IMPORTANT INFORMATION
In the event of a discrepancy between any of the information contained in our
orientation materials, the Employee Handbook and the Knox County Schools (“KCS”)
Board Policy, the KCS Board Policy will govern. The purpose of this handbook is to
provide information that will help with questions and pave the way for a successful
career with the KCS. Not all of the KCS Board policies and procedures are included in
this handbook; however, those that are have been summarized. Suggestions for
additions and improvements to this handbook are welcomed and may be sent to
stephanie.taylor@knoxschools.org
This handbook is neither a contract nor a substitute for the official KCS Board Policy;
rather, it is a guide to and brief explanation of these policies. The handbook is not
intended to alter the at-will status of employees in any way. The rights and
responsibilities of the Knox County Schools’ employees may be found in Section G,
“Human Resources – Staff Rights and Responsibilities.”
Board policies and procedures can change at any time. For more information,
employees may refer to the policy codes that are associated with handbook topics,
confer with their supervisor, or call the appropriate Central Office department. It is the
employee’s responsibility to be knowledgeable of and adhere to Board Policies and
Procedures. Updated versions of the KCS Board Policy Manual can be found at:
http://www.knoxschools.org/Page/2107
Legal and local board policies that relate to a particular topic are referenced in this
Employee Handbook. Information on a subject may be found in local and/or legal
policies. Additionally, each reference to a board policy has been linked so that
employees can quickly access more detailed information.
DISTRICT INFORMATION
BOARD OF EDUCATION
The Knox County Board of Education is comprised of individuals representing nine (9) districts
across the county. The Board is elected to provide oversight and governance for Knox County
Schools. The members serve four-year terms, and are responsible for setting district policy and
selecting the Superintendent. The Superintendent is the only employee of the Board, while all
other district personnel report to the Superintendent. The current members of the Board of
Education are featured below. For more information regarding the Knox County Board of
Education, please see http://knoxschools.org/Page/2094
Gloria
Deathridge
District 1
Lynne
Fugate
District 4
Patti Lou
Bounds
District 7
Jennifer
Owen
District 2
Susan
Horn
District 5
Mike
McMillan
District 8
Tony
Norman
District 3
Terry Hill
District 6
Amber
Roundtree
District 9
DISTRICT OVERVIEW
Detailed demographic information by state, school system, and individual school(s) is
available on the State Department of Education Report Card site.
Schools
Classroom
Teachers/Principals
Elementary Schools
50
Classroom Teachers
3,927
Middle Schools
14
Principals
85
High Schools
15
Assistant Principals
126
Special Schools
10
Other Certified
549
Total Number of Schools
89
Support Staff
3,652
Total Employees
8,339
Accreditation
Elementary Schools SACS accredited
96%
Middle/High Schools SACS accredited
100%
Transportation
Total Number of Buses
330
Student Enrollment
Students eligible for Transportation
Daily
41239
Pre-K
1,466
Miles Traveled Daily
16609
Elementary School (K-5)
27,517
Number of Bus Runs
1415
Middle School (6-8)
13,103
High School (9-12)
17,190
Food Services
Adult High
240
Breakfasts Served Daily
14,000
Total Number of Students
59,516
Lunches Served Daily
37,000
Students
Budget 2014-15
Asian 1198
2.00%
2014-15 Fiscal year
$424,885,000
African-American 8,402
14.10%
Hispanic 3786
6.42%
American Indian 127
0.20%
Multiracial 1,633
2.70%
Pacific Islander 79
0.10%
White 44,291
74.40%
Students with Disabilities: 7,328
12.3%
Free and Reduced Lunch: 26,569
48.00%
ADMINISTRATION
The Superintendent and an Executive Leadership Team assist in managing the daily
operations of KCS. Please see knoxschools.org for a complete organizational chart.
Russ Oaks
Chief of Operations
Bob Thomas
Assistant Superintendent,
Administrative Services
Buz
z Thomas
Interim
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Jon Rysewyk
Assistant Superintendent,
Interim Chief Academic
Officer
Dr. Clifford Davis
Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The Chief of Staff facilitates district-wide activities on behalf of the Superintendent. The Chief of
Staff’s office oversees public affairs, which is responsible for all aspects of internal and external
communications, as well as community relations and family and community engagement.
Carly Harrington
Director, Public Affairs
Jeannie Dulaney
Director, Community Relations
Tracey Matthews
Supervisor, Family and Community
Engagement
Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum and Instruction as directed by Dr. Jon Rysewyk, Interim Assistant
Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer, is responsible for oversight of classroom
instruction and school leadership, focusing on their mission of exemplary instruction for
every learner.
Julie Thompson
Executive Director,
Elementary Education
Shannon Jackson
Executive Director of
Curriculum and Instruction
Cheryl Hickman
Executive Director,
Education Secondary Education
Melissa Massie
Executive Director
Student Support Services
Ginnae Harley
Director of Federal Programs
Danny Trent
Christy Dowell
Supervisor, Supervisor,
Secondary Education
Elementary Education
Adam Parker
Supervisor
Elementary Education
Donna Howard
Supervisor
Elementary Education
HELPFUL CONTACT INFORMATION
Benefits/Insuranc
e (865) 594 -1686
Board of Education (865) 594 -1630
Cent
ral Office, Info Desk (865) 594 -1800
Chi
ef of Staff (865) 594-1621
Compensation/Payroll (865) 594 -1690
Curri
culum and Instruction (865) 594 -1750
Direct Deposit (865) 594 -1694
Employee Assistance Program (Magellan Health Services) (855) 437- 3486
Employee Relations (865) 594 -1686
Facilities (865) 594 -1558
Family and Community Engagement (865) 594 -9524
Human Resources – main line (865) 594 -1929
Classi
fied – middle and high schools (865) 594
-2984/
1911
Classified – elementary Schools (865) 594
-4436
Administrative (865) 594
-1090
System
wide and Substitutes (865) 594
-1919
Cer
tified- elementary (865) 594
-1920/
4436
Certified – middle and high schools (865) 594
-1911/
2984
Maintenance – Food Service (865) 594
-3613
(865) 594
-9563
Public Affairs (865) 594 -1905
School Nutrition – Food Service (865) 594 -3640
Security (865) 594 -3624
Security – after
hours (865) 594
-1229
Student Enrollment/ Discipline Hearings (865) 594 -1506
Superintendent’s Office (865) 594 -1620
Transportation (865) 594
-1550
(865) 594
-1532
Worker’s Compensation/Safety (865) 594 -1682
EMPLOYMENT AND HIRING PRACTICES
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
Opportunity for employment, as well as continuation and advancement in employment, shall be
afforded equally to members of all races, creeds, colors, genders, religions, ages, national
origins, and individuals with disabilities or veteran status without regard to any protected genetic
information. All employment and advancement decisions will be made only with regard to
qualifications for the positions involved. Policy GBD
JOB POSTINGS AND APPLICATION
All positions for the Knox County Schools will be advertised on-line at
http://knoxschools.org/Domain/1034 The application process requires an online application
submitted through SearchSoft at the following link:
https://kcs.searchsoft.net/ats/app_login?COMPANY_ID=00009960. Existing, regular (not
temporary or interim) employees who wish to transfer to a new position are required to use the
SearchSoft transfer application. External candidates and KCS employees who are
not in regular positions must submit a new application for the desired job posting. For additional
questions and clarification, please contact the Human Resources Department.
CRIMINAL HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECK
Knowingly falsifying information shall be sufficient grounds for termination of employment and
shall also constitute a Class A misdemeanor. In a continuing effort to further the safety and
welfare of students and staff, the KCS shall require criminal history records checks for all
employees. Information shall be verified by fingerprint and criminal history records check
conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation or other sources as needed. Any costs
incurred in conducting such
investigations shall be paid by the applicant. Policy GBD
OVERTIME AUTHORIZATION AND PAY
The KCS complies with Wage and Labor Regulations as administered by the U. S. Department
of Labor. Actual hours worked are to be reported by each employee. No employee shall be at
the job location before or after contracted work schedule unless directed and approved by the
immediate supervisor.
For Classified employees, overtime is defined as hours actually worked in excess of forty (40)
hours per week. When an employee is requested to work over regularly scheduled hours, the
following shall apply:
•
Hours worked over the scheduled hours must be approved in advanced by the
immediate supervisor.
•
Whenever possible, compensatory time off shall be used in preference to overtime pay.
•
All payment for overtime shall be processed through the payroll office.
If it is determined by the immediate supervisor that compensatory time cannot be granted within
the forty (40) hour pay period or without severe disruption of the operation of the facility, overtime
may be authorized and paid at time and one-half (1 1/2) for all hours physically worked in excess
of forty (40) in a week. Payment for overtime will be included in the paycheck for the
period
immediately following the one in which it was earned. Policy GCRD
PERSONNEL RECORDS
Upon being selected and approved for employment with the Knox County Schools, a personnel
file is established.
Employee records (except medical records, college transcripts, fingerprint background checks
and other security check information such as personal phone numbers and addresses) are
public records. As such, any individual or agency including the news media may request
access to a personnel file. However, a record of the person inspecting the file and the date of
inspection shall be kept and the employee shall be notified of the request. In addition,
employees may request to observe the review of his or her personnel file by the requester.
