Employment of Teaching Staff Member

The Board of Education believes that it is vital to the successful operation of the district that teaching staff member positions created by the Board be filled with highly qualified and competent teaching staff members.

In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:27-4.1, the Board shall appoint, transfer, remove, or renew a certificated or non-certificated officer or employee only upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools and by a recorded roll call majority vote of the full membership of the Board.  The Board shall not withhold its approval for arbitrary and capricious reasons.  The Board shall approve the employment, fix the compensation, and establish the term of employment for every teaching staff member employed by this district.

No teaching staff member shall be employed unless he/she is a holder of a valid certificate in accordance with the New Jersey Department of Education and applicable statutes and administrative codes.  The Superintendent shall require proof of any candidate’s certification or pending application for certification.

The Board will employ substitutes for absent teachers in order to ensure continuity in the instructional program and will annually approve a list of substitutes and rate of pay.  The Superintendent or designee shall select substitutes from the list approved by the Board to serve in the place of an absent teaching staff member.

In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:16-1.1, the Board of Education will provide written notice to a teaching staff member, other than a per diem substitute, of his/her designation as a replacement when the teaching staff member has been designated or appointed by the Board to act in place of any officer or employee during an absence, disability, or disqualification of any such officer or employee subject to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:17-13.  Per diem substitutes shall also be informed in their notice of approval that their employment is as a replacement staff member.
 
The Board may use a private contractor to secure a substitute teacher in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-7.1(f).

The Board shall approve the employment, fix the compensation, and set the term of employment for each person employed in a summer school program.  The Board will employ only those candidates recommended by the Superintendent.  Service as a summer school teacher will not count toward the accrual of tenure or seniority.

The Superintendent shall recommend to the Board the employment of qualified coaches for the district’s interscholastic and/or intramural athletic programs.  The Board will employ as athletic coaches only those persons who have experience in and knowledge of the specific sport, are properly certified, and possess the personal characteristics that qualify them to serve as role models to students.

In accordance with the provisions of N./J.a.c. 6A:9B-5.16(a), any teaching staff member in the employ of the Board of Education shall be permitted to organize public school students for purposes of coaching or for conducting games, events, or contests in physical education or athletics.  The Superintendent may recommend to the Board the employment of a qualified candidate for an interscholastic athletic coaching position who is a holder of either a New Jersey teaching certificate or a substitute credential, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-5.16(b) to work in the interscholastic athletic program provided the position has been advertised.  The twenty day limitation noted in N.J.A.C.  6A:9B-7.4(a) shall not apply to coaching situations.

An athletic coach employed by this district who is not a regular employee of this district shall be employed only for the duration of the specific sport season.  He/She shall be paid the stipend and no out-of-district athletic coach shall be eligible for tenure or for employment benefits.

An athletic trainer shall possess an educational services certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:26-2.4 and 18A:26-2.5.

The Board of Education shall not employ for pay or contract for the paid services of any teaching staff member or any other person serving in a position which involves regular contact with students unless the Board has first determined, consistent with the requirements and standards of N.J.S.A. 18A:6-7.1 et seq., that no criminal history record information exists on file in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Identification Division, or the State Bureau of Identification which would disqualify the individual from being employed or utilized in such capacity or position.

An individual employed by the Board in any substitute capacity or position shall be required to undergo a criminal history record check in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:6-7.1b.

An individual, except as provided in N.J.S.A. 18A:6-7.1g, shall be permanently disqualified from employment or service in the school district if the criminal history record check reveals a record of conviction for any crime or offense as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:6-7.1 et seq.

The Board or contracted service provider may employ an applicant on an emergent basis for a period not to exceed three months, pending completion of a criminal history record check if the Board or contracted service provider demonstrates to the Commissioner of Education that special circumstances exist which justify the emergent employment as prescribed in N.J.S.A. 18A:6-7.lc.  In the event the criminal history record check is not completed for an emergent hired employee within three months, the Board or contracted service provider may petition the Commissioner for an extension of time, not to exceed two months, in order to retain the employee.

No criminal history record check shall be performed unless the applicant shall have furnished written consent to such a check.  The applicant shall bear the cost for the criminal history record check, including all costs for administering and processing the check.  The district will deny employment to an applicant if the applicant is required and refuses to submit to a criminal history record check.

The Board of Education prohibits any relative of a Board member or Superintendent of Schools from being employed in an office or position in the school district in accordance with the provisions of N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-6.2 and Board Policy 0142.1 – Nepotism.

A teaching staff member’s misstatement of fact material to his/her qualifications for employment or the determination of his/her salary will be considered by the Board to constitute grounds for dismissal.

N.J.S.A. 18A:6-5; 18A:6-6; 18A:6-7.1; 18A:6-7.1b; 18A:6-7.1c; 18A:6-7.2;
18A:16-1 et seq.; 18A:26-1 et seq.; 18A:27.1 et seq.; 18A:27-4.1;
18A:27-7; 18A:27-8
N.J.S.A. 18A:54-20 [vocational districts]
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-5.16; 6A:9B-7.4

Date Adopted:	 8/3/65
Date Revised:	8/21/67; 1/19/76; 4/18/77; 4/9/84; 12/21/98; 3/18/91; 8/95; 8/23/99; 8/22/01; 12/15/03, 7/16/07, 9/21/09 , 8/19/14, 2/21/17