PP-13 TEACHER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PP-13 TEACHER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The school year for teachers shall consist of 186 days which satisfy the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education and are approved by the Catholic Schools Office. These will include instructional days, professional development opportunities, and conference days as determined by the Catholic Schools Office. The principal shall provide teachers with a calendar of the school year before the commencement of the first contractual day each year. Carefully planned faculty meetings with advanced notice of time and place should be scheduled at least once a month. Teachers are required to attend faculty meetings before and/or after the regular school day as determined by the building principal. If necessary, the principal is authorized to dismiss school early for these meetings, but no earlier than one hour before the regular dismissal time. Note that these early dismissals can take place only if the school is meeting instructional requirements as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The principal has the right and obligation to assign or reassign teachers for the overall good of the instructional program and, if needed, to reflect changes in enrollment. Teachers may request a change of assignment but should not assume the request will be honored since the change may not be possible or may not be in the interest of the overall instructional program. A full-time teacher is assigned to work a full schedule every day of the school year. Teachers are required to be in their classrooms before school begins and/or after students dismissal as determined by the building principal. Students in classrooms and in other areas of the building must have continuous teacher supervision as is reasonable. If a teacher must leave the classroom, an attempt must be made to provide supervision. Teachers are to work in a cooperative and collegial manner with each other and with the school principal to provide quality educational programs for the students. Teachers are required to meet with the parents and/or guardians of each student at least once during the year for the purpose of constructive discussion of the child s rate of progress in school and other matters of mutual concern. The school schedules annual parent conferences in which all parents and teachers participate. Teachers and parents should schedule other conferences as needed for discussion of the educational progress of the student. Catholic School teachers must exemplify the ideals of Catholic Christian living. A teacher is a person of faith who: Strives to achieve the goals of Catholic education o Shows evidence of knowledge of the Catholic philosophy of education o Promotes gospel values and Catholic moral teaching o Upholds the doctrinal teachings of the Catholic Church Catholic Schools Office August 2013 PP 13-1

o Provides opportunities for the students to be prepared for life in today s Church and society o Works toward the creation of a Catholic community within the classroom and the entire school community Assumes responsibility for the leadership and management of grades or classes assigned o Provides a positive learning environment o Organizes the classroom to facilitate student learning o Develops and implements a balanced daily schedule covering all areas of the curriculum o Provides for the safety, welfare, and care of the students while they are in school o Teaches in accordance with diocesan and local policies as well as appropriate state laws o Shows respect for individuals including fairness and consistency in dealing with students and parents o Manages behavior problems on an individual basis o Follows diocesan curriculum guidelines o Employs higher level thinking/questioning skills Develops and implements a daily and long-range instructional program according to the needs of the students o Determines levels of student achievement through the use of student permanent record forms, recommendations of preceding teachers, and assessment in relation to diocesan goals and objectives o Refers students needing learning support services for evaluation and consultation with the principal and the BLeST Nucleus Team (School-Level), using the results for guidance in developing appropriate teaching strategies for the student o Implements diocesan accommodations guidelines as needed o Uses resources available to promote learning experiences for the students o Provides individual help when needed o Uses a variety of teaching and assessment methods Maintains accurate records of attendance, scholastic achievement, etc., as required by the school, diocese, and state o Meets deadlines with official classroom reports and data as required by the principal o Prepares and submits lesson plans as required by the principal o Maintains proper grading and/or reporting system for each student as required by the diocese and the principal Establishes positive relations within and outside the school community o Uses professional judgment in relationships with students, parents, and other personnel o Uses discretion in public remarks concerning the school, staff, and students o Maintains professional confidentiality o Alerts principal and parents to the special needs of and concerns regarding students o Cooperates with and helps promote the various programs of the school o Maintains cooperative relations with other staff members o Maintains a good rapport with students Continues professional development to remain current with religious and academic standards Catholic Schools Office August 2013 PP 13-2

