5.11, the following procedures

                           shall be followed:

 

5.9.2.         Involuntary transfers may be initiated for any of the following reasons:

 

5.9.2.1.                School closure or program reduction, boundary change or

              grade level reorganization between more than one site.

 

5.9.2.2.                Excess staff due to decline in enrollment.

 

5.9.2.3.                Program needs of a school, or program.

 

5.9.2.4.                Decline in special education students at a school site.

 

5.9.2.5.                To avoid workplace disruption. Transfer for workplace

                           disruption shall be for just cause.

 

                           The following procedures do not apply to 5.9.2.5: 5.9.3, 5.9.4, 5.9.9, 5.9.11 & 5.9.12.

             

5.9.3.         Selection for involuntary transfer shall be in reverse order of district

                           seniority.

 

5.9.4.