Personnel: Recruitment, Selection, and Appointment Policy

Policy

 

It is the policy of the Windsor Central Supervisory Union to select for employment o­nly persons of good character who have the skills and other qualifications necessary to fill job requirements while complying with the provisions of state law regarding the recruitment, selection and employment of school district employees and contractors.

Definitions

Persons subject to criminal record checks under this policy include all those recommended for full-time, part-time or temporary employment in the school district, including student teachers, and those employees of contractors (unless otherwise exempt from such checks by law) who will have unsupervised contact with students.

Persons employed by a public or independent school as of July 1, 1998 shall not be subject to the criminal record check provisions unless they ceased to be employed by a Vermont public or independent school for a continuous period of o­ne year or more after that date.

Recruitment

1.The board is committed to securing the services of the best personnel available whenever possible.Only individuals who meet applicable state licensing requirements will be employed.

2.All instructional personnel will be recruited by the district’s administrative staff under the immediate direction of the principal or superintendent.

3.Written applications will be required of candidates for employment.The application will include a statement to be signed by the candidate listing the dates, locations and dispositions of any convictions, including findings of guilt, please of nolo contendere or guilty, for criminal violations.The application will also include a warning to the applicant that falsification of information o­n the application or during the application process will be grounds for dismissal if the applicant is hired.

Selection

1.It is the policy of the board to select employees solely o­n the basis of character, professional qualifications, and critical job requirements.Employees will be selected in a manner that does not discriminate o­n the basis of race, age, marital status, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion (creed), disability or national origin.

2.The superintendent shall require that all applicants, as a condition of employment consideration, cooperate fully with background investigations, supplying references and releases so the district can contact previous employers.Applicants the superintendent is prepared to recommend for employment will be expected to provide fingerprints, releases and other information necessary to conduct criminal record background investigations.The costs of such checks will be borne by the (prospective employee) unless otherwise stated in the appropriate Master Agreement.All offers of employment will be contingent upon completion of the background investigation and a finding that the information provided by the application during the pre-employment process was accurate, complete, and truthful.

3.The superintendent will request a criminal record check through the Vermont Criminal Information Center (VCIC) o­n any candidate he or she is prepared to recommend for appointment.Requests will be made for fingerprint-supported criminal records from the FBI as well as criminal records from the state of Vermont and any state in which the superintendent has reason to believe the applicant has resided or been employed.

4.Employment contingent upon the completion of a background check will be terminated if it is determined that the employee intentionally failed to respond truthfully to questions about criminal activity or prior employment.When it is determined that an employee or prospective employee has failed to fully disclose his or her background through misunderstanding or inadvertence, such failure will be considered a significant factor in employment or termination considerations.

5.Providing a safe learning environment for students is a primary consideration in district employment decisions.The district will base such decisions o­n all relevant information, qualifications, and circumstances.Unfavorable background check information is not an automatic bar to employment, nor is a background check with no unfavorable information a guarantee of employment.

6.The School Board of Directors will interview candidates for administrative positions.

Appointment

1.The appointment of licensed and non-licensed employees will be made by the School Board after considering the recommendations of the superintendent of schools.

2.Contracts of employment or other notification of employment will be conditional pending receipt of criminal records check information and evaluation of that information.

3.Upon completion of a criminal record check, the superintendent shall (1) notify the person subject to check about the district’s protocol for maintenance of criminal history files, and (2) ask the person subject to the check to indicate if his or her record should be maintained or destroyed after the three year retention period.

4.Employees who have been employed for fewer than two years in Vermont public schools are considered probationary teachers and may be offered a probationary contract.

5.All offers of employment may be withdrawn based o­n the criminal records check report or upon a finding that the information provided by the applicant during the pre-employment process was inaccurate, incomplete or untruthful.