o Fulfills the requirements of the Diocesan Induction Program o Meets Act 48 requirements as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education o Participates in professional activities and joins appropriate professional organizations o Attends school and diocesan-sponsored inservices o Implements skills learned at inservices in the classroom o Attends and participates in school faculty meetings and other meetings as specified by the principal o Commits oneself annually to the Teacher Goals Process (Appendix PP 12-A) o Fulfills requirements of the Spiritual Journey for Catholic educators o Keeps informed of current instructional practices through professional reading and educational opportunities Performs any other job-related tasks deemed necessary and/or assigned by the principal Exhibits personal and professional qualities and skills o Has completed, at minimum, a bachelor s degree in the area of assignment o Is certified in Pennsylvania in the area of assignment o Has completed, or is in the process of completing, course work necessary for Instructional II certification o Displays personal self-discipline o Is adaptable and flexible in daily routine and unexpected situations o Shows good judgment skills in daily encounters o Uses voice effectively o Uses oral and written language correctly o Uses humor appropriately o Shows knowledge and understanding of good teaching techniques and child development o Is neat, clean, and professional in dress and appearance o Arrives on time for school and for school- and diocesan-related activities o Respects school property Note: this is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, the principal reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, e.g., emergencies, changes in schedule, etc. Teachers should strive to be in good health so as to be able to carry out professional responsibilities. Involvement in the Diocesan Wellness Program may assist in achieving this goal. Additional specific responsibilities, either before or after the school day, may be determined and required by the principal, e.g., attendance at graduation or other special school events. The Catholic Schools Office issues Diocesan curriculum guidelines, aligned with national and state standards. Teachers are expected to follow these guidelines in planning and instruction. Curriculum documents are included on the diocesan website. Catholic Schools Office August 2013 PP 13-3

ACT 48 REQUIREMENTS The information below explains the requirements of Act 48 and has been obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. Teachers employed by schools in the Diocese of Erie are expected to adhere to these requirements. The following items provide the key information necessary to understand Act 48-1999 Professional Development and its related amendments. Pennsylvania's continuing professional education law, Act 48-1999, does not impact the validity of a Pennsylvania certificate. An educator may have a legitimate certificate but the status is either "active/inactive." Only valid certificates in "active" status are appropriate for full-time employment in a PA public school. Act 48 applies to all certified education professionals effective July 1, 2000 or beginning the date a certificate is awarded whether or not the educator is employed in education. Act 48-1999 requires all education professionals to acquire 6 credits/180 hours/a combination of professional development hours/credits equivalent to 180 hours every 5 years to maintain an active certificate. Educators may view their records at www.education.state.pa.us, then selecting the link to Act 48 Continuing Professional Education and selecting the On-Line Act 48 box. If requirements are not met, the educator retains a valid certificate but it is placed on "Inactive" status. Return to "active" status occurs when the Act 48 requirements are met. A letter is sent to the educator indicating return to active status. It is strongly recommended by the Catholic Schools Office that the salary should be frozen for any teacher who does not complete the Act 48 requirement by the deadline. The Department has free online programs of study available to all PA certified education professionals. The PDE online programs are 15 hours in length. The law requires all certified educators to maintain a current address in the Department of Education. The forms for address change and/or name change may be found at www.education.state.pa.us under "Certifications" on the list found on the left hand side of the page. The Application and Forms link provides access to the two forms needed. Each form must be printed, filled-in and sent to the address provided on the form. It is the educator's responsibility to maintain accurate information in the Department of Education. The salary should be frozen for any teacher who has not kept current with their Act 48 hours. INSTRUCTIONAL II REQUIREMENTS Teachers employed by a school in the Diocese of Erie who have been actively teaching for six years or more are expected to either have their Instructional II Certification or be ready to make application for Instructional II. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, requirements for Instructional II certification are as follows: 24 post baccalaureate credits (refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website for credit restrictions) Catholic Schools Office August 2013 PP 13-4