Employees may view the contents of his or her personnel file which contains information
pertaining to evaluations and other employment matters related to work history with Knox
County Schools by making an appointment with Human Resources. If an employee wants to
receive a copy of his or her records, there is a nominal fee per page copied. Policy GAK
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
All classified employees must be evaluated annually that work 120 days or greater in the school
year. For current employees in their first year of employment or who may require an extended
leave and are unavailable to work at least 120 days in a school year, the supervisor has the option
to choose to evaluate or not to evaluate the classified employee. Part time employees who work a
50% or greater daily schedule 120 days or greater must be evaluated each year. All classified
employees will be evaluated using the appropriate Knox County schools Online School-based
Classified Evaluation Instruments.
All Central Office employees must be evaluated annually that work 120 days or greater in the
school year. For current Central Office employees in their first year of employment or who may
require an extended leave and are unavailable to work at least 120 days in the fiscal year, the
supervisor has the option to choose to evaluate or not to evaluate the classified employee. All
Central Office employees will be evaluated using the appropriate Knox County schools Online
Central Office Evaluation Instruments.
Annual evaluations are mandated by Tennessee’s First to the Top law for all teachers and other
school-based certified employees. Please visit http://knoxschools.org/Page/2265
for more
information regarding the TEAM framework. Certified employees working 120 days in a school
year, must be evaluated.
Evaluations shall be used to inform employees of their performance, as an aid in improving
performance, and as a basis for making decisions regarding continuing employment. Evaluation
reports shall be discussed with the evaluated employee.
Each employee shall be given access to an online copy of the evaluation and shall sign
electronically the supervisor’s copy as evidence it has been discussed. A copy of the Evaluation
Forms may be found on the Knox County Schools Website www.knoxschools.org. Policy GBI
,
Policy GCI
Progressive Discipline. KCS follows a progressive discipline model and requires due process
when dealing with issues of unsatisfactory employee performance. As such, employees receive
notice of concerns and an opportunity to improve or correct behavior prior to receiving disciplinary
action. The steps involved include the following:
1. Oral Discussion/Verbal Warning- This is an informal conference during which there is
initial discussion of behavior that does not meet performance standards.
2. Conference of Concern - This is a formal conference documented in writing and may be
pl
aced in the employee’s personnel file. This conference may be documented using the
Professional Communication Record. The behavior that is to be corrected is clearly
identified during the conference and in writing. Follow-up expectations are included in the
written document that is signed by the administrator, employee, and witness.
3. W
ritten Reprimand- This serves as a written sanction and admonishment of the employ
ee
and is placed in the employee’s personnel file. A written reprimand may be given when the
per
formance issue(s) persists after one or more conferences of concern has been issued
and reasonable time to improve has been provided. However, if a first offense procedure
violation is sufficiently severe to warrant it, a written reprimand may be issued.
4. W
ritten Reprimand with Suspension/Demotion- Due to an employee’s conti
nued
di
sregard of prior notifications or due to the severity of the performance/behavior issue,
punitive action may be taken by the Superintendent. After given due process, the
S
uperintendent may choose to suspend an employee with or without pay or demote
an
em
ployee.
5. D
ismissal- Termination is the final action and typically taken after other options have b
een
ex
hausted and the employee has been given due process. Only the Superintendent may
dismiss an employee.
Please note that depending upon degree and severity of employee misconduct or policy
violation, he or she may be immediately recommended for punitive action, up to and including
dismissal, at the discretion of the Superintendent.
KEY PERSONNEL STANDARDS AND POLICIES
CODE OF CONDUCT
Disclosure of personal interest in voting matters. An official or employee with the
responsibility to vote on a measure shall disclose during the meeting and before the vote, any
personal interest that affects or that would lead a reasonable person to infer that it affects the
official's or employee's vote. This disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes. In addition, the
official or employee may, to the extent allowed by law, recuse himself or herself from voting on
the measure.
Disclosure of personal interest in non-voting matters. An official or employee who must
exercise discretion relative to any matter other than casting a vote and who has a personal
interest in the matter that affects or that would lead a reasonable person to infer that it affects
the exercise of the discretion shall disclose, before the exercise of the discretion when possible,
the interest on an official disclosure form and file the disclosure form with the school district's
central office. In addition, the official or employee may, to the extent allow
ed by law, rec
use
himself or herself from the exercise of discretion in the matter.
Acceptance of gifts and other things of value. An official or employee, or an official's or
employee's spouse or child living in the same household, may not accept, directly or indirectly,
any gift, money, gratuity, or other consideration or favor of any kind from anyone other than the
school district that a reasonable person would understand was intended to influence the vote,
official action or judgment of the official or employee in executing decision-making authority
affecting the school district.
It shall not be considered a violation of this policy for an official or employee to receive
entertainment, food, refreshments, meals, health screenings, amenities, foodstuffs, or
beverages that are provided in connection with a conference sponsored by an established or
recognized statewide association of school board officials or by an umbrella or affiliate
organization of such statewide association of school board officials.
Misuse of public position. No public officer or county employee shall corruptly use or attempt
to use his or her official position or any property or resource which may be within his or her trust,
or perform his or her official duties, to secure a special privilege, benefit or exemption for
himself, herself or others.
Use
of government property. No public official or employee shall make use of the facilities,
equipment, personnel, or supplies of the Knox County Schools for private use or gain except to
the extent that the use is incidental or minimal or is lawfully available to the general public.
Ethics Complaints. The Ethics Committee consisting of three members who will be appointed
to one-year terms by the Chair of the Board of Education with confirmation by the full Board will
review all ethics complaints. At least two members of the committee shall be members of the
Board of Education.
Questions and complaints regarding violations of this Code of Ethics or of any violation of state
law governing ethical conduct should be directed to the Chair of the Ethics Committee.
Complaints shall be in writing and signed under oath by the person making the complaint, and
shall set forth in reasonable detail the facts upon which the complaint is based.
The Ethics Committee may investigate any credible complaint against an official or employee
charging any violation of the Code of Ethics, or may undertake an investigation on its own
initiative when it acquires information indicating a possible violation, and make
recommendations for action to end or seek retribution for any activity that, in the Committee's
judgment, constitutes a violation of this Code of Ethics. If a member of the Committee is the
subject of a complaint, such member shall excuse himself or herself
from all proc
eedings
involving such complaint.
The Committee may:
(1) refer the matter
to the Knox County Law Department for a legal opinion and/o
r
rec
ommendation(s) for action;
(2) in the case of an official, refer the matter to the Board of Education body for possibl
e
pub
lic censure if the board body finds such action warranted;
(3) in the case of an employee, refer the matter to the official responsible for supervision of
the employee for possible disciplinary action if the official finds discipline warranted;
(4) in a case involving possible violation of state statutes, refer the matter to the Knox
Coun
ty Law Department for possible ouster or criminal prosecution.
The interpretation that a reasonable person in the circumstances would apply shall be used in
interpreting and enforcing this Code of Ethics. When a violation of this Code of Ethics also
constitutes a violation of the Board of Education policy, the violation shall be dealt with as a
violation of the policy or procedure rather than as a violation of this Code of Ethics. Any
complaint brought pursuant to this policy must be filed with the Ethics Committee within one
year of the alleged ethics code violation. Policy BH
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Employees have a right to express their views on any issue, but must in each case make clear
that the view expressed is not the official view of the KCS.
Employees may, on their own time, campaign for or against any candidate or referendum, but
they shall not use their classroom or system position as a political forum nor engage in any
political promotion or solicitation during school hours.
If a Certified employee seeks an elective public office or appointment, and if serving in such
elected office or appointment shall infringe upon his or her contractual agreement with the KCS,
the employee shall present a proposed solution to the KCS Board of Education for
consideration. The essential element to be determined is whether the activities proposed by the
employee are consistent with his or her services to the school system and the best interests of
education. Classified employees must complete a similar process with the Superintendent or
designee making the final determination. Policy GAH, Policy GCRF
COMPLAINTS, GRIEVANCES, HARASSMENT, EVALUATION GRIEVANCES
A complaint is a request for remedy or redress of a situation brought by an employee in regard
to Board policy and any instances which do not meet the definition of a “grievance.” A grievance
is a request for the remedy or redress of a situation brought by an employee for which state or
federal statute or regulation supplies a means of addressing the same with the employee’s
employer through a formal grievance process.
Complaints. The Board of Education believes that disagreements arising in the course of
employment should be resolved as quickly as possible and at the lowest supervisory level.
In instances of questions by an individual staff member concerning the adherence to policies
and procedures, administrative practices within his or her particular school, and relationships
with other employees, the staff member concerned must consult the administrative or
supervisory personnel to whom he or she reports. If a satisfactory resolution of the problem
cannot be reached after ample opportunity for consideration of the matter, the staff member
concerned may discuss the matter with the next level of supervision up to and including the
Director of Schools .In
instanc
es where an individual staff member feels he or she cannot
discuss a problem with an immediate superior, the staff member may take the problem to the
next level of supervision. Should it become necessary, the Director of Schools may review a
complaint and
take action and within a prompt, reasonable time shall notify all parties concerned
of any decisions made regarding the complaint.
