Licensed employees, including administrators, are those employees required to hold an appropriate license from the Iowa Department of Education for their position as required by the Board of Educational Examiners or others with professional licenses. Licenses required for a position will be considered met if the employee meets the requirements established by the Iowa Department of Education.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to establish job specifications and job descriptions for licensed employees' positions, other than the position of the superintendent. Job descriptions may be approved by the board.

Licensed employees must present evidence of current license to the board secretary prior
to payment of salary each year.

 Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021

Persons interested in a licensed position, other than administrative positions which will be employed in accordance with board policies in Series 300, "Administration," will have an opportunity to apply and qualify for licensed positions in the school district without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status.

Job applicants for licensed positions will be considered on the basis of the following:

• Training, experience, and skill;
• Nature of the occupation;
• Demonstrated competence; and
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, state license if required for the position.

Announcement of the position is in a manner which the superintendent believes will inform potential applicants about the position. Applications for employment may be obtained from and completed applications are returned to the school district administrative office. Whenever possible, the preliminary screening of applicants will be conducted by the administrator who will be directly supervising and overseeing the person being hired.

The board will employ licensed employees after receiving a recommendation from the superintendent (except the superintendent may hire teachers without approval of the board). However, the superintendent will have the authority to employ a licensed employee on a temporary basis until a recommendation can be made and action can be taken by the board on the position.

The requirements stated in the Master Contract between employees in that certified collective bargaining unit and the board regarding qualifications, recruitment and selections of such employees is followed.

Legal Reference:    
29 U.S.C. §§ 621-634 (1994).
42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq. (1994).
42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq. (1994).
Iowa Code §§ 20; 35C; 216; 294.1 (2003).
281 I.A.C. 12.
282 I.A.C. 14.
1980 Op. Att'y Gen. 367.

Cross Reference:    
401.2 Equal Employment Opportunity
405 Licensed Employees - General
410.1 Substitute Teachers

Persons interested in a licensed position, other than administrative positions which will be employed in accordance with board policies in Series 300, "Administration," will have an opportunity to apply and qualify for licensed positions in accordance with applicable laws and school district policies regarding equal employment. Job applicants for licensed positions will be considered on the basis of the following:

• Training, experience, and skill;
• Nature of the occupation;
• Demonstrated competence; and
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, state license if required for the position.

All job openings shall be submitted to the Iowa Workforce Development for posting on IowaWORKS.gov, the online state job posting system.  Additional announcements of the position may occur in a manner, which the superintendent believes will inform potential applicants about the position. Whenever possible, the preliminary screening of applicants will be conducted by the administrator who will be directly supervising and overseeing the person being hired.

The board will employ licensed employees after receiving a recommendation from the superintendent (except the superintendent may hire teachers without approval of the board). However, the superintendent will have the authority to employ a licensed employee on a temporary basis until a recommendation can be made and action can be taken by the board on the position.

Legal Reference:    
29 U.S.C. §§ 621-634 (1994).
42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq. (1994).
42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq. (1994).

Iowa Code §§ 20; 35C; 216; 294.1 (2003).
281 I.A.C. 12.
282 I.A.C. 14.
1980 Op. Att'y Gen. 367.

Cross Reference:    
401.2 Equal Employment Opportunity
405 Licensed Employees - General
410.1 Substitute Teachers

 Approved: 04/15/2024                        Reviewed: 04/15/2024                       Revised: 04/15/2024

The board will enter into a written contract with licensed employees, other than administrators, employed on a regular basis. Each contract will be for a period of one year.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to complete the contracts for licensed employees and present them to the board for approval. The contracts, after being signed by the board president, are returned to the superintendent. The superintendent will obtain the employee's signature. After being signed, the contract is filed with the board secretary.

Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021

Contracts entered into with licensed employees, other than an administrator, will continue from year to year unless the contract states otherwise, is modified by mutual agreement between the board and the employee, or the contract is terminated by the board.

