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Job Sharing

Brockton Public Schools

January 2008

Definition: Job sharing shall be defined as the allocation of the duties, salary, and benefits of one full time teaching position between two teachers such that the cost of the job sharing does not exceed the cost of one teacher. The division of these duties shall be according to the terms set forth below. Please note: the term "teacher" applies to any BEA member.

1. Teachers interested in job sharing shall submit a written proposal to the Superintendent or his/her designee and the appropriate building Principal no later than March 1 of the school year preceding the school year during which the job is to be shared.
The proposal shall identify the following:
The position to be shared.
.....The manner in which the job is to be shared; for example, the percentage of the job each is to work. A daily and/or weekly work schedule.
.....Because the intent is the cost of the job share shall not exceed the cost of one teacher, the one teacher who may receive the insurance benefits (health, dental and life insurance) must be identified.
.....Any other relevant information. For example: how teachers will communicate with each other; how preparation periods will be divided.
2. No more than ten (10) job sharing assignments shall be approved by the Superintendent in one school year.
3. The proposal shall be reviewed by the Superintendent and/or his/her designee and the appropriate building Principal. The teacher(s) shall be notified in writing of their decision no later than March 15. The decision by the Superintendent whether or not to allow the job sharing proposal shall not be grieveable or arbitrable.
4. The BEA will review the accepted proposal(s) for contractual compliance issues.

If the proposal is approved, the following conditions shall apply:
1. Both teachers shall work the first day of the teachers' work year. Both teachers shall work the first, second, and last day of the student year.
2. Both teachers shall attend the contractual Open House evening.
3. Both teachers shall attend all contractual parent conferences.
4. Both teachers shall mark report cards together and attend conferences together.
5. Both teachers shall work a full day on In-service days.
6. Both teachers shall attend 504/ IEP Team meetings and / or share pertinent information.
7. Both teachers shall attend contractual monthly meetings
8. Both teachers will attend staff and In-service meetings as a team. If one teacher is unable to attend such meeting, the other teacher will represent the team.
9. In the event that one of the teachers is absent, the other teacher shall make every reasonable effort to cover the class. On such days, the partner shall be paid his/her per diem rate of pay.
10. The partner teachers shall be entitled to all contractual rights and privileges. Where applicable, salaries and benefits shall be pro-rated.
11. The job sharing arrangement shall last not less than one school year. In the event that one job sharing teacher leaves the assignment for any reason, the other job sharer will assume all duties full-time with appropriate adjustment made to salary and benefits.
12. Participation in a job sharing assignment shall be voluntary.
13. Job sharing assignments shall be reviewed yearly by the appropriate Principal. The continuation of the job sharing assignment shall be dependent upon the Principal's recommendation to the Superintendent. If a job sharing assignment is to be discontinued, the job-sharing partners shall be notified in writing by May 15.
14. Job share participants who work less than 50% of a teacher's schedule may not contribute to the Mass. Teachers' Retirement System; therefore, that time working will not count toward retirement. The participants will instead contribute to the Brockton Public School OBRA/FICA Alternative Plan.
15. Since teachers do not have ½ days, job share participant's sick days will be counted as whole days. The same will apply to personal days, professional days, legal days, etc.
16. No job share participants shall be allowed to job share more than two years in a row if there are other applications pending which have been approved by the Principal and the Superintendent and which meet all the above requirements.
17. Existing job share participants must reapply on a yearly basis.
18. Existing job share participants shall be given preference for a second consecutive year so long as the assignment has been approved by the Principal and the Superintendent and meet all the above requirements.
19. Promotional or administrative positions which are approved as job share assignments must be shared by individuals holding comparable promotional or administrative positions. Existing job share participants currently sharing promotional or administrative assignments will be "grandfathered" and excluded from this provision.
20. Upon the completion of a job share assignment, job share participants will be assigned to the same position which she/he held at the time said job share assignment commenced, if available, or if not, to a substantially equivalent position.
21. If, in the opinion of the building Principal, the job sharing assignment is not working to his/her satisfaction, the Principal, the two teachers, and the Executive Director of Human Resources will work together to attempt to find an alternative placement for one of the teachers, and one teacher, to be identified by the Principal, will remain in the position but will assume the position on a full-time basis. In no case will a new teaching position be created for either of the two teachers.
22. In the event that there are more approved job share applicants than there are job share slots available, the following process will be followed:
     A. Applicants for a second year continuation, new applicants, and applicants who have completed two years of a job share will be selected through a lottery system.
     B. Applicants who have completed one year of a job share will have first preference using the lottery system.
     C. New applicants will have second preference using the lottery system.
     D. Applicants completing two years of a job share will have third preference using the lottery system.
23. The negotiating team of the BEA voted on April 27, 2006, that members returning from a job sharing position would be considered for placement immediately after involuntary transfers and returns from leaves of absence.
24. If the two job share teachers decide to end the job share arrangement the following process will be used to fill the job share position:
The teacher who originally held the full time position will have the right to assume the full time position. If neither teacher held the full time position, the teacher with the most seniority will have the right to assume the full time position. The second teacher will work with the Human Resources Office to find a placement for the next school year.

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