Grievances. Grievances concerning employment statutes related to harassment, equal
employment opportunity, or medical accommodations should be addressed as provided for in
Board policies CH (Civil Rights Related Complaints) and GAO (Harassment of Employees).
Harassment. The Knox County Schools do not discriminate in its programs or employment
practices nor does it tolerate harassment for any reason including, but not limited to, harassment
on the basis of age, actual or preferred gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability,
religion, race,
color, gen
etics, veteran status or any other federally-identified protected area. Harassment by
any employee will not be tolerated. Harassment is defined as conduct, advances, gestures or
words of a nature which:
•
Unreasonably interfere with an individual's work or performance;
•
Create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment;
•
Imply that submission to such conduct is made an explicit or implicit term of
employmen
t;
•
Imply that submission to or rejection of such conduct will be used as a basis for an
employment decis
ion affecting the harassed employee.
Victims of harassment should report these conditions to the appropriate school administrator,
the Chief Human Resources Officer, or the Office of the Superintendent. No reprisals or
retaliation shall occur as a result of good faith reporting of charges of harassment and effort will
be made to maintain confidentiality.
In determining whether alleged conduct constitutes harassment, all of the circumstances,
including the nature of the conduct and the context in which the alleged conduct occurred, will
be investigated. The Superintendent or his designee shall be responsible for investigating all
complaints of harassment. If satisfactory resolution of any complaint is not reached, the
complainant may refer the matter to the Board of Education.
Any employee found to have engaged in harassment shall be subject to sanctions, including,
but not limited to, warning, suspension, or termination. Policy GAO
Evaluation Grievances. Through the evaluation grievance procedure, principals,
teachers, and other school-based certified personnel may challenge the following, relative
to their evaluation
1. Accuracy of the data
2. Adherence to the evaluation policies adopted by the State Board of Education
Minor procedural errors in implementing the evaluation model shall be resolved at the lowest
possible step in the grievance procedure but shall not constitute grounds for challenging the
final results of an evaluation. Minor procedural errors shall be defined as errors that do not
materially affect or compromise the integrity of the evaluation results.
Teac
hers or principals may submit a grievance regarding the accuracy of performance
evaluation data and/or the adherence to the performance evaluation policies adopted by the
State Board of Education. Any grievance of this nature shall be addressed as provided for in a
procedure developed by the Director of Schools which will comport with regulatory guidance
adopted by the State Board of Education establishing the local board of education as the final
appeal authority in this matter.
The Board of Education shall serve as the final step for all grievances. Policy GAE
USE OF TECHNOLOGY
The District’s technology resources will be used only for learning, teaching, and administrative
purposes consistent with the District’s mission and goals. Commercial use of the District’s
system is strictly prohibited. Other issues applicable to acceptable use include:
1) Copyright. All users are expected to follow existing copyright laws, copies of which may be
found
in each campus library.
2) Supervision and permission. Student use of computer and/or the computer network is only
allowed when supervised or granted permission by a staff member.
3) Identity theft. Attempting to log on or logging on to a computer or e-mail system by using
another’s password is prohibited. Assisting others in violating this procedure by sharing
information or passwords is prohibited.
4) Improper use of any computer or the network is prohibited. This includes the following:
a) Use of racist, profane
, or obscene language or materials
b) Using the network for financial gain, political or commercial activit
y
c) Att
empting to or harming equipment, materials or data
d) Attempting to or sending anonymous messages of any kin
d
e) Us
ing the network to access inappropriate material
f) Kno
wingly placing a computer virus on a computer or the network
g
) Us
ing the network to provide addresses or other personal information that others ma
y
us
e inappropriately
h) Accessing of information resources, files, and documents of another user or a student
without permission
Electronic mail (e-mail) is a widely used technology resource that is available to employees as
directed by his or her supervisor. General guidelines for email use include the following:
1) District email accounts should be used for all official email communication. Please avoid
using
personal email accounts for work-related purposes or work email accounts for
personal use.
2) Security Responsibilities.
a) Userna
mes and passwords should be protected from unauthorized use at all times. D
o
not po
st any of this information where it may be viewed by others.
b) Usernames and passwords shall not be shared among staff members or with students
.
c) Passwords shall never be shared via e-mail. All legitimate requests for this type of
information must be requested in person.
3) Consequences of Improper Use. The District may suspend or revoke a system user’s
access to the District’s system upon violation of policy and/or administrative regulations
regarding acceptable use. Termination of an employee’s account will be effective on the
da
te the principal or department head receives notice of user withdrawal or o
f
revoc
ation of system privileges, or on a future date if so specified. Improper or
unethical use may also result in disciplinary actions consistent with existing Board of
Education policies or procedures and, if appropria
te,
other local, state or federal laws.
This may also require restitution for costs associated with system restoration, hardware,
and software costs.
4) Confidentiality. The software and hardware that provides e-mail capabilities to Knox County
Sc
hools’ employees have been publicly funded. For that reason, it should not be considere
d
a private, pers
onal form of communication. The contents of any communication of this ty
pe
are pub
lic records. The District would have to abide and cooperate with any legal request t
o
a
ccess e-mail contents. As such, requests for personal information on students or staf
f
members s
hall never be honored via e-mail. It is critical for a personal contact to be made
with any individual requ
es
ting personal information. This relates particularly to any requests
for student grades, discipline, attendance or related information. In addition, security
information such as usernames or passwords should not be sent via e-mail for any reason.
5) Network Etiquette. System users are expected to observe the following network etiquette
(sometimes known as “netiquette”):
a) Be poli
te and use appropriate language: swearing, vulgarity, ethnic or racial slurs, and
any other inflammatory or offensive language is prohibited.
b) Pretending to be someone else when sending/receiving messages is prohibited.
c) Transmitting obscene messages, pictures or videos is prohibited.
d) Revealing such personal information as addresses or phone numbers of users or other
s
is
prohibited.
6) Unsolicited E-mail. The Technology department should be notified if a user receives
unsolicited e-mail, particularly if it is of a “hate mail” or fraudulent nature. Every attempt will
be
made to track down the source of the e-mail and steps will be taken to attempt to prevent
the user from receiving additional unsolicited e-mail. Procedure IFABA, Procedure IFABB
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
KCS employees shall not engage in, or have a financial interest in, any activity that raises a
reasonable question of conflict of interest with their duties and responsibilities as members of
the school staff. This includes but is not limited to the following:
•
School employees may not purchase any goods or equipment for sale to students or
render any service to the school system on a commission basis;
•
Employees who have patented or copyrighted any device, publication, or other item shall
not
receive royalties for use of such item in the school system;
•
Employees may not engage in any type of work where the source of information
c
oncerning a customer, client, or employer originates from information obtained throug
h
the
school system;
•
The Board of Education may not purchase supplies, materials, or equipment from a
s
chool system employee; and
•
Employees shall not sell instructional supplies, equipment and reference books in a
terr
itory that includes the parents of the children of the school in which the employee is
assigned. Policy GAG
Moreover, the Superintendent, members of the Board of Education, administrative, supervisory,
or teaching personnel or other school officer shall have no financial interest, directly or
indirectly, in supplying books, maps, school furniture, or apparatus or other compensated
services for the schools or to act as agent for any author, publisher, bookseller, or dealer in
school furniture or apparatus. Policy CB
DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE
Please see fully-detailed Policy GAN, at www.knoxschools.org.
The Knox County Board of Education and its employees share a commitment to create and
maintain a drug-free workplace. The Knox County Board of Education is responsible for the
instruction and well-being of the students entrusted to its care. The Board of Education declares
that the use of illegal drugs, the abuse of alcohol, and the misuse of prescription drugs are
prohibited.
The Knox County Board of Education is committed to a safe working environment, to making
adequate provisions for the safety and health of its employees at their place of employment, and
to the safety and health of students as well as the general public. The Board of Education
believes that alcoholism and drug addiction are illnesses and should be treated as such. The
Board further believes that employees who develop alcoholism or other drug addictions can be
helped to recover and should be offered appropriate assistance. It is in the best interest of the
e
mployee
and the Board of Education that when alcoholism or drug addiction is present, it
should be
diagnosed and treated at the earliest possible date. Confidential treatment of the
diagnosis and recovery process for alcoholism or drug addiction is essential. See information
on Employee Assistance Program for related information.
Pre-Employment Testing. In the furtherance of achieving the Knox County Board of
Education’s goal and objectives, all applicants being considered for employment positions
identified as being safety-sensitive shall be required to submit to a urinalysis test for the
detection of the illegal use of drug. All applicants shall be given a copy of this policy in advance
of the post-offer, pre-employment physical.
