ARTICLE		PAGE
1	Recognition	1
2	Management Rights	1
3	Negotiations	2
4	Grievance Procedure	2
5	Teacher Work Year	7
6	Teaching Hours and Teaching Load	7
7	Teacher Evaluation	8
8	Temporary Leaves of Absence	9
9	Extended Leaves of Absence	11
10	Unexcused Absence	12
11	Agency Fee	12
12	Salary Schedule, Adjustments and Benefits	15
13	Insurance Coverage	17
14	Retirement	18
15	Fully Bargained Provision	18
16	Duration of Agreement	20
EXHIBIT A	Teacher Salary Guide: 2007-2008	21

E. The parties agree that, absent a ratified successor Agreement in place by September 1, 2008, increments shall not be paid until mutual ratification.

1. A "grievance" shall mean a complaint by an employee of the district that there has been to him/her a personal loss, injury or inconvenience because of a violation, misinterpretation or inequitable application of an established policy governing employees except that the term "grievance" shall not apply to:

(a) any matter for which a method of review is prescribed by law;

(b) any rule or regulation of the State Commissioner of Education;

(c) any bylaw of the BOARD except those that have been preempted by Section 13 of Chapter 123, Laws of 1974;

(d) any matter which according to law is either beyond the scope of BOARD authority or limited to unilateral action by the BOARD alone;

(e) a complaint of a non-tenure teacher which arises by reason of his/her not being re-employed;

(f) a complaint by any certified personnel occasioned by appointment to, lack of appointment to, retention in, or lack of retention in, any position for which tenure is either not possible or not required.

2. A "grievant" is an employee or the ASSOCIATION who files a grievance.

3. "Day" means calendar day. Saturday, Sundays and state mandated legal holidays are excluded as the last day of the time limit.

4. "Representative" is a person or agent designated to represent either party in the grievance procedure.

5. "Party in interest" is a person, agent or agency with an interest in the grievance.

2. Year End Grievances

In the event a grievance is filed at such a time that it cannot be processed through all the steps of the procedure by the end of the school year, and if left unresolved until the beginning of the following school year, the grievance could result in irreparable harm to a party of interest, the time limit set forth herein shall be reduced so that the grievance procedure may be exhausted prior to the end of the school year or as soon thereafter as is practical.

(a) Failure by a grievant to process a grievance within the specified time limits of this procedure shall render the grievance as settled in favor of the BOARD.

(b) Failure to issue a decision within the specified time limit of this procedure shall render the grievance as settled in favor of the grievant.

1. Level 1/Superintendent or Immediate Supervisor

A grievance to be considered under this procedure must be initiated by the employee within twenty-five (25) days of its occurrence or at the time when the aggrieved would have been reasonably expected to know of the occurrence. If the grievance is continued beyond the last working day of the school year, any reference to school days shall be construed to mean week days. A teacher with a grievance shall first submit the grievance in writing to the superintendent or immediate supervisor. The grievant may submit the grievance directly or through the Association's designated representative. The grievance must be on the proper form. The following should be set forth on the grievance form:

(a) the nature of the grievance

(b) the section of the contract that is specifically violated

(c) the results of previous discussions, if any were held

(d) if the grievance is processed above Level 1, the grievant should note his/her dissatisfaction with the decision previously rendered. The superintendent shall communicate his/her decision to the grievant in writing within eight (8) school days after receipt of the written grievance.

If the grievance is not resolved to the grievant's satisfaction at Level 1, the employee may request that the grievance be forwarded on appeal to the BOARD within ten (10) school days after receipt of the Level 1 decision. This request shall be submitted in writing to the superintendent, who shall attach all related papers and forward the request to the BOARD. The BOARD, or committee thereof, shall review the grievance and shall, by mutual agreement of both parties, hold a hearing with the grievant and render a decision in writing within twenty (20) school days of the receipt of the grievance by the BOARD or of the date of the hearing with the employee, whichever comes later. The decision of the BOARD will be final and binding, unless the grievant appeals the decision to an advisory fact finder within ten (10) school days after the employee has received the Board's decision in writing.

