The purpose of this memo is to clarify and define employee expectations and progressive discipline as it directly relates to COVID-19 pandemic. The policies that employee behavior shall be governed by are CCSD School Board Policy and the Central Consolidated Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is a reminder that when you signed your contract for the 2020/2021 School Year and the COVID-19 addendum you agreed to comply with School Board Policies and any new Policies, Processes or Procedures necessary during the pandemic.
Expectations:
CCSD expects each employee to act in a mature and responsible way at all times. All employees are expected to treat each other with respect, consideration and civility. Intimidating, demeaning, threatening, vulgar, or violent behaviors depart from that standard.
**Note: The following list of unacceptable activities does not include all types of conduct that can result in disciplinary action, up to and including discharge. Nothing in this list alters the at-will nature of employment for some employees of the district.
All CCSD employees are expected not to violate the following expectations. Any of these behaviors may result in progressive discipline up to and including termination:
- Violation of any federal, state and local law or regulation
- Violation of any Board of Education policy or administrative procedural directive
- Violation of security or safety rules or failure to observe safety rules or district safety practices; failure to wear required safety equipment; or tampering with district equipment or safety equipment
- Negligence or any careless action that may endanger the health, safety or well-being of another person
- Being intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance, including alcohol, while at work; use, possession or sale of a controlled substance in any quantity while on district property, except medications prescribed for the employee by a physician which do not impair work performance
- Possession of illegal firearms, weapons or explosives on district property or while on duty.
- Engaging in criminal conduct or acts of violence, or making threats of violence toward anyone on district property, at a district-sponsored activity or when representing CCSD; fighting or provoking a fight on district property, or negligent damage to property
- Insubordination or refusing to obey instructions properly issued by a supervisor pertaining to the employee’s work; refusal to help out on a special assignment
- Threatening, intimidating or coercing fellow employees on or off district property at any time, for any purpose
- Engaging in an act of sabotage; negligently or intentionally causing the destruction or damage of district property or the property of fellow employees, customers, suppliers, or visitors
- Theft or unauthorized possession of district property or the property of fellow employees; unauthorized possession or removal of any district property, including documents, from the premises without prior permission from administration; unauthorized use of district equipment or property for personal reasons; using district equipment for profit
- Dishonesty; falsification or misrepresentation on an application for employment or other work records; untruthfulness about sick or personal leave; falsifying reason for a leave of absence or other data requested by CCSD; unauthorized alteration of district records or other documents.
- Spreading malicious gossip and/or rumors; engaging in behavior which creates discord and lack of harmony; interfering with another employee on the job; restricting work output or encouraging others to do the same
- Inappropriate conduct or indecency on district property
- Conducting a lottery or gambling on district property
- Unsatisfactory or careless work, failure to meet work productivity or work quality standards
- Any act of discrimination or harassment including but not limited to sexual, racial, or religious discrimination; telling sexist or racist jokes; making racial or ethnic slurs
- Leaving work before the end of a workday or not being ready to work at the start of a workday without a supervisor’s approval; stopping work before the end of the work day
- Sleeping or loitering during working hours
- Excessive use of telephones for personal calls, text messaging, and cell phone plan features
- Smoking on district property or in district-owned vehicles
- Creating or contributing to unsanitary conditions
- Failure to report an absence or late arrival; unauthorized or excessive absences or lateness
- Obscene or abusive language toward any supervisor, employee, parent, family or student; indifference or rudeness; any disorderly/antagonistic conduct on district premises
- Speeding or careless driving of district-owned vehicles
- Failure to immediately report damage to, or an accident involving, district-owned equipment
- Unauthorized egregious soliciting of fellow employees, students, families or other members of the community during working hours and/or in working areas. Soliciting may include selling merchandise or collecting funds of any kind for charities, businesses or others without authorization from a supervisor during business hours, or at a time or place that may make others feel uncomfortable or interfere with the work of another employee
- Failure to use required time-sheets, alteration of the employee’s own time-sheet or records or attendance documents, punching or altering another employee's time-sheet or records, or causing someone to alter the employee’s own time-sheet or records
- Sharing or disseminating personal or confidential information about students or employees
- Negligence or any careless action that allows others access to personal or confidential information about employees or students. Willfully providing someone access to personal or confidential information about employees or students, including account passwords
- Any other act or omission that impairs or restricts the ability of the district to provide a safe and healthy environment for employees, families and students
To see the full School Board District Policies for which employees will be held accountable, click here.
District Policy G.050: “District personnel shall maintain the highest standard of conduct and act in a mature and responsible manner at all times. District personnel shall not engage in activities which violate federal, state, or local statutes and regulations or which, in any way, diminish the integrity, efficiency, or discipline of the District. Employees shall be required to comply with administratively established standards of conduct.”
District Policy G.0650: Staff Ethics: Principle II.2 “Recognize that each educational institution has a person authorized to interpret its policies,” Principle III.1 “Recognize that a profession must accept responsibility for the conduct of its members and understand that our own conduct may be regarded as representative of the profession,” Principle III.7 “Keep the trust under which confidential information is exchanged,” Principle III.8 “Make appropriate use of the time granted for professional purposes,” Principle III.9, “Maintain our integrity when dissenting or basing our public criticism of education on valid assumptions as established by careful evaluation of the facts.”
K-0900 PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS: The Superintendent has the responsibility of keeping the public informed as to the purpose, goals, methods, and progress of the educational program. Accuracy, reliability, and leadership in this area will develop confidence and understanding, creating better relationships between the District and the community. All school personnel are responsible for good public relations. All written notices, bulletins, newsletters, and matters pertaining to students are to be approved prior to release. Matters that pertain to an individual school are to be approved by the principal prior to release. Matters that pertain to the District are to be submitted for approval to the Superintendent prior to release.
J-7050 © JR STUDENT RECORDS Required student records (regular and special education) will be prepared in a manner consistent with the federal and state laws The District will comply with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT ACT), and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in the establishment, maintenance, correction, and disposition of student records.
G-6100 PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE:
DISCIPLINE, SUSPENSION, TERMINATION AND DISCHARGE OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBERS
Unless limited by the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement or by other statutory provision, a public employer may: direct the work of, hire, promote, assign, transfer, demote, suspend, discharge or terminate public employees; determine qualifications for employment and the nature and content of personnel examinations; take actions as may be necessary to carry out the mission of the public employer in emergencies; and retain all rights not specifically limited by a collective bargaining.
COVID-19 and FERPA by Health and Human Services Office, HHS
FERPA is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. Part 99) The law applies to all educational agencies and institutions that receive funds under any program administered by the Secretary of Education. The term “educational agencies and institutions” under FERPA generally includes school districts and public schools at the elementary and secondary levels, as well as private and public institutions of postsecondary.
1 Please note that this FERPA & Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) FAQ document updates the Department’s 2009 FERPA & H1N1 document. Other than statutory and regulatory requirements included in the document, the contents of the guidance do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.
2 HHS declaration posted.
For your reference below is the Governor’s Health order. From Gov public health order rev. 10/22/20
For the most recent New Mexico Public Health Orders,
click here.
As was noted at the beginning of this document these are only some of the CCSD School Board Policies that govern employee discipline. If you have any questions please reach out to your supervisor.