Reasonable Suspicion. If a supervisor reasonably suspects and reports to the Chief Human
Resources Officer or authorized designee and/or the Medical Review Officer that an employee's
work performance or on-the-job behavior may have been affected in any way by illegal drugs or
alcohol or that an employee has otherwise violated the Drug-Free Workplace Substance Abuse
Policy, the employee may be required to submit a breath and/or urine sample for drug and
alcohol testing. An employee who is required to submit to drug/alcohol testing based upon
reasonable suspicion and refuses shall be char
ged with ins
ubordination, and
necessary procedures will be taken to terminate the employee. Policy GAN
OUTSIDE/SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT
Employees shall be permitted to hold employment outside the school system so long as such
activities do not (a) occur during the school day, or (b) interfere with regularly scheduled or
appropriately assigned duties for the school system, or (c) reflect unfavorably on the school
system. Policy GAG
SMOKING AND TOBACCO USE
The Knox County Board of Education recognizes that smoking represents a health and safety
hazard which has serious consequences for the smoker and the nonsmoker. The Board also
recognizes that all staff members should serve as positive role models for our students. In order
to protect our students, staff, visitors, and guests of the schools from an environment that may
be harmful to them, and in compliance with Public Chapter 410, known as the "Non-Smoker
Protection Act," the Board of Education prohibits smoking by all staff, students, visitors, and
gues
ts on
all school property, in all school buildings, and in all school vehicles (including
schools, offices, warehouses, sport complexes, and other facilities, as well as vehicles owned
by the
Board).
Smoking is not all
owed in any form at any time inside any school building or anywhere on
school property. Smoking is not permitted inside areas such as maintenance shops and
garages.
For the purpose of this policy, "Smoking" will mean all uses of tobacco (including all "smokeless"
and chewing tobacco products), cigars, cigarettes, pipes, imitation tobacco products and
electronic cigarettes. While on the school property, employees are prohibited from possessing
tobacco products that are visible to others.
This policy on smoking shall be communicated to all existing employees and to all prospective
employees upon
their application of employment. "No Smoking" signs shall be clearly and
conspicuously posted on Knox County Schools campuses. Policy GAMA
EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS
Nepotism
No employee shall be under the immediate supervision of a member of the employee’s
immediate family. With the exception of substitute teachers, members of an immediate family
shall not be assigned to the instructional staff in the same school building unless some unusual
circumstance exists which makes it in the best interest of the educational program as
recommended by the Superintendent. No employee shall be under the direct supervision of a
member of his immediate family. Immediate family shall be defined as spouse, child, parent,
parent-in-law
, brother, sis
ter, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. A principal and an immediate
family member (first degree affinity or consanguinity) shall not be assigned to the same school.
Relatives may be assigned to the same school where neither is a principal, upon the
recommendation of the principal and the Director of Schools. Policy CE
Supervisor-Staff Relationships
As an extension of the nepotism and harassment policies, the KCS strongly discourages
romantic relationships between supervisors and anyone whom he or she directly supervises.
Such relationships may negatively impact other employees and, therefore, lead to complaints
and grievances or other interruptions of workplace functioning.
Student-Staff Relationships
Staff members shall use good judgment in their relationships with students beyond their work
responsibilities and/or outside the school setting and shall avoid excessive informal and social
involvement with individual students. Romantic, amorous or sexual relationships, and romantic,
amorous or sexual comments or communications in any form between employees and students
are strictly prohibited. This includes unprofessional and inappropriate communication.
Examples of unprofessional and inappropriate communications include, but are not limited to:
1. Employees fraternizing or
communicating with students in a peer to peer or unduly familia
r
manne
r;
2. Writing personal letters, e-mailing, texting or calling student on their cell phones about subject
matter that is beyond the scope of their professional relationship;
3. Sending suggestive, lewd or indecent pictures or images to students;
4. Discu
ssing or revealing to students inappropriate aspects of private lives or inviting student
s
to do
the same; being overly familiar, and
5. Engaging in unnecessary and/or non-curricular dialogue concerning topics of a sexual nature
Employees mus
t guard against associations with students that are outside the normal scope of
employment and appropriate educator/student relationship. Employees engaging in such
inappropriate conduct will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Any
extenuating circumstances will be dealt with on an individual basis by the supervisor and/or
superintendent. Employees who have reason to believe that another employee is
inappropriately involved with a student, as described above, are obligated to report this
information to their principal, supervisor or a human resources supervisor. Policy GAF
VIOLATIONS OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
All employees are required to abide by Knox County Schools, policies, procedures and all
applicable laws and regulations. Suspected violations of policy and procedures will be
investigated. Failure to abide by applicable policies, laws, and regulations or engaging in
actions which discredit the Knox County Schools may result in disciplinary action, up to
and
including termination. However, all disciplinary actions may be appealed to the next
level of supervision, including the
Superintendent.
CO
MPENSATION
AUTOMATIC PAYROLL DEPOSIT
The KCS pays its employees via electronic disbursement. Forms are available in the
Compensation Department or at www.knoxschools.org.
In addition, all paystubs are provided
electronically through the Employee Self Service (ESS) website. Password and ID information
is provided at the employee orientation conducted by the KCS for all new employees.
BASE SALARY SCHEDULES
Base salary schedules for all Certified and Classified employees are published at
www.knoxschools.org.
Annual base salary will be determined by schedule, step, and
supplement based on position, relevant education, and applicable experience.
STRATEGIC COMPENSATION
Strategic compensation aligns district programs, classroom instruction and compensation
systems with the goals of increasing educator effectiveness and maximizing student
achievement. It incents certain actions or activities and rewards specific desired outcomes.
Strategic compensation may entail pay, benefits, direct and indirect compensation, immediate
and deferred compensation, and other monetary or non-monetary incentives.
The Knox County Schools currently offers incentive compensation to all school-based certified
personnel included in the TEAM annual evaluation framework and in TAP – The System for
Teacher and Student Advancement – schools. The strategic compensation plan, APEX –
Advance.Perform.Excel, provides performance compensation for those meeting the established
criteria in non-TAP schools. Individual performance compensation for certified employees in
TAP schools is determined based on the TAP framework. For more information regarding
APEX and
TAP, please visit http://knoxschools.org/Page/2244. Policy GBAC
SIGNING BONUS
A signing bonus of $3,000 will be offered to new employees hired in identified hard-to-staff
subject areas. Eligible employees must sign a contractual agreement adhering to the terms
outlined below to receive the signing bonus. One of the key stipulations in that agreement is
that the employee must commit to work for Knox County Schools for three years, unless KCS
initiates employment termination. If the employee voluntarily leaves before fulfilling the three
year commitment, he or she will be required to reimburse KCS on
a pro-rated
basis, i.e. one
year remaining, reimburse 1/3; two years remaining, reimburse 2/3, etc.
Eligible hard-to-staff subject areas for the 2014-15 school year are:
•
Chemistry, Physics
•
Special Education
•
Speech and Language
•
Mathematics (Geometry, Algebra II, Bridge, Finite, Calculus and Pre-Calculus)
• World Language Learners
• Other areas designated appropriate and approved by the Superintendent
Additional eligibility guidelines are as follows:
•
Only employees hired in full time, regular, and full-time temporary positions are eligible.
Employees hired on an interim contract are not eligible.
•
Employee must have Highly Qualified status, be fully certified and endorsed in the
s
ubject area, and possess a valid Tennessee license. Employees who possess
an
alterna
tive or transitional license are not eligible.
•
Employees who resign from the system and who choose to return are not eligible.
•
Employees who have received the bonus incentive and who resign from the system and
c
hoose to return are not eligible.
•
The bonus award is a gross amount and shall be subject to all applicable taxes, other
normal payroll deduction, and any other deductions required by law.
The eligibility criteria are broad guidelines developed by the Human Resources Department.
However, it is not possible to address every situation or circumstance under these guidelines.
Therefore, the administration reserves the right to amend these guidelines in order to render
decisions regarding this benefit on an as-needed basis. In the event that the number of
employees eligible for the bonus exceeds the allocated amount, the final determination of which
employees will receive the bonus will be based on hire date. KCS will make every effort
to
ens
ure that all employees are treated fairly and equitably. Please contact Human Resources for
more details regarding the signing bonus.
EMPLOYEE TYPES
Certified. Certified employees are any employee who holds a license issued by the Tennessee
Department of Education or who credentialed to teach in the Junior Reserve Officer Training
Corps by a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Certified staff members require a valid
professional license based on training that covers the subjects or grades taught and/or a
specialty service area (e.g. guidance counselor) in accordance with rules and regulations of the
State Board of Education. Policy GB
Certified Time Card. Certified timecards are used for any certificated personnel working in a
part-time position. This includes retirees, tutors or retired teachers filling in for an employee
absent for an extended period of time. Teachers providing instruction during their plan time for
a hard to staff subject also report their time via timecard.
Classified. Classified staff members’ regular employment status does not require certification in
accordance with rules and regulations of the Tennessee Department of Education. Classified
personnel include the following employees: bookkeepers, secretaries, clerks, maintenance
employees, custodial employees, cafeteria employees, instructional assistants, transportation
employees and security guards, as well as many central office administrative services positions
and Time Card (part-time). Policy GB
Subs
titute. Substitutes work as a replacement resulting from any short-term absence for food
service, custodial, teaching, educational assistant, or secretary positions. Substitutes are not
eligible for benefits or participation in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System
regardless of hours worked per week. However, substitutes can choose to participate in the
403B or 457 retirement plan that is available through a third-party vendor (please contact
Employee Benefits for more information). A substitute may only work up to 19 consecutive days
for the same employee absence and are paid at the substitute daily rate. If the position requires
more than 19 consecutive days, then it is categorized as a supply, interim, or temporary position
as appropriate.