(a) If the employee is dissatisfied with the decision of the BOARD, only the ASSOCIATION may request the appointment of a fact finder. Such a request is to be made known to the superintendent no later than ten (10) school days after receipt of the written decision of the BOARD by the employee. The ASSOCIATION agrees to save the BOARD harmless from any legal action or suit that may occur as a result of the ASSOCIATION’S exercise of its rights in this paragraph.

(b) This request can be honored only if the grievant or grievants and the organization representing them waive the right, if any, in writing of said grievant or grievants and the organization representing them to submit the underlying dispute to any other administrative or judicial tribunal.

(c) A joint request will be made to the American Arbitration Association to submit a roster of persons qualified to function as a fact finder in the dispute in question.

(d) If the parties are unable to determine a mutually satisfactory fact finder from the submitted list, they will request the American Arbitration Association to submit a second roster of names.

(e) If the parties are unable to determine, within ten (10) school days of the initial request of fact finding, a mutually satisfactory fact finder from the second submitted list, the American Arbitration Association may be requested by either party to designate a fact finder.

(a) The fact finder shall limit the hearing to the issue submitted to him/her and shall consider no other material or evidence.

(b) The fact finder can add nothing to, nor subtract anything from the agreement between the parties.

(c) The hearing will entertain evidence, testimony and arguments only on those matters that are specifically considered grievable under this contract as defined in Section A-1 of this Article.

(d) The fact finder shall establish rules for the hearing, except as provided herein.

(e) The fact finder shall first rule on the admissibility of the grievance to the fact finding hearing, if so requested by either party.

(f) The fact finder shall have no power to make an advisory award inconsistent with law.

1. Each party will bear the total cost of case preparation and representation incurred by that party. The fees and expenses of the fact finder are the only costs which will be shared by the two (2) parties and such costs will be shared equally.

2. If time is lost by an employee due to fact finding proceedings necessitating the retention of a substitute, the BOARD will pay only the cost of the substitute. The time lost by the employee must be either without pay or charged to personal time. Employee case preparation and post-hearing briefings will not be conducted during scheduled assignments.

Any aggrieved person may be represented at all stages of the grievance procedure by a representative selected or approved by the ASSOCIATION. The ASSOCIATION agrees to save the BOARD harmless from any legal action or suit that may occur as a result of the ASSOCIATION's exercise of its rights in this Article.

2. No prejudice will attend any party in interest by reason of the utilization or participation in the grievance procedure. The following or tendency of any grievance shall not impede the normal management and operation of the district.

3. All records of grievance processing shall be filed separately.

4. Forms for grievance processing shall be mutually agreed upon by the parties to the agreement. The ASSOCIATION will distribute the forms as they are required.

5. Parties in interest will cooperate in investigating and providing pertinent information concerning a grievance being processed.

6. All meetings and hearings under this procedure shall not be conducted in public and shall include only the parties in interest and their designated or selected representative, hereto referred to in this procedure.

1. Effective January 2, 2001, the instructional time for a teacher shall be seven (7) hours, ten (10) minutes for the school year as follows:
(a) 8:15 a.m. - Duty teachers arrive

(b) 8:20 a.m. - All other teachers arrive

(c) 3:30 p.m. - All teachers leave

B. Meetings

Employees may be required to remain one (1) hour after the end of the regular workday without additional compensation for the purpose of attending faculty or other professional meetings one (1) day each month except in emergencies.

Effective July 1, 2005, employees may be required to remain up to 15 hours per year after the end of the regular workday without additional compensation for the purpose of attending faculty or professional meetings. There shall be no more than two (2) meetings per month. No meeting shall last more than one and one-half hours. Meetings which are scheduled to last more than an hour shall require two weeks’ advanced notice.

C. Preparation Time

Every effort will be made to guarantee a preparation period for teachers of not less than thirty (30) minutes each day for every teacher.

