2008-2011 Agreement of Terms And Conditions Of Employment between The Board of Education of the Vocational Schools in the County of Bergen and The Bergen County Vocational Technical Schools Education Association, Inc.

I. Salary Guide Regulations:

The salary guide shall provide for five salary classifications with five separate columns defined as followed: In determining eligibility for each of the following salary classifications, approved in -service credits may not exceed 1/3 of the column heading requirements. One (1) in-service credit is equal to 15 contact hours. For purposes of movement on the salary guide an approved in-service credit must be credit accumulated outside of district sponsored professional development activity.

NOTE:
a) Shop teachers who earn a degree are limited to five in-service credits per column.
b) In-service credits will only be granted for approved in-service course work taken while employed by this Board of Education.

Column I:

Academic teachers having a Bachelor's Degree or a Shop teacher having sub-standard or regular certification. If a teacher becomes eligible for regular certification on or before September 1, the teacher will be reclassified to reflect their degree status. (Four year training level.)

Column II:

Academic teacher having a Bachelor' degree plus 15 approved graduate or in-service credits or a Shop teacher with regular certification plus 36 approved college or in-service* credits above regular certification.

Column III:

Academic teacher with a Bachelor's Degree plus 30 approved graduate or in-service credits* or a Shop teacher having a Bachelor's Degree or 128 approved college or in-service* credits with a regular certification.

Column IV:

Academic teacher with a Master's Degree plus 15 approved graduate or in-service credits or a Shop teacher with a Bachelor's Degree plus 15 approved college or in-service* credits.

Column V:

Academic teacher having a Masterâs Degree plus 30 approved college or in-service credits or a Shop teacher with a Bachelor's Degree plus 30 approved college or in-service* credits.

NOTE: * In-service credit limitations set forth in this provision.
The requirement for a Shop teacher to hold a Bachelor's Degree for advancement to columns IV and V take effect September 1, 1995

II. Sick Leave:

• All regularly employed ten (10) month personnel shall be entitled to ten days sick leave per year with full pay.
• All regularly employed twelve (12) month personnel shall be entitled to eleven (11) days of sick leave per year with full pay. Note: For staff employed less than ten (10) or twelve (12) months - one (1) day per month.
• All unused days shall be accumulative.
• If the personal illness exceeds the amount of accumulated sick leave, the Board of Education, by special action, may grant additional sick leave.
• A medical doctor's certificate may be required for absences caused by personal illness for more than three consecutive days
• Teachers who leave school early due to illness or any personal emergency, will not be charged with sick days on the first two occasions. Thereafter, however, a teacher will be charged a full sick day regardless of the time he or she leaves school. There are no partial or half-sick days. Early leave allowance is for emergent situations only. Early leaves may not be planned in advance.

III: Teacher Attendance Incentive:

1. Option I:

• Teachers with 70 or more accumulated sick days excluding sick days shall be eligible to sell back a maximum of ten (10) sick days in accord with the following schedule:

2. Option II:

• Teachers with less the 70 accumulated sick days shall be eligible to sell back a maximum of five (5) days in accord wit the following schedule.

Payments under options I and II shall be made on or about July 31.

3. Option III:

• Teachers who resign, are non renewed, or are riffed may cash in their sick days at $90.00 day to a maximum of $1,800.
• Teachers wishing to participate in any of the attendance incentive programs, must give notice on the appropriate Business Office form no latter than June 30 to be eligible for payment under this provision.

4. Upon retirement, teachers shall be paid for unused accumulated sick leave days on the following formula:

Option I:
Accumulated sick days x $110. Maximum payment $9,900

OR

Option II:
Accumulated sick days x $183. Maximum payment $16,470.

• Teachers wishing to participate in Option II must give notice to the Board Secretary in accordance with Board policy, and no later than September 30th of the school year in which the teacher retires.
• Teachers who exceed 7 sick days absent in their last (ten) 10 months of employment, will not be eligible for this benefit.
• This limitation may be waived if the teacher can provide satisfactory medical documentation to the superintendent of schools. This provision is not subject to grievance.
• The total amount payable to retiring teachers for the combined benefits attendance incentive and unused sick days at retirement, in any fiscal year shall not exceed $89,100 for Option I and $147,780 for Option II. In any year when there are insufficient funds available for these benefits due to the number of retiring teachers, the amount shall be prorated to the retiring teachers.

IV: Emergency Leave With Pay ( Exclusive of sick leave )

The Principal or Administrator may grant to any regularly employed teacher emergency leave each year for the following reasons:

1. Death in the immediate family- (four) 4 consecutive days. Immediate family shall be defined as:
   • Husband or wife
   • Children
   • Mother or Father
   • Brother or Sister
   • Mother-in-law or Father-in-law
   • Grand Parents
   • Other relatives, if living in the same domicile at the time of death
2. Death of a relative not a member of the immediate family 1 day. (Maximum 2 Per year )
3. Personal business or religious reasons - three (3) days per year, non-cumulative. Leave of absence for personal business that necessitates teacher absence during school hours for the following reasons will require no further explanation.
4. A personal business day cannot be taken during the five (5) days prior to the closing of school in June; nor immediately before or after any school holiday or vacation. Exceptions for reasons beyond the control of the employee and acceptable to the Superintendent or his/her designee may be granted.

V: Tuition Reimbursement/Professional Development:

For 2010-2011 school year full-time teachers shall be granted a maximum of $2,600. Tuition reimbursement annually for course work and professional seminars or test fees for ASE Certification as it applies, i.e., seminars required to maintain or advance certification approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee when taken after school or when the school is not in session.

Tuition Payment will be made only upon:

• A written request must be submitted to the Director of Human Resources for approval prior to enrollment in the course.
• Satisfactory completion of an approved course Grade B or higher.
• Presentation of an official transcript or other evidence of satisfactory completion of a program.
• Official receipt for tuition payment.
• All claims for reimbursement must be submitted no later than 90 days following the completion of the program for which tuition was paid.

 VI: Major Physical Examination:

The Board, upon recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, will during the term of this Agreement reimburse a teacher for one-half (1/2) of the cost of a complete annual physical examination providing such reimbursement does not exceed $100.
Payment will be made only upon presentation of medical insurance reimbursement form (Explanation of Benefits) and a physician’s receipt submitted no later than 90 days following the date of the examination.