ARTICLE
SEVEN
CAREER
TRAINING
It
is the joint purpose of the parties that employees in the bargaining unit be
afforded an opportunity to qualify for advancement to professional positions
including positions other than classroom teacher, with the Board of Education
through experience and through appropriate undergraduate career training, except
that paraprofessionals who have a degree may be enrolled for such undergraduate
education courses as would qualify them to meet the requirements for
certification as a teacher or other pedagogical position with the Board.
To achieve this purpose, the Board will make available each school year
to all employees covered by this Agreement, six semester hours of career
training each semester and six additional semester hours of career training
during the summer, each semester hour being equivalent to one credit; and it is
further agreed that:
A.
New Paraprofessional Staff Development
Four
days of staff development will be offered to all paraprofessionals prior to
their actual employment. For paraprofessionals who are unable to take the four
days prior to their actual employment four days of staff development shall be
offered during their first year of service. The content and design of this
professional development program for new paraprofessionals shall be developed
collaboratively by the
There
shall be an expense stipend for each day of mandatory professional development
for paraprofessionals paid at the following rate per day:
Effective
Amount
B.
Career Training Program
Paraprofessionals
must enroll for and complete at least three credits of study during each
semester in which they enroll in the program.
Paraprofessionals
must apply for tuition assistance applicable to the semester in which they
are enrolled in the career training program. The
Board will assist paraprofessionals in applying for tuition assistance.
The
Board will pay directly to the college the difference between the tuition
and fees and the amount of tuition assistance received by paraprofessionals,
or on their behalf, enrolled in the program in accordance with this
Agreement, provided the paraprofessional makes a good faith effort to
complete the course or courses in which he/she is enrolled.
Unless
there are extenuating circumstances, the Board shall be entitled to recover
from a paraprofessional who fails to apply for tuition assistance or who
fails to complete the course or courses in which he/she is enrolled, the
amount of the tuition and fees incurred by the Board and attributable to the
uncompleted course or courses, or attributable to the failure to apply for
the tuition assistance.
C.
School-Year Training
The
Board will grant each college semester to bargaining unit employees released
time of 21/2 hours per week with pay for study at an
approved college or for high school equivalency training provided that in
that semester the employee is enrolled for and completes a total of at least
five semester hours of such study or training.
Employees
who are enrolled in the college training program financed by the Human
Resources Administration will be covered by the provisions of the preceding
sub-paragraphs only in the event that the Human Resources Program is
discontinued.
D.
Counseling and Training
The
Board will provide counseling and training for paraprofessionals enrolled in
career training which will guide and encourage them to prepare for meeting the
qualifications in those license areas where there is a shortage of fully
qualified personnel, or where job opportunities are expanding.
The
parties agree to encourage paraprofessionals to take courses which are
appropriate to a teaching career or to another professional career with the
Board of Education.
E.
Placement in Setting
Where
the paraprofessional's college program requires service in a particular
educational setting (such as special education and student teaching) the Board
shall cooperate in providing for the appropriate placement of the
paraprofessional, upon his/her request, to an opening in such setting. A
paraprofessional who is so placed shall retain the benefits (including
seniority) that he/she would have had if he/she had not been placed pursuant to
this provision, except to the extent that changes are required by the nature of
the program in which he/she is placed. If
the paraprofessional is placed in a different district he/she shall return to
his/her district at the conclusion of such placement and take his/her place in
the district in accordance with his/her seniority.
F.
Continuance for Laid Off Employees
Paraprofessionals
who are laid off shall be permitted to continue in the career training program
for one term following their layoff.
G.
Summer Training
In
the summer, the Board will make available to all employees covered by this
Agreement having a high school or a high school equivalency diploma, a
six-week college summer career training program.
The
Board will pay a stipend of $40.00 per
week to each employee who regularly works during the spring semester for
satisfactory attendance in the summer career training program.
Employees
who work for the Board of Education while in attendance in the summer career
training program shall not receive the stipend.
The
stipend for satisfactory attendance in the college summer career training
program shall be paid to employees who enroll for six credits during the
summer. Where fewer than six
credits are needed to complete a B.A., or if six credits in the courses
needed are not available, the stipend shall be paid for enrollment to
complete the B.A. requirements or the available courses needed.
H.
Expedited Career Training
The
Career Training Program has been an effective recruitment vehicle for new
teachers. The Board and the
The
Board will provide tuition reimbursement for courses enrolled for and
completed toward their degrees during the paid leave.
A
paraprofessional who receives the leave with pay will commit to take the
necessary steps to qualify as a teacher and serve as such for a minimum of
two years in the NYC public school system.
The
Board and the
I.
Union Contribution
The Union will contribute each
year toward career training an amount equal to 15% of $190.00, or $28.50, on a
pro rata basis for each employee in the bargaining unit from the welfare
payments made to it by the Board in accordance with Article Five hereof.