Counseling Memos

Counseling memos are not a disciplinary tool. A counseling memo may only be written to an employee to make him/her aware of a rule, policy, procedure, practice or expectation. A counseling memo cannot include any disciplinary action or threat of discipline.

A counseling memo must be presented to the employee within one month of the latest incident recounted in the memo. The memo can only reference similar prior events that occurred no more than four months from the date of the latest incident.

At the top of the counseling memo, in bold, must be written: Counseling Memo. At the conclusion of the memo the following must appear in bold print: "A counseling memo is not disciplinary in any matter and cannot be used in action against an employee except to provide notice if the employee denies notice."

In general, counseling memos may not be grieved. Any employee who receives a counseling memo shall have the right to answer within one month of receipt of the counseling memo and the answer shall be attached to the file copy of the counseling memo. All counseling memos will be permanently removed from the employee's official school files three years after the latest incident referred to in the memo.

Counseling memos may not be used in the rating of an employee.

Counseling memos may not be referred to in, or attached to, any other letter sent to an employee for their official school file.