Supply. These employees work between 15-89 consecutive days in the same teaching position
and are paid at the supply daily rate. Supply teachers work in-service days, are not eligible for
health, dental, life or vision benefits, must be on the substitute list, and must be certified and
endorsed in the area taught. The supply teacher is treated like a regular teacher for absence
reporting and payroll purposes. If the supply teacher is absent, it should be reported as a regular
teaching absence and requires a substitute. Classified positions such as food service, custodial,
teaching assi
stant,
and secretary positions may also be designated as supply.
Interim. Interim employees work 90 or more days and hold a position for a teacher or
employee who is on leave. For teaching and other certified positions, interim employees are
paid based on degree and experience just like regular, certified staff. Interim employees must
be applicants for regular teaching and certified positions, but they do not have to be on the
substitute list. Interim teachers are treated like regular teachers for absence reporting and
payroll purposes.
Interim employees may choose to accept or reject participation in the Tennessee Consolidated
Retirement System. However, if working at least 30 hours per week, interim employees are
eligible for all other benefits.
Interim employees have no guarantee of a position beyond the time that the original employee
is on leave or the end of the current school year. If the original employee resigns, the
replacement changes from interim to temporary.
Classified positions such as food service, custodial, teaching assistant, and secretary positions
may also be designated as interim.
Temporary. Temporary employees fill teaching positions and are paid based on degree and
experience. Temporary teachers are treated like a regular teacher for absence reporting and
payroll purposes. A temporary teacher is hired for a position for which no other person has a
claim (resignation, retirement, new position). This position has no guarantee beyond the
specified time or current school year. To obtain a position for a future year, the temporary
teacher must submit a new application and be selected through the regular hiring process.
Typically, if a new position is created after classes start, the position is filled on a temporary
basis. When an employee who is on leave of absence decides to resign, the person filling that
position becomes a temporary employee at the time the original employee resigns. If working at
least 30 hours per week, this employee is entitled to all eligible benefits.
Classified positions such as food service, custodial, teaching assistant, and secretary positions
may also be designated as temporary.
PAYROLL
Regular monthly payroll checks are deposited on the 25
th
of each month, or the last working day
prior to the 25
th
. Maintenance and food service personnel are paid bi-weekly, every other
Friday. Direct deposit changes must be received in the Compensation department by the
close of business on the 5
th
day of the month. Payroll deduction changes must be submitted to
the appropriate department, Employee Benefits or Compensation. The change will be reflected
the following month, provided all proper documentation is submitted with the change request.
Written requests for payroll changes such as name and address must be received in the Human
Resources office by the end of the workday on the 25
th
of the month.
Employees are covered under the following work calendar:
2014 – 2015 Notice of Annual Salary Lengths
255 days July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015
242
days July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015
232
days July 14, 2014 –June 15, 2015
226
days July 14, 2014– June 8, 2015
221
days July 14, 2014 – June 1, 2015
216
days July 21, 2014 – June 1, 2015
211
days July 28, 2014 – June 1, 2015
205
days August 4, 2014 –June 1, 2015
200
days August 4, 2014 –May 22, 2015
PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS
Mandatory deductions from gross pay include Social Security, Medicare, federal income tax
withholding, retirement contribution, court-ordered garnishment, IRS levies, and fees assessed
for criminal background check.
Employees who are absent without leave or take administrative leave without pay shall have
their pay deducted by the amount of daily rate of pay for each day absent. This deduction shall
occur at the time the information is processed; it cannot be spread over the remainder of the
year. If the amount is greater than a month’s wages, the deduction will occur monthly until the
value of the overdrawn leave is recovered.
BENEFITS
The school system offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. New employees
have 31 days from their hire date to select their benefits options. All eligible employees can
make changes to existing or add new benefit plans during the annual Open Enrollment period
held each fall. Below is brief information on benefits that are available to employees. For more
details, please visit www.knoxschools.org/benefits
.
HEALTH INSURANCE
KCS’s Health Insurance Program is administered by Benefits Administration, a division of the
State of Tennessee. Currently there are two carriers and six different plans. The carriers are
Blue Cross/Blue Shield and CIGNA. There is a partnership plan, standard plan, and limited
plan for each carrier. Employees may choose from the program that best meets his/her needs.
There are five different rates: (1) employee only; (2) employee plus child or children; (3)
employee plus spouse; (4) family coverage; or (5) two employee family coverage. A portion of
the health insurance is paid by KCS. Employees on unpaid leave of absence are responsible for
both the employee’s portion and the Knox County School’s portion of health care premiums.
Employees eligible under Family and Medical Leave Act are eligible to continue paying only the
employee premium for their FMLA period. Employees who retire may continue hea
lth insuranc
e
coverage if eligibility requirements are met. Employees whose health insurance is terminated for
other reasons, or covered dependents of employees whose health insurance is terminated, may
continue coverage for a limited period under COBRA.
The Benefits and Employee Relations office can provide details regarding coverage and
premiums. Please visit their website for more information or by calling the Benefits and
Employee Relations office.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
If an employee participates in a health plan through the Knox County Schools, the Employee
Assistance Program (EAP) is included in that plan. The program is administered by the State of
Tennessee via Magellan Health Services. The EAP provides confidential counseling and other
services for such issues as: marital conflict; alcohol or drug dependency; family or parenting
issues; stress management; self-improvement; and grief or loss counseling, etc. Please see
http://www.Here4TN.com
or call 855-437-3486 for additional information.
DENTAL INSURANCE
Employees must work 30 hours a week to be eligible for dental insurance. Employees have the
option of participating in a dental insurance plan. Premiums are paid one month in advance.
Dental Insurance is available for eligible employees, their spouses and dependent children. The
Dental Insurance plan provides benefits for Preventive, Basic, Major and Orthodontic
procedures. Benefits are provided through Delta Dental for both in-network and out-of-network
providers and procedures. There is no waiting period for coverage under the plan. Knox
Coun
ty
Schools pays for a portion of the cost. There are four different rates: (1) employee only; (2)
employee plus one; (3) family; and (4) two employee family. There is an open enrollment period
each year for coverage beginning date January 1 the following year.
Please call the Benefits and Employee Relations department for additional information or
access them via the website,
www.knoxschools.org/benefits
.
VISION INSURANCE
Vision insurance is available for eligible employees working 30 hours or more per week, as well
as, their spouses and dependent children. Benefits are provided through Eye Med. Benefits are
available for both in-network and out-of-network providers and procedures. The employee pays
100% of the premiums. There are three different rates: (1) employee only; (2) employee plus
one; and (3) family. There is an open enrollment each year for coverage beginning January 1
the following year.
BASIC GROUP TERM LIFE (GTL) INSURANCE
Life insurance is provided free to all active, regular employees who work 18.5 hours or more
per week. The coverage amount is 1.5 times the employee’s annual salary. However, the
minimum coverage amount is $20,000 and the maximum coverage amount is $50,000. KCS
also offers an Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit coverage which pays only
in the event of such.
Employees that separate from KCS may continue to carry term life coverage by converting to a
whole life policy and paying 100% of the premium.
SUPPLEMENTAL GROUP TERM LIFE (GTL)
Supplemental Life Insurance is available for eligible employees at group rates. Spousal and
children’s coverage is also available. Supplemental GTL Insurance is offered without health
screening when an employee is hired if the paperwork is received within 31 days of the hire
date. If it is refused at that time, and the employee later seeks to enroll, proof of insurability will
be required. A maximum of $105,000.00 of additional coverage is available for the employee.
An employee can also sign up for $10,000.00 of spouse coverage or $5,
000.00
of child
coverage within 31
days of their hire date. Child coverage cannot begin until the child is over 14
days old and ends at age 26 unless the child is disabled.
FLEXIBLE BENEFITS
The Internal Revenue Service authorizes flexible benefits. The tax code allows employees to
pay for certain benefits with pre-tax dollars. There are three types of flexible benefits that the
Knox County Schools offers: Premium Conversion, Medical Spending Accounts and Dependent
Care.
PREMIUM CONVERSION
Knox County employees who participate in the health, vision or dental insurance plans offered
by the system are required to participate in premium conversion. Employees can also have
some supplemental insurance premiums taken out pre-tax.
MEDICAL FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT
The Internal Revenue Service authorizes flexible spending accounts. These tax codes allow
employees to pay for certain benefits with pre-tax dollars. A Medical Flexible Spending Account
(MFSA
) is available for eligible employees, spouses and dependent children. A MFSA is not
insurance, but rather a way to pay for certain qualified, non-reimbursed medical expenses in a
pre-tax salary reduction. The amount which can be placed in an MFSA each year may be
limited by the Internal Revenue Service, but may not exceed the annual maximum established
by the school system. $500 dollars can be rolled from on year to the next. Any monies
placed in an MFSA against which qualified expenditures cannot be filed above the $500 dollar
amount are forfeited according to Federal Law. The employee contributes 100% to the MFSA.
Please call the Benefits & Employee Rela
tions d
epartment or access them via the
website w
ww.knoxschools.org/benefits, for additional information and forms.
DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT
A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) is available for eligible employees,
spouses and dependent children. A DCFSA is not insurance, but rather a way to pay for certain
qualified dependent care expenses in a pre-tax salary reduction. The amount which can be
placed in a DCFSA each year may be limited by the Internal Revenue Service, but may not
exceed the annual maximum established by the school system. Any monies placed in a DCFSA
against which qualified expenditures cannot be filed are forfeited according to Federal Law. A
DCFSA cannot be used if claiming a Dependent Child Credit on a Federal
Income Tax return for
that year (please consult a tax professional for specific details). The employee contributes 100%
to the DCFSA.