A maximum of five (5) days shall be permitted in instances of bereavement caused by the death of father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandparents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband, wife, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, or grandchildren.

One (1) day shall be permitted as above for the death of aunts and uncles.

1. A maximum of five (5) days shall be permitted in instances of sickness in the family. Family should include father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband or wife.

2. The sickness allowance provision is non-cumulative and expires at the termination of the yearly contract.

3. After the first day due to family illness, it is understood that the teacher shall be paid a sum equal to his/her daily employment less the sum paid to a substitute teacher.

1. A maximum of ten (10) days absence from school due to an employee’s sickness shall be permitted during each school year without loss of pay.

2. All sick days not utilized in any one year shall be cumulative and may be used for additional sick leave time

3. When absence exceeds the annual sick leave and the accumulated sick leave, the Board of Education may but shall not be required not withstanding any past practice pay any such person each day's salary less the pay of a substitute, if a substitute is employed or the estimated cost of the employment of a substitute if none is employed, for such length of time as may be determined by the Board of education in each individual case.

4. A leave of absence without pay shall be granted after use of all accumulated sick and personal leave for any remaining period of the current school year.

5. Sick leave may be applied toward disability leave due to pregnancy as allowed by law. There is a presumption of disability in a childbirth case under New Jersey school law of 20 work days before, and 20 work days after the birth. The amount of sick days to be used must be submitted to the BOARD in writing ninety (90) days before the intended leave to give ample time to find a replacement.

6. The superintendent may, at his/her discretion, require teacher, or may direct the designated school physician to examine a teacher who is absent due to illness.

7. On or before September 30th of each year, the board secretary shall present to each employee the current total of his/her unused sick days.

1. Teachers shall be entitled to three (3) days per school year with pay. These days may be used in the following manner:
(a) One (1) personal day per school year may be taken without explanation and must be requested a minimum of three(3)school days before, unless in the case of an emergency.

(b) With written request supplied to the superintendent thirty (30) days prior to the following:

(1) before or after a holiday

(2) for two (2) or more days in succession

(3) splitting two (2) days over a weekend (i.e. Friday, Monday

(4) for four (4) consecutive days in a row, which must be taken in one calendar week.

(c) The total number of unit members who may utilize a personal day on any single teacher work day shall be three (3).

(d) Maximum of one request per person, per school year, regarding personal days off before and after a holiday and consecutive school days.

(e) A maximum of four (4) days may be accumulated in any two year period.

2. The superintendent may, within his/her sole discretion, grant three additional personal days leave with pay, less the pay of the substitute necessary for replacement.

3. On or before September 30th, the board secretary shall present to each employee the current total of his/her cumulative personal days.

1. Tenured teachers have the right to a combined period of maternity disability and a leave of absence without pay for up to one year, for the purpose of disability due to pregnancy and child rearing leave. The teacher shall submit a written request to the BOARD ninety (90) days in advance of the anticipated disability. This notice shall include: (1) physician's certification of pregnancy; (2) date of intended return from leave; (3) a request for medical disability leave specifying beginning and ending dates; (4) a request for use of all or any portion of accumulated sick leave available as stated in Article 8, C, 5.; (5) a request for child rearing leave without pay, including an ending date, assuming that such leave will begin at the end of the approved medical disability leave.

2. Upon return of the teacher, salary will be based on salaries in effect for that year. Experience credit shall be granted for the school year if the teacher was actively employed for five (5) or more months within the classroom or any combination of medical disability time that totals five (5) or more months for that year.

3. Upon the return from maternity leave, the district shall offer the teacher the job held before going on leave or an equivalent post.

If an employee does not become a member of the Association during any membership year (i.e., from September 1 to the following August 31) which is covered in whole or in part by this AGREEMENT, said employee will be required to pay a representation fee to the Association for that membership year. The purpose of this fee will be to offset the employee's per capita cost of services rendered by the Association as majority representative.

