Draft:25-Sep-02
Final: 15-Apr-03

This Agreement entered into this 1st day of July 2002 by and between the Board of Vocational Education, the County of Cumberland, New Jersey, hereinafter called the "Board", and Cumberland County Vocational Technical Education Association, hereafter called the "Association".

1. Secretarial Work Year

Twelve month secretaries shall work all weekdays inclusive of September 1 through June 30 of the school year with the exception of the days listed in the school calendar as holidays for teaching staff members. During the month of July secretarial staff members shall have Independence Day as a scheduled holiday.

Twelve month custodians shall work all weekdays inclusive of September 1 through June 30 of the school year, with the exception of fourteen (14) holidays to be scheduled by the administration in conjunction with the school calendar. Two (2) of such scheduled holidays shall include the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. During the month of July custodial staff shall have Independence Day as a scheduled holiday.

b. Non-instructional aides hired after July 1, 1999 work the days that students are present. Current non-instructional aides James and Sooy continue to work the teacher calendar.

2. Pay shall be at the Extra Hourly Rate in Exhibit V.
3. If a custodian is assigned by the Administration to work on a Sunday or on one of the fourteen (14) holidays established by the Board, one and one-half (1½) times the Extra Hourly Rate shall apply.
4. It is a necessary part of the job description of custodial and maintenance employees to respond to call-backs for weather related problems. Employees who do not respond may only do so based upon documented illness or emergency.

NOTE: Compensatory Time – LPN staff : the current practice of granting compensatory time to LPH staff shall be continued. If the Superintendent does not grant requested compensatory days, LPN staff will paid for those days at their current per diem rate.

2004-2005 $2,050

Each unit member shall be placed on his/her proper step of the salary guide as of the beginning of the school year. Any teacher employed prior to February 1 of any school year shall be given full credit for one (1) year of service toward the next increment step for the following year with the approval of the Superintendent in accordance with "D" below.

Whereas the State of New Jersey has provided direction and funding for the first year of the mentoring of traditionally prepared novice teachers, special education novice teachers and alternate route novice teachers pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6:11-14 et seq, and;

Whereas the Administrative Code in § 14.8(d) provides direction for the uses of such State funding, and;

Whereas the Board and the Association desire to provide direction for the mentoring program and the use of such funds within this school district, therefore;

Be it agreed that the district will comply with N.J.A.C. 6:11-14 et seq in establishing a mentor program and selecting mentors for novice teachers within the district, and;

Be it agreed that as long as the State of New Jersey provides funding to the district for use in the first year mentoring of novice teachers, the Board agrees that it will reimburse novice teachers for up to $550 in mentoring costs and alternate route novice teachers up to $1,000 in alternate route mentoring costs, and;

Be it further agreed that should the State of New Jersey increase its first year funding or expand its funding to a second year of mentoring, the parties shall meet to discuss any cost reimbursement arrangement, and;

Be it further agreed that such reimbursement shall take place subsequent to the successful completion of the novice or alternate route teachers’ first year of employment within the district, and;

It is also agreed that should the State of New Jersey fail to fund the mentoring program, the reimbursement of mentoring fees shall cease pursuant to this agreement and the provisions of Article XVIII:B.6 of the collective bargaining agreement shall control.

Teachers shall be notified of their contract and salary status for the coming year according to law, currently May 15^th.

Teachers shall only be assigned to teach in areas for which they hold a teaching certificate issued by the New Jersey State Board of Examiners.

B. Traveling Expenses

Employees who may be required to use their own automobiles in the performance of their duties and employees who are assigned to more than one (1) school per day shall be reimbursed for all such travel at the rate established by the IRS for all driving done between arrival at the first location at the beginning of their workday, provided, however, that if the distance from the home of the employee to his first location or from his last location to his home is greater than the distance between the home of the employee and his base school, he shall be reimbursed for the difference at the rate established by the IRS. There shall be no reimbursement for commuting from the home to the job.