TAX DEFERRED INVESTMENTS
Current IRS regulations allow employees to participate in tax deferred investments under
Sections 403(b) and 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (commonly known as 403(b)/457
plans), if the employee qualifies. All employees of Knox County Schools, whether regular or
temporary (full-time or part-time, regardless of work schedule), are eligible to participate
providing that contributions are made from the employee’s wages and they have not applied for
a hardship withdrawal during the period set out by the IRS. Please call the Benefits & Employee
Relations department or access them via the website,
www.knoxschools.org/benefits
, for
additional information.
TUITION ASSISTANCE
KCS supports employees who wish to take coursework that is relevant to the employee seeking
certification and/or additional endorsement in an approved critical needs subject area. In
keeping with this philosophy, KCS has established a tuition assistance program for expenses
incurred through approved institutions of learning. Full-time regular employees, certified or non-
certified, employed with Knox County Schools three years or more, will be eligible for
participation in the tuition program as long as the courses lead to certification or endorsement in
an approved critical needs subject area as determined by the Chief Human Resources Officer.
To receive this benefit, employees must be employed by KCS, at the beginning of the course,
the end of the course, and at the time of reimbursement. KCS will reimburse up to a maximum
of $1,200 per course or $2,400 per academic school year for tuition expenses incurred by an
employee for continuing education through an accredited program. The employee must secure
a minimum passing grade of a "B" or its equivalent to receive a reimbursement. Expenses
must be validated by receipts and a copy of the final grade or transcript.
Employees receiving the benefit and obtaining additional certification(s) or endorsement(s) are
required to teach a minimum of three years in the subject area for which the employee received
the tuition assistance. Should the employee resign or otherwise voluntarily leave employment
with KCS prior to completion of his/her program of coursework, the tuition assistance benefit
ends and all tuition assistance funds accepted by the employee up to that point must be repaid.
If the employee resigns or otherwise voluntarily leaves employment with
the
KCS within three
years or less from the date of completion of his or her coursework and his or her receipt of
additional certification or endorsement, repayment of all tuition assistance shall be required of
the employee. However, if the Board of Education is unable to offer the employee a position in
the area of the newly obtained licensure, the employee shall not be required to repay the tuition
assistance funds.
If funds are not sufficient for all requests, a determination for tuition assistance will be based on
the school system's critical needs. The Chief Human Resources Officer reserves the right to
make decisions regarding this benefit on a case by case basis and will make every effort to
ensure that all employees are treated fairly and equitably. Please contact the Human Resources
Department for more information regarding the Tuition Assistance Program. Policy
GBF
http://knoxschools.org/cms/lib7/TN01917079/Centricity/domain/1245/HR/HR-146AB.pdf
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS / PENSION
All regular Classified employees who work 18.5 hours per week belong to the Knox County
Retirement and Pension System. The retirement plan is a 401(a) Asset Accumulation Plan.
This plan is a defined contribution plan, not a defined benefit plan. There is a mandatory 6%
pre-tax contribution. This contribution is matched dollar-for-dollar or a full 100% match.
Employees are vested in those matching contributions at a rate of 20% each year of service. As
such, employees are vested 100% after five years. Employees are always
100% vested in the employee contributions. All employees who were hired after 1991 are in the
Asset Accumulation Plan. Prior to a 1991 hire date, classified employees could be members of
a closed defined benefit plan. For detailed information, visit the Knox County Retirement and
Pension
Office web site at http://www.knoxcounty.org/retirement/ .
Certified employees who are in a regular or temporary, full-time positions are enrolled in one of
two mandatory plans sponsored by the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) of
the State of Tennessee. Employees who are part-time or in an interim position can choose to
participate in the TCRS retirement plan.
T
he two retirement plans provided by TCRS are the Legacy and the Hybrid plans. The
Legacy plan is reserved for teachers that have had a least 1 year of service with a TCRS
organization as a teacher prior to July 1
st
2014. The plan requires a mandatory 5% pre-tax
contribution. The Defined Benefit plan guarantees a monthly benefit which is based on a
member’s five highest years of consecutive earnings and service. The benefit is payable for the
life of the member and when applicable, transferable to a member’s spouse or beneficiary(ies).
A Defined
Benefit retirement plan relieves members of the burden of making investment
decisions and assuming the risk associated with those decisions. Unlike an IRA or 401K
account, a TCRS retirement benefit is not impacted by stock market performance. The State
of Tennessee guarantees TCRS members will receive retirement income for life.
The Hybrid plan is reserved for the teachers hired after July 1
st
, 2014 that do not have at least
a year of prior service with a TCRS organization as a teacher. The Hybrid Plan provides a
combination of a defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan. The defined benefit
portion of the Hybrid Plan will be managed by TCRS. The defined contribution assets will be
deposited into the state’s 401(k) plan where teachers will manage the investments with the
401(k) plan. This plan requires a 5% contribution of salary to the defined benefit portion of the
Hybrid Plan.
Also, with both plans
, a TCRS retirement benefit can be passed to a beneficiary at a member's
death, and the beneficiary continues to receive this income until
his
or her death depending on
the benefit option a retiree chooses. For detailed information, visit the TCRS web site at
http://treasury.tn.gov/tcrs/.
EMPLOYEE WELFARE
INCLEMENT WEATHER
From time to time it is necessary to delay or cancel classes across the school system due to
poor road or school access conditions that have been caused by inclement weather such as
rain or snow.
The Superintendent of Schools is the only person who may make the decision to close school
for any reason. The intent is to make the decision as early as possible to allow parents time to
make appropriate arrangements. In the event that the decision to cancel school or delay school
must be made in the early morning hours, this decision should be made prior to 5:00 a.m. if at
all possible. As soon as the decision to close schools is made, the Superintendent will use all
means available to inform the public including news media, internet, e-mail, text and mass
telephone notifi
cation. When
all schools in the system are closed, the Central Office and other
support offices will also be closed except for mission essential personnel. Mission essential
personnel will be persons designated and notified by the appropriate director or supervisor.
When school is released early due to weather, the Central Office and all school offices will
remain open and operational until it is reasonably confirmed that all students have safely
reached their homes or have been picked up by their parents or guardian. If school is not in
session or is dismissed early due to inclement weather, all scheduled activities in which
students are involved will generally be postponed or cancelled. Principals will ensure that school
phones and 800 MHz radios are manned. No school will cease operation or make a decision to
close until the principal reports to the Superintendent’s Office and receives permission to do so
from the Superintendent, or until a system-wide decision has been made and communicated.
Policy AFC
EMERGENCY / CRISIS MANAGEMENT
At each school, the principal shall develop a Crisis Management Plan in conjunction with the
system-wide Knox County Schools Emergency Handbook for use in times of such things as, but
not limited to, suicides, shootings, and death of a student, parent or faculty member. Principals
must send a copy of the emergency plan for the school to the Security Office each year, as
required by the SAVE Act (Schools Against Violence in Education) enacted by the state of
Tennessee in 2007. The principal shall appoint a Crisis Team which shall deal with specific
situations, make decisions, and dissem
inate information
in the event of a crisis.
The principal of each building shall be responsible for the adherence to the Knox County
Schools Emergency Handbook provided by the Security department. Training for all school
employees in the crisis management procedures shall be conducted annually during in-service
sessions prior or during the school year.
In the event of a crisis, the principal shall notify the Crisis Team member, the Superintendent,
and any necessary emergency services (police, fire, ambulance, etc.). Policy EBBCB
SAFETY
All staff members shall report current and potential hazards to their immediate supervisors. At
each school, the principal shall develop procedures for keeping school facilities safe and free
from hazards. Each site’s safety program will include: Fire prevention; Accident prevention;
Warning signals; Emergency drills such as, but not limited to, fire, severe weather, earthquake,
bomb threat and intruders; Emergency closings; Traffic safety; Traffic and parking controls;
Safety inspections; First aid; Disaster preparedness plan for major emergencies.
Only persons with lawful and valid business on the school/site premises shall enter onto the
grounds or into the buildings. All staff members shall report all persons appearing to be
improperly on school premises. School security and/or law enforcement officials should be
engaged, if necessary, to maintain order or security. Policy EBB
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Classified employees are eligible to receive Workers’ Compensation benefits. This includes
custodians, maintenance, food service, substitutes, teaching assistants, security officers,
classified supervisors, interpreters, nurses, therapists and secretaries/bookkeepers, etc.
All accidents/injuries, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, must be reported to an
employee’s direct supervisor immediately and to the Benefits & Employee Relations Office. Sick
leave benefits shall be paid to employees only when workers' compensation benefits are not
available.
The KCS Board has established a medical panel consisting of general practitioners to treat on-
the-job injuries. Employees may choose from any of the general practitioners listed on the
medical panel for treatment of on-the-job injuries. Each school and building should have a
posting of approved providers.
If an employee needs medical treatment at any time when the doctors’ offices on the Workers’
Compensation Panel are closed, or if the Benefits & Employee Relations Office is closed, he or
she may go to any Knox County hospital. The employee must notify their supervisor as soon as
possible on the next working day. Policy EGAA
Certified teachers have benefits comparable to workers’ compensation for up to 1 year if they
are injured by a physical assault or other violent crime committed against the teacher in the
course of the teacher’s employment activities.