Prior to the beginning of each membership year, the Association will notify the board in writing of the amount of regular membership dues, initiation fees and assessments charged by the Association to its own members for that membership year. The representation fee to be paid by non-members will be determined by the Association in accordance with the law.

In order to adequately offset the per capita cost of services rendered by the Association as majority representative, the representation fee should be equal in amount to the regular membership dues, initiation fees and assessments charged by the Association to its own members, and the representation fee may be set up to 85% of that amount as the maximum presently allowed by law. If the law is changed in this regard, the amount of the representation fee automatically will be increased to the maximum allowed, said increase to become effective as of the beginning of the Association membership year immediately following the effective date of the change.

Once during each membership year covered in whole or in part by this AGREEMENT, the Association will submit to the Board a list of those employees who have not become members of the Association for the then current membership year. The Board will deduct from the salaries of such employees, in accordance with paragraph 2, below, the full amount of the representation fee and promptly will transmit the amount so deducted to the Association.

The Board will deduct the representation fee in equal installments, as nearly as possible, from the paychecks paid to each employee on the aforesaid list during the remainder of the membership year in question. The deductions will begin with the first paycheck paid:

a. 10 days after receipt of the aforesaid list by the Board; or

b. 30 days after the employee begins his or her employment in a bargaining unit position and continued in the employ of the Board in a non-bargaining unit position or was on layoff, in which event the deductions will begin with the first paycheck paid 10 days after the resumption of the employee's employment in a bargaining unit position, whichever is later.

3. Termination of Employment

If an employee who is required to pay a representation fee terminates his or her employment with the Board before the Association has received the full amount of the representation fee to which it is entitled under this ARTICLE, the Board will deduct the unpaid portion of the fee from the last paycheck paid to said employee during the membership year in question.

Except as otherwise provided in the ARTICLE, the mechanics for the deduction of representation fees and the transmission of such fees to the Association will, as nearly as possible, be the same as those used for the deduction and transmission of regular membership dues to the Association.

The Association will notify the Board in writing of any changes in the list provided for in paragraph 1, above and/or the amount of the representation fee, and such changes will be reflected in any deductions made more than 10 days after the Board received said notice.

On or about the last day of each month, beginning with the month this AGREEMENT becomes effective, the Board will submit to the Association, a list of all employees who began their employment in a bargaining unit position during the preceding 30 day period. This list will include names, job titles and dates of employment for all such employees.

1. The Association shall indemnify and hold the employer 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 employer in conformance with this provision provided that the employer gives the Association timely notice in writing of any claim, demand, suit or other form of liability in regard to which it will seek to implement this paragraph.

2. If the Association so requests in writing, the Board will surrender to it full responsibility for the defense of such claim, demand, suit or other form of liability and will cooperate fully with the Association in gathering evidence, securing witnesses, and in all other aspects of said defense.

3. It is expressly understood that 1, above will not apply to any claim, demand, suit or other form of liability which may arise as a result of any type of willful misconduct by the employer or the employer's imperfect execution of the obligations imposed upon it by this Article.

Instructional Hourly Rate: $25.00. This rate covers Home Instruction, Homework Club, Homework Hall and Family Math Night.

Supervisory Hourly Rate: $25.00. This rate covers Concert Monitor, (Detention Monitor, Lunch Monitor, Playground Monitor.

Years of experience

C. Credit Union

Teachers may request the BOARD to withhold monies from each paycheck as directed by a deduction form received from ABCO Public Employees Federal Credit Union and deposited semi-monthly with same.

D. Bond Purchase and Annuity Plan

The BOARD agrees to make deductions for U.S. Savings Bond purchases and selected teacher annuity plans.

1. The Board shall reimburse tuition for successfully completed graduate courses within the field of certification up to the maximums set forth below.

2. All courses must be approved by the Superintendent prior to registration.

3. The maximum tuition reimbursement for all unit members shall be $13,500 annually. (July 1 though June 30)

4. The maximum tuition reimbursement for a unit member annually shall be nine (9) credits per year (September 1 through June 30) at the Rowan University graduate rate per credit.