B. Promotional positions are defined as follows: Positions on the administrator-supervisory levels of responsibility.

1. Date of Posting

When school is in session, a notice shall be posted in each school as far in advance as practical, ordinarily at least thirty (30) school days before the final date when applications must be submitted and in no event less than fifteen (15) school days before such date. A copy of said notice shall be given to the Association President at the time of posting. Employees who desire to apply for such vacancies shall submit their applications in writing to the Superintendent within the time limit specified in the notice, and the Superintendent shall acknowledge promptly in writing, the receipt of all such applications.




2. Application Procedure

Employees who desire to apply for a promotional position which may be filled during the summer period when school is not regularly in session shall submit their name to the Superintendent together with the position(s) for which they desire to apply. The Superintendent shall notify the Association of any vacancy. Such notice shall be sent as far in advance as practical.

C. Criteria for Notice

In both situations set forth in Section A. above, the qualifications for the position, its duties, and the rate of compensation, shall be clearly set forth.

D. Notification

All qualified employees shall be given adequate opportunity to make application and no position shall be filled until all properly submitted applications have been considered. Appointments shall be posted in the schools or notification shall be given to all interested employees. Announcement of appointments shall be made by posting a list in the office of the central administration and in each school building. The list shall be given to the Association and will indicate which positions have been filled and by whom.

1. The Board will comply with the New Jersey Administrative Code.

2. General Criteria

a. All monitoring or observations of the work performance of a teacher shall be conducted openly and with full knowledge of the teacher. The use of eavesdropping, public address, cameras, audio systems, and similar surveillance devices shall be strictly prohibited.

b. Evaluation Procedures

(1) Pre-evaluation conference shall be held with the evaluator.

(2) The post evaluation conference between the teacher and the evaluator shall beheld within five (5) school days after the evaluation.

(3) A draft copy of the completed evaluation shall be presented to the teacher within three (3) school days following the observation.

(4) Within ten (10) school days of the post evaluation conference, the employee may submit a rebuttal to be attached to the evaluation.

c. No teacher shall be required to sign a blank or incomplete evaluation form.

3. Assistance for Teachers

Within any one (1) week, a teacher who shall so request shall be granted at least thirty (30) minutes of counseling with his/her immediate supervisor. Such meetings shall be scheduled within the teacher work day and the teacher released from other duties.

B. Support Staff Evaluations

1. Support Staff shall be evaluated by their immediate supervisor according to the following schedule:

a. Secretaries:

Non-tenured - a minimum of two (2) times per year.
Tenured - a minimum of one (1) time per year.

b. Custodians and Aides:

4. Within ten (10) school days of the post evaluation conference, the employee may submit a rebuttal to be attached to the evaluation.





C. Personnel Records

1. File

An employee shall have the right, upon request, to review the contents of his/her personnel file and to receive one copy, at Board expense, of any document contained therein. An employee shall be entitled to have representative(s) of the Association accompany him/her during such reviews.

2. Derogatory Material

No material derogatory to an employee's conduct, service, character or personality shall be placed in his/her personnel file unless the employee has had an opportunity to review the material. The employee shall receive a copy of all derogatory material to be placed in his/her file and shall acknowledge receipt of said copy by affixing his/her signature to the file copy. Refusal to do so shall constitute grounds for disciplinary action. The employees shall also have the right to submit a written answer to such material and his/her answer shall be reviewed by the Superintendent or his designee and attached to the file copy.

3. No Separate File

Although the Board agrees to protect the confidentiality of personal references, academic credentials and other similar documents, it shall not establish any separate personnel file which is not available for the employee's inspection.

D. Termination of Employment

Whenever possible, the final evaluation of a teaching staff member who resigns or is terminated, shall be completed prior to thirty (30) days before the teaching staff member's last day of work. No materials shall be included in the teaching staff member's personnel file other than in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

Should the Board of Education wish to include materials in the personnel file of a former teaching staff member who has resigned or was terminated, subsequent to the teaching staff member's last day of work, a copy of said material shall be forwarded by certified mail to the last known address of the former teaching staff member.