SICK LEAVE BANK
KCS maintains separate Sick Leave Banks for Certified and Classified employees. Both the
Certified and Classified Sick Leave Bank provide additional sick leave days to contributors who
have suffered a major personal illness, injury, disability or quarantine and whose personal leave,
sick leave and vacation leave has been exhausted. Regular employees who are entitled to sick
leave are eligible to participate. To join the Sick Leave Bank, an employee must deposit three
(3)
sick
leave days during the open enrollment period; then agree to assessment
s of 1-3 da
ys at
designated time
s, as determined by the Sick Leave Bank Trustee Board. Participation i
s
volun
tary, and employees must request and complete appropriate forms to join and/or acces
s
the
Sick Leave Bank.
Classified, employees can apply to utilize days from the Sick Leave Bank after a minimum of 30
days of membership. Sick bank days cannot be granted during the first year of enrollment for
any illness diagnosed or in existence within the previous twelve (12) months. There is a 15
consecutive day waiting period after the diagnosis before the sick leave bank can be used. The
maximum number of days in a calendar year Classified employees can use the Sick Leave bank
is 60 days. However, there is a maximum of 90 days total that can be used f
or one ill
ness or
occurrence.
Certified employee Sick Leave Bank rules and regulations are detailed in State law TCA §49-5-
801 - 810. The maximum number of days in a calendar year Certified employees can use the
Sick Leave bank is 60 days. However, there is a maximum of 90 days total that can be used for
one illness or occurrence.
Please contact the Benefits & Employee Relations Office at 865-594-1686 for more detailed
information on the Classified Sick Leave Bank and the Certified Sick Leave Bank.
TIME AWAY FROM WORK
COURT APPEARANCES
If an employee appears in court because of a personal interest, whether as a plaintiff, defendant
or witness or voluntarily appears in behalf of family or friends, or if an employee is required to
appear in court either as a defendant or plaintiff in a civil case, personal leave or leave without
pay will be granted in accordance with the established board policies on leaves. Policy GBRHA
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles employees to take reasonable leave
for medical concerns, for the birth or adoption of a child, and for the care of a child, spouse, or
parent who has a serious health condition. Anyone who has been employed for at least 12
months by the Board of Education and has worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous
twelve-month period is eligible for FMLA. The school system will continue to make the board’s
contribution to the employee’s health, dental and life insurance during FMLA leave. The
employee is also guaranteed
the
same or similar employment when he or she returns to work at
the end of the FMLA leave. Policy GBRIC; Policy GCRG
CHILD CARE AND MATERNITY LEAVE
Any employee may take a child care leave. The child must be under or the age of two and proof
of age may be required.
The request must be in writing at least 30 days prior to the leave and specify the dates
departure and return, to the extent which these dates are known. The supervisor must submit
the proper form and request to the Human Resources Department. Sick leave may be used
during physical disability only as determined by the physician. Otherwise, maternity leave shall
be unpaid leave.
For adoption purposes, sick leave may be used for a period of up to thirty (30) days. A copy of
supporting documentation from the adoption agency must be provided. In the event that both
adoptive parents are employees of KCS, only one employee may use this time.
Leave and leave extensions shall not exceed a total of two consecutive years. Policy GBRIC;
Policy GCRG
VACATION AND HOLIDAY LEAVE
Full-time employees on twelve month assignments earn vacation days at the rate of one per
month plus one day per year worked for Knox County up to a total of 8 days for years of service
within Knox County for a possible total of 20 days. No more than 20 vacation days can be
carried over from year to year. Accumulated days plus days to be earned for the year will be
advanced and credited to the employees on July 1 of each year. Employees are not eligible for
vacation during their first 6 months of employment. The Superintendent (or his designee) and
immediate supervisor must approve the time of vacation.
Employees working a ten month assignment will earn 10 vacation days at the rate of one for
every 19 days worked. These days are built into the annual calendar for the employee.
Contract employees have holiday leave as defined in Board of Education policy. Policy GCRH
MILITARY LEAVE
Employees who are members of any reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United
States shall be granted leave of absence for all periods of military service during which they are
engaged in the performance of duty or training in the service of the state or the United States.
Employees who are reservists and anticipate military duty during the school year must give
written notice to the Director of Schools, within thirty (30) days of the beginning of the school
year, of the dates of the anticipated duty. Employees shou
ld give su
ch notice to their immediate
supervisor.
While performing such duty or training, the employee shall be paid his regular salary up to a
maximum of twenty (20) working days in any one (1) calendar year, plus such additional days
as may result from any call to active state duty. An employee called to active duty by the
Governor to enforce the laws of the state shall be paid his regular salary for such time as he is
engaged in the performance of his duty, and any time spent in active state duty shall not count
against the period of leave allowed for military service.
Request for leaves and extension of leaves shall conform to state law and the Board of
Education policy governing all leaves of absence. Failure to comply with applicable laws and
policies shall constitute grounds for dismissal.
The employee must supply a copy of the orders for duty, including the dates of departure and
return it to the Director of Schools prior to, or simultaneous with, requesting leave. Policy
GBRID; Policy GCRG
JURY DUTY
Employees called for jury duty shall:
•
Complete via Aesop a Jury Duty Request.
•
Submit Summons to appear in court to the building level administrator.
KCS pays regular employee wages for the days served on jury duty. However, it is required
that employees refund any payment for jury duty received from the Knox County courts less any
expenses incurred such as parking, lunch, etc. Please see supervisor for more details
regarding the submission of these funds.
If you report to court and do not serve on a jury that day ― report to work. If you report to court
and only spend a portion of the day there ― go to work for the remainder of your workday. In
other words, an employee must be serving jury duty or be at work during normal working hours.
Teachers summoned for jury duty shall appear in court and specify a seven (7) day period
within twelve months that he/she will be available for jury duty. Teachers are entitled to the
usual compensation, less the amount paid by the court. Policy GBRHA; Policy GCRG
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LEAVE
Employees shall earn personal leave at the rate of one day for each half year employed for a
total of two (2) days per year. An employee must give his/her supervisor one day written notice
for leave to be approved except in the case of an emergency.
Personal leave is earned at the rate of ½ day per 50 paid contract days for a maximum of 2
days per school year. Unused personal leave converts to sick leave at the end of each school
year.
If, at the termination of services, any employee has been absent for more days than leave has
been earned, an amount sufficient to cover the excess days used shall be deducted from the
employee’s final salary payment. Any personal leave remaining unused at the end of a year
shall be credited to sick leave. Policy GBRHE, Policy GCRG
Professional leave is a short, temporary absence for the purpose of attending workshops and
other meetings relating to school business or serving on boards and commissions which meet
during daytime hours when appointed by a mayor, city council, county executive or county
commission. Requests for professional leave shall be submitted to the immediate supervisor at
least ten (10) working days prior to requested leave of absence.
SICK LEAVE
Earn 1 day for each 19 paid contract days. This applies to all employees contracted in a position
at least 50% or more, not just certified. The 13 days applies to all 255 or 260 day personnel.
200 day contracts maximum earned 10 days per school year
211 day contracts maximum earned 10.5 days per school year
221 day contracts maximum earned 11 days per school year
255 day/260 day contracts maximum earned 13 days per school year
Sick leave shall be granted for: employee illness from natural causes or accident; quarantine; or
illness or death of a member of the immediate family of an employee, including the employee's
wife or husband, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, mother-in-
law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.
A certificate from the physician on designated form may be required in support of any claim for
sick leave pay. An employee absent for five (5) consecutive working days shall submit a
doctor's statement verifying illness or injury of the employee or immediate family member.
However, frequent use and/or suspected misuse of sick leave by an employee are sufficient
grounds for requiring a physician’s certificate stating the reason for absence. A falsified
statement shall be grounds for dismissal.
A teacher, upon employment with KCS, may transfer accumulated sick leave from another
Tennessee public school system, provided the system in which the accumulated leave was held
provides notarized verification. Policy GBRHB, Policy GCRG
LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
Employees may request to take up to 3 days leave without pay. This request must be approved
by the immediate supervisor and then sent to the Superintendent for ultimate approval. It should
be sent in at least 30 days prior to the first requested day of leave. Employees and immediate
supervisors will be informed of the final decision by the appropriate Human Resources Staffing
Manager.
JOB ABANDONMENT
Employees who do not show up for work, do not contact their supervisor about taking leave and
do not file the appropriate leave forms and/or put their absences into Aesop will be considered
to have abandoned their job. This abandonment, which would consist of 5 days or longer, will
be treated as a resignation and benefits will end in the same manner as if the person had turned
in a resignation letter.
LONG-TERM LEAVES OF ABSENCE
Employees in regular, temporary, or interim positions shall be granted leave without pay for
military service, legislative service, maternity, adoption, recuperation of health or visitation of a
spouse, child or parent deployed for military duty out of the country who has been granted rest
and recuperation leave or other sufficient reason without loss of accumulated leave credits,
tenure status, or other fringe benefits. Leave to visit a spouse, child or parent deployed for
military duty out of the country, who has been granted rest and recuperation leave, shall be
g
ran
ted for no longer than ten (10) days. Certified employees may also request leaves for
educational improvement purposes.
