Labor Relations & Salary

Schools are allocated a certain number of staff members based on formulas. Following are some of the reasons an employee might be excessed (referred to as “involuntary transfer” in the FASSE/BOE Negotiated Agreement):

• A decline in student enrollment
• An increase in the class-size formula
• A reduction or elimination of a specialized program housed in that building/school
• A change to the work year (10-,11-, or 12-month assignments)
• Reorganization

The principal/manager considers the following:

• Volunteers may be sought from the work location.
• Least senior probationary employees will be transferred first unless their skills and abilities are deemed essential to their assignment.
• Human Resources Senior Manager may select individuals to be transferred and consider their skills, abilities, and length of service.

You are encouraged to:

• discuss this with your supervisor,
• provide him or her with a copy of your résumé,
• and/or complete and provide a Support Staff Skills Inventory form. This form is found on the FCPS intranet from any FCPS computer. The form is NOT required, but it can serve as a tool to capture your professional profile.

The goal is to inform support employees in a timely manner. The target date for notification is March 15.

Human Resources places support employees who have been excessed on the To Be Placed (TBP) list. Excessed employees will be scheduled to interview for all vacant positions within their job classification (for example, secretary, administrative secretary, instructional assistant, etc.).

No, however, to do so will severely limit your opportunities to find a position. The result may be that you are involuntarily assigned.

The process begins in April, when the Support Personnel Senior Manager begins working with the instructional directors to identify openings that match the classifications of TBP staff. However, this is only the first step. As current support employees submit their requests for leaves of absence, retirement or resignation, more openings and placements will occur. Placements continue with the goal that all support employees on the TBP list will be reassigned. The Support Personnel Human Resources office will let you know your assignment for the next year.

Although Human Resources will try to place non-benefited employees, priority will be given to placing benefited staff. Benefited openings will not be posted until all benefited staff members are placed. Non-benefited employees will be notified of non-benefited openings and offered an interview.

You may do so. However, once you are placed on the TBP list you will be sent on all interviews within your job classification anyway.

Yes, you must accept any transfer/offer made to you. If you decline the transfer/offer, any obligation FCPS has to find you a position ends.

• You must accept the position and may complete a Transfer Request Form (available on the intranet from any FCPS internet-connected computer). Indicate your job location preferences and submit. That way, if you are not happy with your placement, you will have the opportunity to interview for a transfer should a position become available within your job classification at a preferred location for the new school year.
• You may pursue positions on your own.

Yes, an involuntary transfer does not affect your ability to transfer voluntarily during the same fiscal year.

Article 3.8 Involuntary Transfers in the FASSE/BOE Negotiated Agreement provides guidance.

Sabbatical Leave Application: Certificated/AS/AMT

1. Applications are due no later than December 1 of the preceding school year (i.e. Dec 1, 2022 for sabbatical requests for the 2023-2024 school year).
2. Upon recommendation of the Superintendent, sabbatical leaves will be granted up to 18 applicants per year. Sabbatical leave is available for up to 3 Administrative/Supervisory employees per year and 15 teachers. Requests for sabbatical leave must be received in writing by the Superintendent between July 1 and December 1 preceding the school year for which the leave is requested. All applications will receive equal consideration regardless of when submitted within the above time frame.
3. No applicant with an unsatisfactory rating on the prior year evaluation will be considered.
4. To be eligible, an employee must have completed at least 6 full years of active service in the Frederick County Public School System. An employee who has completed a sabbatical will be considered only after all applicants who have not had a sabbatical.
5. An applicant who intends to study must register for a minimum of 12 semester hours per semester unless the Executive Director of Human Resources grants an exception. After the sabbatical has been completed, the employee shall present to the Executive Director of Human Resources adequate verification of the work or experience completed.
6. An applicant who intends to pursue a program other than formal study must present a comprehensive proposed program. If the applicant is accepted for a sabbatical leave, the approved program can be changed only by written consent of the Executive Director of Human Resources prior to July 1 of the sabbatical year. After the sabbatical has been completed, the teacher shall present to Human Resources adequate verification of program completion.
7. An employee on sabbatical leave half of a school year (or for a full school year) will be paid by the Board at 50% of the salary rate which the employee would have received had the employee remained on active duty, provided that such employee agrees to return to employment in Frederick County Public School System for a period of one year. Should the employee not return to service of the Board, the employee will be required to refund the salary granted for sabbatical leave.
8. Upon return from sabbatical leave, an employee will be placed on the salary schedule at the level in which he/she would have achieved had the employee remained actively employed in the system during the period of absence.
9. Tuition reimbursement shall be available to any person on a sabbatical who has not had 36 semester hours of prior course work reimbursed and who meets the following criteria:

• The employee holds a Standard Professional Certificate and incurs tuition costs in a program leading to the Advanced Professional Certificate, a Master's Degree, a Board of Education approved Doctorate, or an additional endorsement to the SPC in a teaching area declared to be one of a critical shortage by the Executive Director of Human Resources.
• The maximum number of semester hours reimbursed shall be 9 per year.
• Courses and programs must be approved by the Human Resources Office prior to enrollment.
• Professional personnel holding an Advanced Professional Certificate who have not received reimbursement for the maximum 36 credits available are eligible to request reimbursement for additional graduate level coursework up to the maximum 36 credits and up to 3 credits per year in order to meet certification requirements.
• Tuition reimbursement for Administrators will be processed as described in Article XVIII of the FCASA Agreement.
• Refer to the employment provisions between professional teaching staff and The Board of Education of Frederick County for the most recent information on tuition reimbursement guidelines. When referring to Article XIX, take note of recently added language "with the exception of extenuating circumstances, teachers who receive tuition reimbursement and leave within 2 years of receiving reimbursement shall be required to repay the monies received."

Sabbatical Leave Application: Support

1. Upon recommendation of the Superintendent, sabbatical leave will be granted up to seven (7) applicants per year based on funding available. Requests for sabbatical leave must be received in writing by the Superintendent by March 1 of the preceding year for which the leave is requested. All applications will receive equal consideration regardless of when submitted within the above time frame.
2. No applicant with an unsatisfactory rating on the prior year’s evaluation will be considered.
3. To be eligible, an educational support employee must have completed five (5) full years of active service in the Frederick County school system. An educational support employee who has completed a sabbatical will be considered only after applicants who have not had a sabbatical.
4. An applicant who intends to study must register for a minimum of 12 semester hours per semester or equivalent hours pertaining to certification of said position, unless an exception is granted by the executive director of human resources. When the sabbatical is completed, the educational support employee shall present to the executive director of human resources adequate verification of the work or experience completed.
5. An educational support employee on sabbatical leave for either one-half of the school year or for the full school year, will be paid by the Board at 50% of the salary rate which the employee would have received if the employee had remained on active duty provided that the educational support employee agrees to return to employment with the Frederick County Public School system for a period of one (1) year. Should the educational support employee not return to the service of the Board, the educational support employee will be required to refund the salary granted for the sabbatical leave.
6. Upon return from sabbatical leave, the educational support employee will be placed on the salary schedule at the level which the educational support employee would have achieved had the employee remained actively employed in the school system during the period of absence.
7. If an employee is taking sabbatical leave solely for the purpose of student teaching/internship, the sabbatical leave would only be for the duration of the student teaching/internship. For this instance, the employee will be paid 100% of their salary rate, and their current support position will be held. When the student teaching/internship is completed the employee would return to their current position.