Staff Absence & Substitute Procedures
Annual Leave
Permanent full-time employees earn vacation leave monthly. To earn vacation leave in a given month, employees must be working or be on paid leave during half or more of their workdays that month.
Instructional personnel and bus drivers are not permitted to take vacation leave on days when students are scheduled to be in class unless the employees’ absence is due to catastrophic illness and all sick leave has been exhausted.
On June 30th of each year, employees with more than 30 days of accumulated leave will have the excess accumulated leave converted to sick leave so that only 30 days are carried forward to the next fiscal year, beginning July 1st.
The principal must approve requests for annual leave. Do not assume that annual leave and personal leave requests will automatically be approved.
Permanent full-time employees earn vacation leave monthly. To earn vacation leave in a given month, employees must be working or be on paid leave during half or more of their workdays that month.
Instructional personnel and bus drivers are not permitted to take vacation leave on days when students are scheduled to be in class unless the employees’ absence is due to catastrophic illness and all sick leave has been exhausted.
On June 30th of each year, employees with more than 30 days of accumulated leave will have the excess accumulated leave converted to sick leave so that only 30 days are carried forward to the next fiscal year, beginning July 1st.
The principal must approve requests for annual leave. Do not assume that annual leave and personal leave requests will automatically be approved.
Sick Leave
Permanent employees who are working or who are on paid leave for half or more of the workdays in a monthly pay period earn sick leave at the rate of one day per month.
Sick leave may be granted for 1) periods of temporary disability, 2) illness in the employee’s immediate family that necessitates the employee’s attendance, 3) death in the immediate family, and 4) medical appointments. A doctor’s letter may be required at the principal’s discretion.
The DPS Benefits Office must be notified of all employees who use an excess of ten (10) successive sick leave days.
Permanent employees who are working or who are on paid leave for half or more of the workdays in a monthly pay period earn sick leave at the rate of one day per month.
Sick leave may be granted for 1) periods of temporary disability, 2) illness in the employee’s immediate family that necessitates the employee’s attendance, 3) death in the immediate family, and 4) medical appointments. A doctor’s letter may be required at the principal’s discretion.
The DPS Benefits Office must be notified of all employees who use an excess of ten (10) successive sick leave days.
Professional Trips
- Teachers wishing to attend a professional meeting or conference must have prior approval from the principal.
- If the teacher is attending a conference or meeting by his/her choice rather than being sent as a representative of DPS, the teacher or another funding source will be required to pay for the substitute.
- If staff development money is used, the teacher must:
- Have the department chair initial the leave form for approval, and
- Verify staff development with the bookkeeper so that funds are properly processed.
- If DPS has agreed to pay for the teacher’s expenses to attend a professional meeting or conference, the teacher must first pay out-of-pocket and will be then reimbursed using form BD-02 DPS travel reimbursement Conference travel Form. Advanced payment for conference fees may be requested by using the same form.
- Receipts for meals, travel, and lodging are needed in order to obtain reimbursement. Travel by car is reimbursed at the state approved rate. All reimbursements are paid at the daily per diem rate.
Requesting Leave and Substitutes
It is important to submit a request for leave for administrative approval and put it in ASEOP as early as possible to secure substitutes for your absences. Please adhere to the following guidelines:
It is important to submit a request for leave for administrative approval and put it in ASEOP as early as possible to secure substitutes for your absences. Please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Fill out a DPS Leave Request (form BD-16) as soon as you are aware of the future absence and submit to Bertha Mena.
- A copy of the conference or workshop agenda should accompany leave requests for professional purposes if someone else is paying for the substitute.
- Ms. Mena will forward your request to the principal, who will approve or disapprove your leave request.
- A copy of the approved/disapproved form will be returned to you and a copy will be kept in your personnel file.
- Teachers are responsible for entering absence into AESOP to report an absence and request a substitute if needed.
- If your absence is an emergency and your Leave Request form is not filled out before your absence, please fill it out on the day you return and turn it in to Bertha Mena by 9:00 AM.
- If you come to work sick and a substitute is not available, you are responsible for your class. Contact Bertha Mena for help securing coverage. Keep in mind that a late call always results in your colleagues having to cover for you.
- If you are out for any portion of the day, you will be required to put in for a half day leave so that your colleagues can be compensated.
- If you secure a colleague to cover for you and did not out in for leave, they will not be compensated by Durham Public Schools.
Emergency Substitute Plans
In addition to regular lesson plans, teachers should maintain FIVE DAYS of emergency substitute plans. Regular and emergency plans should include the teacher’s schedule, attendance procedures, seating charts, lunch procedure, work for students, any special assignments, and a copy of the Substitute Handbook. Regular substitute plans must be on file with your administrator. If any plans in this folder are used, replace them with new plans upon returning to school. A folder containing emergency lesson plans for five days is to be turned in to your department administrator by Friday, September 13, 2019.
In addition to regular lesson plans, teachers should maintain FIVE DAYS of emergency substitute plans. Regular and emergency plans should include the teacher’s schedule, attendance procedures, seating charts, lunch procedure, work for students, any special assignments, and a copy of the Substitute Handbook. Regular substitute plans must be on file with your administrator. If any plans in this folder are used, replace them with new plans upon returning to school. A folder containing emergency lesson plans for five days is to be turned in to your department administrator by Friday, September 13, 2019.
Long -Term Absences Requiring a Substitute Teacher
Teachers are expected to have lesson plans prepared for the first five days of an extended absence. Further, instructional units are to be provided by teachers for all other days of paid leave. The units will specify content and objectives of the proposed instruction, as well as available resources and proposed timelines, and must be satisfactory to the principal. Teachers, at their option, may provide daily lesson plans beyond the first five days of extended absence.
In long-term situations, the principal may use other staff to assist the substitute teacher in developing lesson plans from identified instructional units if the principal finds such assistance necessary and/or advisable.
Teachers are expected to have lesson plans prepared for the first five days of an extended absence. Further, instructional units are to be provided by teachers for all other days of paid leave. The units will specify content and objectives of the proposed instruction, as well as available resources and proposed timelines, and must be satisfactory to the principal. Teachers, at their option, may provide daily lesson plans beyond the first five days of extended absence.
In long-term situations, the principal may use other staff to assist the substitute teacher in developing lesson plans from identified instructional units if the principal finds such assistance necessary and/or advisable.
Covering a Class
All absences must be put in AESOP. If a substitute fails to pick up the job or show up on the day of the absence, then the next teacher in the Sub Coverage Rotation will cover a 45-minute portion of your class. Teachers will be compensated for covering a class when contacted by office staff or administrator.
All absences must be put in AESOP. If a substitute fails to pick up the job or show up on the day of the absence, then the next teacher in the Sub Coverage Rotation will cover a 45-minute portion of your class. Teachers will be compensated for covering a class when contacted by office staff or administrator.
- If you are out for any portion of the day, you will be required to put in for a half day leave so that your colleagues can be compensated.
- If you secure a colleague to cover for you and did not out in for leave, they will not be conpensated by Durham Public Schools.