As of September 1, 1976, all teachers employed shall be entitled to one (1) sick day per working month--10 months - 10 sick leave days per school year as of the first official day of said school year whether or not they report for duty on that day. All teaching staff members employed on a ten plus one (10+1) month basis shall be entitled to eleven (11) sick days per school year. Unused sick leave days shall be accumulated from year to year with no maximum limit. All support staff members employed on a twelve (12) month basis shall receive twelve (12) sick days. Less than full time employees shall receive sick leave and personal time pro-rated in relationship to their fractional work year. This provision does not apply to part-time hourly employees.

B. Non-Accumulative Sick Leave

Non-accumulative additional sick leave benefits may be allowed to employees upon due consideration by the Board of Vocational Education.

C. Notification of Accumulation

Employees shall be given a written accounting of accumulated sick leave days no later than October 30 of each school year.

D. Retirement

The Board will pay for accumulated unused sick leave, at retirement under one of the definitions promulgated by the T.P.A.F., for an employee with fifteen (15) years or more of service within the district pursuant to the following:

CERTIFICATED STAFF MEMBERS

[1] To qualify for payment for unused sick leave at retirement under the terms outlined in [2], the certificated employee must have a minimum accumulation of one hundred (100) sick leave days.

[2] If a certificated employee provides notice of a retirement no later than two hundred (200) calendar days prior to the effective date of the retirement, the daily rate for compensation for separation pay shall be seventy-five dollars ($75) for the first one-hundred (100) days and one hundred dollars ($100) for each additional day up to the maximum number of days outlined in [1] above. [maximum pay out $17,500]

[a-1] employees who retire by December 31^st of a school year are eligible for payment for one-half (½) of their total for unused sick leave on February 1^st of the school year during which they retire.
[a-2] said employees shall receive the second one-half (½) payment on January 1^st one (1) year following actual retirement.
[b-1] employees who retire by June 30^th of a school year are eligible for payment for one-half (½) of their total for unused sick leave on July 1^st of the school year following the year of actual retirement.
[b-2] said employees shall receive the second one-half (½) payment on July 1^st one (1) year following actual retirement

[4] A certificated employee who has provided notice of retirement pursuant to [2] above and who utilizes incidental sick leave after the acceptance by the Board of the notice of retirement that is not supported by verification of the medical necessity for such leave from a qualified physician shall have his/her full per diem rate deducted from the payment for unused sick leave entitlement under [2] for each day the employee is absent.

[5] If a certificated employee fails to provided the notice required in [2] above, or if the employee does not have 100 accumulated sick leave days, accumulated days for certificated employees shall be reimbursed at forty-five dollars ($45) per day for a maximum pay out of $3,750. Said payment shall be made subsequent to July 1^st of the school year following the year in which the employee actually retires.

[6] If an employee dies after having his/her notice of retirement accepted by the Board, but prior to the completion of payments for unused sick leave, the payments due shall be paid to the employee’s estate pursuant to the schedule outlined in [3] or [5] above.

[1] Employees shall be reimbursed at forty-five dollars ($45) per day for a maximum pay out of $3,750. Said payment shall be made subsequent to July 1^st of the school year following the year in which the employee actually retires.

[6] If an employee dies after having his/her notice of retirement accepted by the Board, but prior to the completion of payments for unused sick leave, the payments due shall be paid to the employee’s estate.

b. One day leave for death of any other relative or a close friend.

C. Family Illness Leave

1. For 2003-2004, an employee who has unused personal days at the end of the 2002-2003 school year may establish an initial family illness bank with up to two (2) of those days by transferring said days to a family illness bank.

2. At the end of 2003-2004, the employee may transfer, at his/her discretion, up to two (2) unused personal days (from the 02-03 year) into the family illness bank, to create a maximum of four (4) available days for the 2004-2005 school year.

3. At the end of each succeeding academic year, the employee may transfer, at his/her discretion, up to two (2) unused personal days into the family illness bank, to create or retain a maximum of five (5) available days for the ensuing school year.

4. Any unused personal days that are not transferred to the family illness bank will accumulate as unused sick leave pursuant to Article XVI:A.1.d.