5. The maximum tuition reimbursement for part-time teachers and school nurses is the proportion to the time he/she spends teaching in the district.

6. Reimbursement shall be made by the August Board meeting. Reimbursement will be made for the first approved course up to the maximum per teacher per course limit set in E. 4. above. If there are insufficient funds for full reimbursement of the second course under the maximum District cost set in E. 3. above, the remaining monies shall be divided equally among all teachers who have a second approved course, but in no case shall an individual’s reimbursement be greater than the cost of the course.

7. Teacher requests for course approval for tuition reimbursement shall be accepted for a two week period starting: July 1, September 21, November 1 and May 1 each year. All requests for course approval and tuition reimbursement must be made on the appropriate forms.

8. The Superintendent will notify applicants of approval/denial of requests for courses prior to registration. Confirmation of acceptance of reimbursement shall be provided within two (2) weeks of the close of each application submission period.

9. In order to be eligible for reimbursement, a grade of "B" or better must be earned and the teacher must present the District with proof of enrollment, proof of payment and proof of grade.

10. Grade verification must be supplied to the District no later than June 30.

11. The District shall inform the Association in writing of the total tuition reimbursement monies used under this section by September 1 annually.

1. The BOARD shall provide and pay for one hundred (100) percent of the cost of family coverage under the New Jersey State Health Benefits Traditional Plan (Blue Cross/Blue Shield with Rider J and Major Medical)or an equal or greater than plan coverage. If an employee elects HMO coverage that exceeds the cost of traditional family coverage, the difference will be paid by the employee through a payroll deduction.
New hires, effective July 1, 1998, shall receive only single benefit coverage at board expense when permitted by the benefit plan until the fourth year of their continuous employment in the district. Upon reaching the fourth year of employment they shall be eligible for full benefit coverage as provided by this agreement.

2 For employees hired prior to July 1, 1984, if the employee finds it unnecessary to be provided with medical family coverage, the BOARD shall provide disability coverage through Prudential, AIG/The Franklin Life Insurance Company not to exceed $1,300 per year.

3. Employees hired after July 1, 1984 may purchase disability insurance through Prudential, AIG/The Franklin Life Insurance Company at their own expense through a payroll deduction.

4. Upon anticipation of a change of carrier the board shall provide the association with a copy of any contract or policy which the board intends to sign with any carrier at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the change.

The Board will submit to the Association and to each member, a statement guaranteeing the exact coverage as under the SHBP currently in effect with a guarantee that the Board accepts responsibility for any costs not covered under the new carrier, providing these costs were previously covered.

1. The BOARD agrees to provide single dental coverage for all employees as follows with no deductible:

2. Any employee may select 2 party, or family coverage at their own expense through a payroll deduction.

STEP	STEP	BA	BA+15	BA+30	MA	MA+15	MA+30	DR
06-07	07-08		750	1450	2150	2850	3550	4250
***	1	42276	43026	43726	44426	45126	45826	46526
A	2	42576	43326	44026	44726	45426	46126	46826
B	3	43076	43826	44526	45226	45926	46626	47326
C/D/E	4	43776	44526	45226	45926	46626	47326	48026
F	5	44576	45326	46026	46726	47426	48126	48826
G	6	45668	46418	47118	47818	48518	49218	49918
H	7	46876	47626	48326	49026	49726	50426	51126
I	8	48326	49076	49776	50476	51176	51876	52576
J	9	49776	50526	51226	51926	52626	53326	54026
K	10	52276	53026	53726	54426	55126	55826	56526
L	11	54776	55526	56226	56926	57626	58326	59026
M	12	58568	59318	60018	60718	61418	62118	62818
N/Q	13	62400	63150	63850	64550	65250	65950	66650
R	14	66387	67137	67837	68537	69237	69937	70637
S	15	70374	71124	71824	72524	73224	73924	74624
T/U	16	74360	75110	75810	76510	77210	77910	78610