Licensed employees whose contracts will be recommended for termination by the board will receive due process as required by law. The superintendent will make a recommendation to the board for the termination of the licensed employee's contract.

Licensed employees who wish to resign, to be released from a contract, or to retire must comply with board policies in those areas.

Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021

The requirements stated in the Master Contract between employees in that certified collective bargaining unit and the board regarding work day of such employees will be followed.

The work day for licensed employees will be 30 minutes prior to the start of school to 30 minutes after the end of school unless prior arrangements have been made with the building principal.  Licensed employees who are employed only during the academic year will have the same work day as other licensed employees.  “Day” is defined as one work day regardless of full-time or part-time status of an employee.

Licensed employees are to be in their assigned school building during the work day.  Advance approval to be absent from the school building must be obtained from the principal whenever the licensed employee must leave the school building during the work day.

The building principal is authorized to make changes in the work day in order to facilitate the education program.  These changes are reported to the superintendent.

The work day outlines in this policy is a minimum work day.  Nothing in this policy prohibits licensed employees from working additional hours outside the work day.

 Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021

Determining the assignment of each licensed employee is the responsibility of and within the sole discretion of the board. In making such assignments the board will consider the qualifications of each licensed employee and the needs of the school district.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to make recommendations to the board regarding the assignment of licensed employees.

 Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021

Determining the location where an employee's assignment will be carried out is the responsibility and within the sole discretion of the board. In making such assignments the board will consider the qualifications of each licensed employee and the needs of the school district.

A transfer may be initiated by the employee, the principal, or the superintendent.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to make recommendations to the board regarding the transfer of licensed employees.

 Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021

Evaluation of licensed employees on their skills, abilities, and competence is an ongoing process supervised by the building principals and conducted by approved evaluators. The goal of the formal evaluation of licensed employees, other than administrators, but including extracurricular employees, is to improve the education program, to maintain licensed employees who meet or exceed the board's standards of performance, to clarify the licensed employee's role, to ascertain the areas in need of improvement, to clarify the immediate priorities of the board, and to develop a working relationship between the administrators and other employees.

The formal evaluation criteria is in writing and approved by the board. The formal evaluation will provide an opportunity for the evaluator and the licensed employee to discuss performance and the future areas of growth. The formal evaluation is completed by the evaluator, signed by the licensed employee and filed in the licensed employee's personnel file. This policy supports, and does not preclude, the ongoing informal evaluation of the licensed employee's skills, abilities and competence.

Licensed employees will be required to:

• Demonstrate the ability to enhance academic performance and support for and implementation of the school district’s student achievement goals.
• Demonstrate competency in content knowledge appropriate to the teaching position.
• Demonstrate competency in planning and preparation for instruction.
• Use strategies to deliver instruction that meets the multiple learning needs of students.
• Use a variety of methods to monitor student learning.
• Demonstrate competence in classroom management.
• Engage in professional growth.
• Fulfill professional responsibilities established by the school district.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to ensure licensed employees are evaluated.
New and probationary licensed employees are evaluated at least twice each year.

Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021

The first three years of a new licensed employee's contract is a probationary period unless the employee has already successfully completed the probationary period in an Iowa school district. New employees who have successfully completed a probationary period in a previous Iowa school district will serve a one year probationary period. For purposes of this policy, an employee will has met the requirements for successfully completing a probationary period in another Iowa school district if, at the teacher’s most recent performance evaluation, the teacher received at least a satisfactory or better evaluation and the individual has not engaged in conduct which would disqualify the teacher for a continuing contract.

Only the board, in its discretion, may waive the probationary period. The board may extend the probationary period for one additional year with the consent of the licensed employee. The board will make the decision to extend or waive a licensed employee's probationary status based upon the superintendent's recommendation. During this probationary period the board may terminate the licensed employee's contract at year-end or discharge the employee in concert with corresponding board policies.

 Approved: 03/15/2021                        Reviewed: 02/15/2021                       Revised: 02/15/2021