5. The maximum number of days that may be included in the available family illness leave bank is five (5).

6. Once leave days have been transferred to the “family illness leave” bank, such days may not be transferred back to sick leave and shall not be eligible for reimbursement at retirement pursuant to Article XV:D.

7. The maximum number of “family illness leave” days that may be utilized by an employee in any one school year is five (5).

8. Family illness days may be utilized for illness of the employee’s spouse, child, or parent. The employee must provide medical verification of the need for them to utilize such a day within forty-eight (48) hours after their return to work.

used consecutively to a maximum absence of seven (7) consecutive work days. Denial of such approval shall not be subject to the grievance procedure herein outlined.

10. The Business Office shall create a form upon which the employee shall indicate the number of unused personal days, if any, he/she wishes to transfer to the “family illness leave” bank at the end of the school year. The employee shall complete, sign and submit the form on a schedule to be determined by the Business Office. Failure to submit the form according to the required procedure shall result in forfeiture of the right to transfer leave to the “family illness leave” bank for the coming school year.

11. Use of leave under this provision does not affect state or federal family leave entitlements.

12. Each employee will be provided with a yearly accounting of his/her family illness bank at the same time sick leave is accounted for.

2. Any tenured staff member granted leave shall, upon return from leave, be restored to the position vacated at the commencement of said leave if possible, or to a substantially equivalent position.

3. Benefits

All benefits to which an employee was entitled at the time of her leave of absence shall be restored upon her return. Full medical benefits shall be granted for ninety (90) days after unpaid leave starts. The employee may purchase benefits after ninety (90) days, at the group rate.

4. Extensions and Renewals

All extensions or renewals of leaves shall be applied for and granted in writing.

The Board agrees to pay the full cost of tuition incurred in connection with any courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, in-service training sessions, or other such sessions that a staff member attends with Administrative approval. He/She will be compensated according to Schedule "B" if on a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday. VICA and student activities are excluded.

B. College Credit Reimbursement

1. The Board agrees to reimburse certificated employees for the cost of tuition for college courses, beyond permanent certification requirement, that are satisfactorily passed.

2. Coursework for certificated staff needs prior approval of the Superintendent and must be credits in Education or in the area of certification/job responsibility.

3. Coursework for non-certificated staff needs prior approval of the Superintendent and must be directly related to the employee’s area of job responsibility.

4. Verification of all courses satisfactorily passed shall be submitted by October 1 each year, following the academic year in which courses are taken. The Board shall not reimburse for any courses taken that are subject to reimbursement by other agencies.

5. Maximum reimbursement amounts:

Certificated Staff 2002-2003 $1,500
2003-2004 $1,500

2004-2005 $1,750

Support Staff 2002-2005 Secretaries $1,000
Custodians $ 500
Instructional Aides $1,000

C. Teaching staff members who take non-degree courses (for certificates or for technical skills enhancement) that are directly related to the teacher’s instructional responsibility, shall be reimbursed up to one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 and one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars ($1,750) for 2004-2005 for course fees only. Travel, lodging, and food expenses are not eligible for reimbursement. Packaged courses that include lodging and food expenses as part of the package, may be submitted to the Superintendent for consideration for reimbursement within the maximum allowable amount. The teaching staff member seeking reimbursement for such course work must receive written approval from the Superintendent prior to taking the course and must submit a written report to the Superintendent regarding the value of the course to the teacher’s instructional responsibilities, prior to reimbursement.

D. Part-time employees are eligible for tuition and course reimbursement on a pro-rated basis equivalent to their employment status.

E. Employees serving on a local, county or state professional development committee shall be eligible of release time for these activities at the discretion of the Superintendent.

1. As of the beginning of the school year, the Board shall provide the health care insurance protection known as the State Health Benefits Plan coverage with the HMO option. The Board shall pay the full premium for each eligible unit member and in cases where appropriate, for family plan insurance coverage.

