Employment

Employment

Faculty members at St. Patrick School are hired on an annual school year contract. Each year the School decides whether to offer a contract for the following year. However, the School stands committed to providing the Faculty member with opportunity to establish and develop a career at the School.

Certification

All Faculty will be certified for their position of hire in the State of Washington. If the administration deems it necessary to make an exception to this rule, the time allowed for the employee in question to acquire certification should be specifically so stated in that individual’s contract.

Faculty Contracts

Faculty contracts for full time Teachers are created by the Diocese of Spokane School Office and are typically distributed in May. Faculty contracts for part-time Teachers are issued as staffing needs for the following year are clarified.

A full time or a part-time Faculty member has the following responsibilities:

• To make certain he/she is in the correct column for education and years of teaching experience on the Teacher Salary Scale.
• To make certain he/she is correctly located and has the correct number of years of experience on the co-curricular salary/stipend schedule.
• To make certain that the number of years of teaching, coaching and/or moderating at St. Patrick School are correctly entered.
• To make certain new credits or degrees are submitted to the Principal by September 1 of each academic year in order to receive compensation for that same school year.
• To make certain a copy of his/her current, valid Washington State Teacher’s Certificate, Counselor Certificate and/or Administrator Certificate is on file in the school office. The contract is not valid unless current certification and other verification documents are present in the school files.

The deadline for signing and returning one’s contract is 10 working days after receiving the contract. A written request for an extension beyond the 10 working days is to be submitted to the Principal for consideration prior to the deadline.

Assignment/Reassignment

Faculty assignments and appropriate duties are defined and designated by the Principal (in consultation with the appropriate Team Leader, if needed) and reassessed on an ongoing basis.

Changing Positions

All open position within the school will be open to the public. St. Patrick Catholic School desires to hire the most qualified person for any and all positions. All staff members might apply for open positions alongside other applicants.

Part-Time Positions

St. Patrick Catholic School has a general preference for full-time Teachers over part-time teachers. This can vary in individual cases. Teacher hours and assignments for part-time Teachers can vary widely from year to year. It is frequently difficult to predict the number of hours and classes for part-time Teachers until very late in the hiring process.

Compensation

Employees are compensated based upon degree and years of experience. For certificated and Early Learning Center personnel, please refer to the diocesan salary scale. Additional duties may be compensated by a stipend.

Only certificated personnel sign a Contract, all other employees sign a yearly Letter of Hire.

Cancellation

Neither party may cancel the contract, unless mutually agreed upon, except as otherwise provided in the contract or the St. Patrick Catholic School Employee handbook.

Employee Status

Regular Employees

All full time employees should attend and participate in Faculty and other professional meetings during or outside of regular school hours, as required by school. All full time Faculty should actively participate in workshops, retreats, courses indicated by the Principal for personal development and greater knowledge of and commitment to Catholic ideas, theology, and traditions.

All part time employees should participate in the same manner, but the percentage of their time commitment will be at least as much as their FTE. Employees should be moving to the highest levels of development and/or certification.

Temporary Employees

Temporary employees are hired for a specified period of time. Temporary employees are covered under State Industrial Insurance and Social Security, but are not eligible for other school-sponsored benefits. Credit for temporary service is granted if the employee converts to regular status with no break in service.

Substitute Faculty Members

Substitute Faculty members are hired on an hourly basis. Substitutes are covered under State Industrial Insurance and Social Security, but are not eligible for other School-sponsored benefits.

Team Leaders

The Principal appoints the Team Lead initially for a term of one year, then for two renewable terms of three years. This person assists the administration in initial interview of prospective teacher candidates, assigning and supervising current Faculty, establishing and evaluating curriculum, selecting teaching materials, and fostering staff development opportunities for department members. The Team Lead provides input for the weekly cabinet and faculty meeting agenda.

Team Leads will prepare the weekly team meetings, and will provide a written report to the Principal. For more details, see the Team Leader Job Description.

Professional Growth and Responsibilities

Professional growth is a fundamental aspect of mutual stewardship to be exercised by the school administration and Faculty. The following are policies of St. Patrick School. Many coincide now with State Requirements.

Curriculum Development

The Spokane Diocese reevaluates a part of the curriculum on an annual basis. Teachers are invited to participate in this process.

Academic Expectations

Each Teacher is expected:

• To have a current teaching credential with appropriate endorsements;
• To remain current in his/her particular discipline. This is usually 15 hours within every three year period;
• To attain an appropriate master’s degree or be diligently pursuing such a degree;
• To grow in understanding of the Catholic Faith.

 

Professional Credentials

Teachers may fulfill the above requirements by opting for credential programs in administration, curriculum design, Ed psychology, etc. St. Patrick Catholic School encourages an employee’s school-related professional growth.

Serving Our Diverse Populations

We serve an increasingly diverse population. Teachers and the school should strive to find ways to better serve our students.

Non-School Employment

Full time employees of St. Patrick Catholic School are not free to engage in non-school related employment during the school year. If an employee feels there are some exceptional circumstances, the employee should speak with the Principal of the school to obtain written exception to this policy. The Principal does not need to grant the exception. Among other concerns of the Principal will be that it is not in conflict with the values of the School and does not interfere with the effective exercise of the Faculty member’s duties.

Tutoring Your Own Students

Teachers should never accept compensation for tutoring their own students. After school has dismissed for the summer, they should not accept compensation for tutoring students they have had during the school year just finished.

If the Teacher believes there is a reason for an exemption, they should talk to the Principal who may or may not permit an exception. This exception must be in writing and signed by the Principal and the Teacher before the permission takes effect.

Fundraising

St. Patrick Catholic School has a Development Program and for this reason Teachers are not allowed to fundraise or ask for money without prior written permission of the Principal.