All leaves shall be requested in writing at least thirty (30) days in advance on forms provided by
the Superintendent. The 30-day notice may be waived or reduced by the Superintendent upon
submission of a certified statement by a physician. The application for leave forms shall require:
a description of the type of leave requested; the requested dates for beginning and ending the
leave; and a statement of intent to return to the position from which leave is granted.
The Superintendent will respond to all leave requests in writing. All leaves, except military leave,
shall specify a beginning and end date. However, any leave may be extended by the
Superintendent upon written request from the employee. The maximum period for a leave of
absence is two continuous years, this includes any FMLA time.
Positions vacated for less than twelve (12) months by employees on leave shall be filled with an
interim employee while the employee is on leave. If the employee returns from leave within 12
months, the interim employee shall relinquish the position. If the leave exceeds twelve (12)
months, the employee shall be placed in the same or a comparable position upon return.
Any
employee on leave shall notify the Superintendent at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of
return if the employee does not intend to return to the position from which he is on leave.
Policy
GBRI, Policy
GCRG
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
DISMISSAL AND NON-RENEWAL
Classified Employees. All classified employees, including teaching assistants, are at-will
employees with no annual employment agreement. Employees terminated for any reason
shall be paid all
earnings authorized or due at the end of the next regular pay period.
Policy GCK
Non-Tenured Teachers. The Superintendent may dismiss any non-tenured teacher at any
time when deemed necessary for incompetence, inefficiency, insubordination, improper conduct
or neglect of duty, after giving the non-tenured teacher, in writing, due notice of the charges.
The Superintendent is also authorized to dismiss a teacher convicted of a felony. The non-
tenured teacher will be given the opportunity to pursue a full and complete hearing before an
impartial hearing officer to dispute the reasons for dismissal. In addition, the non-tenured
teacher may have the opportunity to appeal any decision in favor of KCS resulting from a
hearing. Please see full policy related to dismissal of non-tenured teachers. Policy GBNB
Non-Renewal of Employment Agreement. The Superintendent is under no obligation to re-
employ non- tenured teachers or other non-tenured Certified personnel at the end of their
employment period. If the Superintendent determines not to renew the employment agreement
of a non-tenured teacher
, the following action shall be taken:
1. The Board shall be notified at the next regular Board of Education meeting; and
2. Written notice of non-renewal shall be hand delivered or sent to the employee by U.S
.
regis
tered mail so that it will be received by the employee prior to June 15.
The principal is responsible for discussing deficiencies with the non-tenured teacher and
providing assistance for overcoming these deficiencies. Any Classified contract employee
should have no expectation of renewal. Classified employees will be given at least 15
days’ notic
e for non-renewal. Non-renewal is not considered a dismissal/suspension;
as such, those procedures do not apply. Policy GBG
Tenured Teachers / Certified Personnel. When charges are made to the Board of Education
against tenured personnel charging offenses which justify dismissal, the charges shall be made
in writing, specifically stating the offenses which are charged, and shall be signed by the party
or parties making the charges. If, in the opinion of the Board, charges are of such nature as to
warrant the dismissal, the Superintendent shall give the teacher a written notice of the decision,
together with a copy of a form which shall be provided by the Commissioner of Educat
ion
ad
vising as to the teacher’s legal duties, rights and recourse under the terms of this part.
Any teacher convicted of a felony or convicted of a specific offense, as defined by state law,
shall be immediately suspended and dismissed subject to the provision. If the dismissal of the
teacher is upheld by the Board of Education and court reviews, the Superintendent will notify in
writing the revocation proceedings under applicable rules of the Tennessee Board of Education.
For details regarding appeals and related procedures for dismissal of tenured personnel, please
see full policy. Policy GBNA
RESIGNATIONS
Classified Employees. Classified personnel shall give the immediate supervisor written notice
of resignation at least two (2) weeks (ten (10) working days) in advance of the effective date of
voluntary termination. The ten (10) working days may be waived by the Superintendent or
designee for justifiable reason. The immediate supervisor shall forward copies of written notice
the day received to the Human Resources Department. The payroll office will prepare final
payment for the next appropriate scheduled pay day. Policy GCO
Teachers / Certified Employees. A teacher shall give the Superintendent notice of resignation
at least thirty (30) days before the effective date of the resignation. A teacher, who fails to give
such notice, in the absence of justifiable extenuating circumstances, shall forfeit all tenure
status. The Board of Education may waive the thirty (30) days’ notice requirement and permit a
teacher to resign in good standing.
The conditions under which it is permissible to break an employment agreement with the Board
are as follows:
1. The incapaci
ty on the part of the teacher to perform the employment agreement as
evidenced by the certified statement of a physician approved by the Board of
Education;
2. The release
by the Board of the teacher from the employment agreement which the
teacher has entered into with the Board.
Any teacher on leave shall notify the Superintendent in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to
the date of return if the teacher does not intend to return to the position from which he has taken
leave. Failure to render such notice may be considered a breach of employment agreement.
Upon a breach of employment agreement, the Board of Education may file a complaint with the
Commissioner and request the suspension of a teacher’s certificate for no less than 30 and up
to 365 days. Please see policy for full details on appeal process and procedures related to this
action. Policy GBO
RETIREMENT
Classified Employees. Retirement shall mean a termination of services under conditions which
will allow the employee to draw benefits from the Knox County Retirement and Pension Office.
Employees must meet and/or complete paperwork with the Knox County Retirement and
Pension Office in order to receive retirement benefits. Benefits personnel shall assist employees
with the continuation of benefits of life, health, dental and vision insurance by meeting with them
and helping them complete all of their paperwork. Classified employees must wa
it 90
calendar
days from the date of their last paycheck and approval of the Knox County Retirement and
Pension Board before they can apply to work as a retiree. Retired Classified employees
drawing a monthly check are limited to 720 hours of work within the district in a calendar year.
Teachers / Certified Employees. Retirement shall mean a termination of services under
conditions which will allow the employee to draw benefits from the TCRS. Employees eligible for
retirement benefits may elect to retire at any age with 30 years of service or at age 60 with at
least 5 years of service without a penalty according to the provisions of TCRS. Employee
Benefits personnel shall assist employees in securing retirement benefits by meeting with them
and completing all of their paperwork.
Retired certified employees must wait 60 days from their last day of work before they can return
to work. During a twelve-month period, retired teachers may not work more than one-hundred
and twenty (120) days or the equivalent; i.e. 900 hours for employees based on a 7.5 hour work
day or 930 hours based on a 7.75 hour work day. However, if the Superintendent certifies in
writing to the Board of Education that no other qualified personnel are available to substitute
teach, the retired member may work a total of 210 days during the twelv
e-mon
th period if
employed as a substitute teacher. Policy GBQ
APPENDIX – EMPLOYEE FORMS
The following list includes frequently used human resources forms. The electronic version is
hyperlinked to actual locations on the website. Please go to
http://forms.intranet.knoxschools.org or www.knoxschools.org/benefits
for complete list of
documents.
GENERAL HUMAN RESOURCES FORMS
Physician's Verification of Illness and/or Maternity Leave (HR-102)
Unpaid Leave of Absence (HR-104)
Tuition Assistance Program Guidelines and Application (HR-146AB)
Signing Bonus Agreement (HR-148)
Resignation (HR-147)
Employee Name & Address Change (HR-112)
BENEFITS FORMS
Health Insurance Enrollment Change Form
Form required for employee to enroll in health coverage (due to qualifying event), add
dependents, terminate coverage or terminate dependent coverage.
Health Insurance Cancellation Form
This form must be completed to terminate coverage when an employee has a qualifying event
or during open enrollment. It is not the form to use to cancel a dependent due to a divorce or
child reaching the age of 26.
Vision Enrollment-Change Form
Vision Enrollment/Change form - Employees complete this form to add or remove vision
coverage.
Flexible Spending Account Enrollment Form
Enrollment Form to enroll in the flexible medical spending account or in dependent care.
Flexible Spending Account Reimbursement Form
Form required if an employee pays for an eligible expense and does NOT use FSA account
debit card.
Supplemental Insurance Payroll Deduction-Change Authorization
Form required add, change, or terminate the payroll deduction for a supplemental insurance
policy.
Certified Retirement Intent Letter - 90 Day Notice
Intent to retire letter required 90 contract days in advance of retirement commencement date to
qualify for sick leave incentive.
Classified Retirement Intent Letter - 100 Day Notice
Intent to retire letter required 100 days in advance of retirement commencement date to qualify
for sick leave incentive.
Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System - Beneficiary Change Form
Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System - Temporary Employment Report
Knox County Pension Plan - Beneficiary Change Form
Beneficiary Change form
Knox County Pension Plan - Payroll Contribution Change Form
ING Reliastar Enrollment/Beneficiary Change Form
Insurance form used to enroll or change life insurance coverage or beneficiaries.
Tax Shelter Payroll Deduction/Change Authorization Form
Form used to add or change the amount of money an employee places in their 403B or 457 tax
shelter plan.
Workers’ Comp Injury Report
First report of injury
Workers’ Comp Medical Release Form
Medical release for workers’ compensation