2. Effective as soon as possible, the Board shall provide the New Jersey State Prescription Plan. The Board's contribution towards the cost of that plan shall be capped at:

2002-2003 $1,500

2003-2004 $1,650

2004-2005 $1,800

2002-2003 $ 615
2003-2004 $ 665
2004-2005 $ 665

c. The choice of carriers for the dental and optical plans is reserved to the Board of Education as long as benefit levels and administration of the plans are substantially equivalent. The plans offered shall be:

5. Employees hired after October 17, 1997 shall not be eligible for dental or optical coverage until the start of their third (3^rd) consecutive year of employment within the District.

6. Effective July 1, 2003, new employees hired on Step 7 or above of the salary guide shall be entitled to medical and prescription coverage pursuant to Article XIX:A.1 and A.2 and single dental and single optical coverage until the start of the employee’s third [3rd] year of employment.

7. Effective July 1, 2003, new employees hired on Step 6 or below of the salary guide shall be entitled to medical and prescription coverage pursuant to Article XIX:A.1. and A.2. Dental and optical coverage shall be pursuant to Article XIX:A.5 unless the employee reaches Step 7 of the salary guide prior to his/her third [3rd] consecutive year of employment.

The Board shall provide to each employee a description of the health care insurance coverage provided under this Article no later than the beginning of the school year, which shall include a clear description of conditions and limits of coverage.

C. Income Protection Plans

The Superintendent shall permit representatives of the NJEA Washington National Income Protection Plan and representatives from two (2) other income protection plans to meet with employees for the purpose of enrolling new members and permitting present members to adjust their coverages at faculty meetings on a district or building level at the request of the Association.

Requests for such meetings shall be made no more than one (1) per year. It is agreed that the income protection plan representatives shall be permitted a minimum of twenty (20) minutes for the meeting.

1. Voluntary Deduction of Association Dues

The Board agrees to deduct from the salaries of its employees, dues for the CCVTEA Association, the Cumberland County Education Association, the New Jersey Education Association, or the National Education Association as said employees individually and voluntarily authorize the Board to deduct. Such deductions shall be made in compliance with Chapter 233 N.J. Public Laws of the 1979 (NJS 52:14-15.92) and under rules established by the State Department of Education. Said monies together with current records of any correction shall be transmitted to such persons as may from time to time be designated by the CCVTEA by the 15th of each month following the monthly pay period in which deductions were made. The person designated shall disburse such monies to the appropriate Association or Associations.

2. Current Rate of Membership Dues

Each of the Associations named above shall certify to the Board in writing, the current rate of its membership dues. Any Association which shall change the rate of its membership dues shall give the Board written notice prior to the effective date of such change.

B. Non Members

1. All non members of the Association represented under the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement shall have an amount equivalent of 85% of current membership dues deducted from their salaries, payable to the Association, to cover those costs involved in representing them. Any unused portions of this fee shall be refunded by the Association at the end of each current school year.

2. The Association shall indemnify and hold the Board harmless against any and all claims, demands, suits and other forms of liability including liability for reasonable counsel fees and other legal costs and expenses that may arise out of, or by reason of any action taken or not taken by the Board in conformance with this provision.

C. Credit Union

Payroll deductions will be made upon request for employees joining the Cumberland School Employees Federal Credit Union.

This said Agreement constitutes Board policy for the term of said Agreement, and the Board shall carry out the commitments contained herein and give them full force and effect as Board Policy.

B. Compliance Between Individual Contract and Master Agreement

Any individual contract between the Board and an individual employee, heretofore or hereafter executed, shall be subject to and consistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If an individual contract contains any language inconsistent with this Agreement, this Agreement, during its duration, shall be controlling.

C. Notice

Whenever any notice is required to be given by either of the parties to this Agreement to the other; pursuant to the provision(s) of this Agreement, either party shall do so by certified letter at the following addresses:

1. If by Association, to Board at:

c/o Board Secretary
Cumberland County Technical Education Center
601 Bridgeton Avenue
Bridgeton NJ 08302


2. If by Board, to Association at:

c/o President of Association
601 Bridgeton Avenue
Bridgeton NJ 08302