Series 4000: District Employment

A. General

For purposes of this Policy, “day” is defined as at least 6 hours and “year” is defined as July 1 to June 30.

B. Teachers

The District provides professional development for teachers in compliance with state law. At the District’s discretion and consistent with state law, professional development hours may be counted as student instructional hours, although the instructional calendar may be extended if necessary for the District to receive full state aid under federal or state law. To facilitate professional development, the District may provide a substitute, reimburse conference expenses or registration fees, or provide release time for attendance. Professional development may include working in professional learning communities or examining student data.

The District must document the following information:

• dates when professional development was provided;

• beginning and ending times; and

• topic(s) presented to participating teachers on each date.

The Superintendent or designee has the discretion to select topics for professional development. For each day that professional development is provided, the District must retain at least one of the following:

• sign-in/out sheet;

• attendance log;

• flyer/notices announcing the event;

• agenda/meeting minutes;

• travel voucher(s);

• food receipt(s); or

• District calendar (dates indicated).

The District will record teacher attendance, including probationary teachers, at professional development on the prescribed form published by MDE or a modified form designed to assist teachers with tracking their professional development for teacher certification renewal.

In addition to the State-mandated professional development, the District is required by state law to provide 15 days of professional development to new teachers in their first 3 years of classroom teaching. Professional development should, where appropriate, align with the teacher’s individual development plan.

C. Professional Staff

Professional staff are to participate in professional development as required under state law or the respective professional standards consistent with the professional’s position. Professional development may be on a local, state, or national level. Superintendent or designee pre-approval is required before attending professional development.

D. Maintaining Certifications and Licenses

Teachers, Non-Teaching Professionals, Administrators, and the Superintendent must comply with professional development or continuing education obligations to maintain certifications or licenses, including the payment of any related fees. The District is not obligated to notify professionals that certifications or licenses are expiring.

E. Other Employees 

The District may offer in-services or training on a mandatory or voluntary basis to other employees. If a training is mandated, employees will be paid and, if applicable, released for that time. If the District employs bus drivers, bus drivers will be paid for training time to keep a commercial driver’s license (CDL) current.

Legal authority: MCL 257.312e, 257.1801 et seq.; MCL 380.1231, 380.1233, 380.1233a, 380.1233b, 380.1233c, 380.1246, 380.1526, 380.1527, 380.1531, 380.1536; MCL 388.1674, 388.1763

Date adopted: 08/09/2021

Dated revised: 06/19/2023