005.28.20 Ark. Code R. § 011 - DESE Rules Governing the Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program
ARKANSAS DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION RULES GOVERNING THE ARKANSAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM
Effective July 3, 2020
1.00
AUTHORITY
The State Board of Education promulgates these Rules pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §§ 6-11-105, 6-17-2501 et seq., and 25-11-201 et seq.
2.00
PURPOSE OF
RULES
The purpose of these rules is to implement and establish the process governing the Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program.
3.00
DEFINITIONS
3.01 "In residence" means working exclusively
with the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education ("Division") at a
location agreed upon between the Division and the Teacher of the
Year.
3.02 "School district board
of directors" means the local board of directors of a school district, which
are duly elected and qualified to hold office pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §
6-13-608 et seq.
3.03
"Superintendent" means the executive officer of a school district board of
directors directing the affairs of the school district and teaching not more
than one-half (1/2) of the time in the school day.
3.04 "Teacher" means a person who holds a
license under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-401 et seq. and is engaged in student
contact for more than seventy percent (70%) of the person's contracted
time.
4.00
IMPLEMENTATION
4.01 The Division
shall develop a process for selecting the Arkansas Teacher of the Year. This
process shall work in conjunction with and in support of the process for
selecting a National Teacher of the Year.
4.02 The process shall allow that each
Arkansas school district board of directors may submit a single applicant for
the Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
4.03 The applicants shall be reduced to
sixteen (16) finalists representing one (1) applicant for each of the fifteen
(15) education service areas and one (1) applicant for school districts in
Pulaski County.
4.04 In submitting
an application for Arkansas Teacher of the Year, a school district agrees that
if its applicant is selected, the district shall place the teacher on paid
administrative leave for the school year immediately following his or her
selection, as provided in Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-2504.
4.05 While on paid administrative leave, the
Arkansas Teacher of the Year shall Work-in-Residence with the Division to:
4.05.1 Create professional development
programs for other teachers;
4.05.2
Provide educational technical assistance to students and teachers
statewide;
4.05.3 Enhance the
Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program; and
4.05.4 Enhance the quality of elementary and
secondary education in Arkansas; and
4.05.5 Represent the state in the National
Teacher of the Year competition.
4.06 During the school year in which a school
district's teacher of the year is on paid administrative leave, the Division
shall reimburse the school district as provided in Ark. Code Ann. §
6-17-2505.
5.00
SCHOOL DISTRICT'S RESPONSIBILITIES
5.01 Any school district whose applicant is
selected as Arkansas Teacher of the Year shall place that teacher on paid
administrative leave for the school year immediately following the teacher's
selection as Arkansas Teacher of the Year for the time period that the teacher
actually serves as the Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
5.02 The teacher shall be entitled to return
to her or his former employment with the school district in the same or similar
position with no loss of pay, benefits, and seniority for the school year
following the paid administrative leave provided and shall not suffer loss of
pay, position, benefits, and seniority simply due to the fact the teacher
fulfilled her or his obligations as Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
5.03 The school district shall be responsible
for providing a replacement teacher or restructuring class loads during the
school year in which the teacher selected as Arkansas Teacher of the Year is on
administrative leave.
5.04 Any
school district that employs a substitute teacher to replace a teacher of the
year shall not be subject to any earning limitations set in place by law or the
Arkansas teacher retirement system.
5.05 Each school district teacher contract
shall reflect the administrative leave provisions for any teacher selected as
Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
6.00
DIVISION'S RESPONSIBILITIES
6.01 During the school year in which a school
district's teacher of the year is on paid administrative leave, the Division
shall reimburse the school district for:
6.01.1 The teacher's salary and benefits;
and
6.01.2 Incidental expenses
incurred by a teacher of the year as a result of his or her participation in
the teacher of the year program.
6.01.3 All incidental expenses shall be
approved by the Division.
6.02 The Division shall be responsible for
the reimbursement of any incidental expenses incurred by the Teacher of the
Year during the implementation of the program for the current year.
6.03 The Division may receive private
donations, grants or other forms of assistance to help fund any aspect of the
Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program.
7.00
NON-VOTING MEMBER OF THE STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION
7.01 While serving
as Arkansas Teacher of the Year, the Teacher of the Year also shall serve in an
advisory position as a non-voting member to the Arkansas State Board of
Education.
7.02 The Arkansas
Teacher of the Year shall provide a written advisory report to the State Board
of Education on how to better provide teacher professional development and
student instruction assistance for Arkansas public school teachers.
7.03 The Arkansas Teacher of the Year shall
not be entitled to any compensation or per-diem for serving as a non-voting
member of the State Board.
7.04 As
a non-voting member of the state board, the Arkansas Teacher of the Year shall
be immune from any liability with regard to any act or omission of the State
Board.
Notes
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