West Warwick - Article 49 Committees, Teams and Councils

ARTICLE 49 - COMMITTEES, TEAMS AND COUNCILS

West Warwick School District

The Committee and the Alliance agree that, as inducement for certified teachers to participate and serve on committees, teams or councils, teachers shall be compensated for their pre-authorized work on said committees, teams or councils under this Agreement or related Agreements as follows:

Section 1. Scope and Limitations:

(a) Compensation, as set forth in Section 3 below, shall be provided for pre-authorized task- oriented or product-driven professional services which are in preparation for and/or as a follow-up to the discussion or policy meetings of school-based or systemwide curriculum, advisory or policy committees, teams or councils.:

1. School Improvement Teams (SIT)
2. Curriculum Councils
3. Systemwide Grade Teams
4. Textbook Review Committees
5. Discipline Code Committees
6. Accreditation Committees (i.e. NEASC; SALT; etc.)
7. Response to Intervention (RtI) Teams
8. District Management Information Committee
9. Technology Planning Committee
10. Professional Growth and Development Committees
11. All other school-based committees, teams or councils mutually established or to be mutually established by the Superintendent of Schools and the Alliance President.

(b) There shall be no compensation for time spent by teachers at the discussion or policy meetings of the above-listed committees, teams or councils. Furthermore, time spent on Faculty Advisory Committees and/or on Employee Search or Screening Committees shall be strictly on a voluntary basis and without compensation.

(c) It is understood that at no time shall any curriculum, advisory or policy committee, team or council engage itself in any undertakings concerning the subjects of changes in salaries, wages, hours, working conditions or other terms of professional employment, which subjects are legally prescribed and reserved exclusively for the parties properly engaged in the collective bargaining process.

Section 2. Composition and Organization:

(a) The composition and organization of the school-based committees, teams and councils governed by this Article shall be as follows:

1. There shall be an open selection process to be mutually developed, established and conducted by the building principal (or the appropriate director where there is no principal) and the Alliance building representative.

2. Teacher membership on committees, teams or councils, shall be limited to a number fixed by mutual agreement between the building principal/director and the Alliance building representative.

3. The building principal/director may select a willing teacher or teachers to facilitate the planning for the initial (discussion or policy) meeting and/or to prepare pertinent and relevant materials in preparation for said initial meeting.

There shall be compensation, as set forth in Section 3 below, for the time spent in such facilitation and/or preparation.

4. All committees, teams or councils shall select their own chairperson or shall serve as a committee of the whole.

5. All committees, teams or councils shall select one (1) of its members to record, publish and maintain the minutes of all formal discussion or policy meetings.

6. All committees pursuant to this Article, as well as Articles 35, 41 and 42, shall be constructed and convened as joint Labor/Management committees wherein management shall be exclusively represented by WWPS administrators and labor shall be represented exclusively by certified/licensed Alliance members.

(b) System-wide Committees, Teams or Councils:

The composition and organization of all system-wide committees, teams or councils shall be set solely at the discretion of the West Warwick School Committee (or the Superintendent of Schools as its designee) provided, however, that the Alliance first be consulted with respect to which teachers might be appointed to serve and participate on said committees, teams or councils.

Section 3. Methods of Compensation:

(a) In lieu of monetary compensation, the administration may provide teacher members with released time from their teaching and non-teaching duties, at full or half day increments, during the regular school day. Such release time shall not exceed the equivalent of five (5) full days in any school year absent mutual agreement between the Superintendent and the Alliance President.

(b) Compensation for pre-authorized work to be rendered by teacher members outside of the regular school day or during their regularly scheduled preparation period shall be at the current rate of pay set forth under Article 34-1 (Tutors) of this Agreement.

Section 4. Oversight:

Oversight of all the committees, teams or councils specifically governed by this Article shall be conducted jointly by the Superintendent of Schools (or designee) and the Alliance President (or designee), each of whom shall serve in an ex-officio capacity on said committees, teams or councils.