3 years of satisfactory service on the Pennsylvania Level I certificate in the area of certification (all areas will convert simultaneously) Completion of a Pennsylvania Department of Education-approved induction program If Instructional I was issued in accordance with September 1999 regulations (effective date of September 1, 2001 or thereafter), satisfactory results on Level II assessment. The application for Instructional II certification and directions for completion of the application are available at the Pennsylvania Department of Education website, www.education.state.pa.us. Form PDE 338-P will be completed by the Director of School Personnel and then mailed back to the educator to be submitted with the application packet. The salary should be frozen for any teacher who does not have an Instructional II certification, has not applied for Instructional II, or is not making active progress toward Instructional II, if he/she has been teaching for six or more years. SPIRITUAL JOURNEY REQUIREMENTS All Catholic school teachers are in a ministry dedicated to handing on the Catholic faith through the Word and through the modeling of the Catholic life by their actions. The bishop shares his responsibility of educating young people in the faith with each teacher in a Catholic School. Teachers must take up the challenge to live their lives in a manner that reflects this call to ministry and work diligently to provide their students with opportunities to grow in faith. The faith is passed on by providing students with a solid foundation in Catholic doctrine, worship and prayer experiences and service opportunities. The Spiritual Journey for Catholic School teachers has the following goals: To motivate the Catholic School teacher to continue to grow in his/her spiritual journey through deepening the commitment to Jesus and the Church To strengthen the teacher s understanding of Catholic doctrine and knowledge of the Gospel message so he/she may fulfill their role of evangelization To develop community among the teachers by leading them to worship, prayer, and sharing Outline of the Spiritual Journey Program Year One for new teachers: All First Year Catholic School Teachers should attend the August Orientation which will include an overview of Diocesan Personnel and Policies, an introduction to the role of Catholic school teacher and the ministry of being a catechist. The second event for first year teachers is the Fall Retreat. At this event the mission of Catholic Schools is discussed and the on-line program Catechesis 101 will be completed. Each Year for all teachers: All Teachers in a Catholic Elementary and Middle School will attend at least one 6 hour inservice each year. Each school will provide an opportunity for teachers to attend in-services as Catholic Schools Office August 2013 PP 13-5

part of the teacher s contracted hours. These in-services will have three components: Liturgy / Prayer Service Four on-line lessons on Catholic theology Discussions on Catholic Identity Each school will submit to the Director of School Personnel an Event Approval Form outlining each planned Spiritual Journey in-service day. CATECHIST CERTIFICATION PROCESS All teachers responsible for teaching religion class are to be practicing Catholics. All religion teachers are to be certified catechists within three years of beginning their position. The process to become a certified Catechist involves three steps: Step 1. Complete any combination of four programs Program Options: 1. Theology Modules of the Echoes of Faith (each module counts as one program) I Believe, We Believe Liturgy & Sacraments Catholic Morality The Scriptures Prayer & Spirituality 2. My Catholic Faith Delivered (four lessons count as one program) Prayer and Spirituality (Eight lessons available) Scripture (Eight lessons available) Faith Foundation (28 lessons available) 3. New Teacher Retreat Day (counts as one program) A Certificate of Completion will be issued by the Catholic Schools Office once four programs have been completed. Step 2. Have the pastor of the parish of membership complete the Pastor Recommendation Form. Step 3. The Certificate of Completion and the Pastor Recommendation Form should be submitted to the Director of School Personnel to apply for a Catechist Certificate. Catholic Schools Office August 2013 PP 13-6

PROTECTION OF CHILDREN All teachers must comply with the Policy for the Protection of Children. Teachers must complete an in-service titled, Creating a Safe Environment, in accord with current diocesan regulations. This in-service is to be completed within the first year of employment and will be arranged by the principal. All teachers are to sign the Statement of Intent for Compliance once they have read the Policy for the Protection of Children. Reference the Policy for the Protection of Children if there are any questions or concerns. Catholic Schools Office August 2013 PP 13-7