on daily safety procedures and to create appropriate plans.
C. Pr ovide a staffing plan for each year of the char ter ter m aligned with the school’s pr ojected enr ollment as detailed on the cover page of this application.
(The Staffing Matrix is also included in Appendix I – Budgets (Staffing Matrix)
Instr uctional Staff: Costs for educational staff and administrators are forecast using comparable district pay scale district as a guide.
As per Florida House Bill 7197: Digital Learning Now, effective July 1, 2011, a virtual charter school is exempt from s. 1003.03 (class size). However, the number of instructional personnel is based on a 50:1 ratio for
maximum teacher efficiency.
• Teacher Salaries were derived at by using an average salary of $38,500/teacher for Year 1, with a CPI of 2.5% for every year thereafter.
• Teachers include ESOL certified personnel and 1 ESOL coordinator • ESE Program Specialist is budgeted with additional support in Year 3
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101 Suppor t Staff
• Personal Academic Trainer (see Job description – Appendix D) are budgeted at an average salary of $14,000/year similar to paraprofessionals. The Personal Academic Trainer ("PAT") assists the certified teachers in shepherding the student throughout the process. The PAT guides parents through the
enrollment, placement, and registration process. He/she acts as a liaison to communicate between various teachers and stakeholders.
• IT Support Specialist budgeted at 40,000 monitors the system as well as data security and recovery protocols. (see detailed job description – Appendix D). In contracting with the virtual provider, the school will receive additional IT support from the virtual provider and the ESP. These providers have proven high quality systems that ensure accuracy of data transfer and a high level of security.
• Clerical and Administrative assistant salaries include those for Registrar, Treasurer, Administrative Assistants/Clerical personnel.
• Supplements are calculated at 1% of all instructional salaries
• Employee Benefits are calculated at a rate of 24% of all salaries (excluding contracted services). This includes health insurance costs, 401k contributions, tuition reimbursements, Worker’s Compensation, and all mandatory federal and state employment taxes. As noted in the application, for employee insurance and benefits selection, the Governing Board has engaged the services of ADP TotalSource, a professional employer organization that provides human resource services to small and moderate size employers. The use of a professional employer organization allows the staff of the School to enjoy the same level of benefits that are available to employees of large organization such as Fortune 500 companies (including health/dental/vision insurance and Retirement/401k plans).
• Substitute teacher costs assume substitutes hired for 10 days/full-time teacher at a rate of $110/day. • Contract Services include professional fees paid to entities such as the Services and Support Provider,
Speech Therapist, and other ESE service providers. As noted in the detailed Revenue Worksheet included in Appendix I – Budgets, the budget anticipates that 10% of students will be classified as ESE. There is latitude in the budget to modify the amount paid for ESE services under Miscellaneous and in the Budget Surplus, should the rate of contracted services for ESE and ESOL increase due to the various needs of the students once enrolled.
D. Explain the school’s plan for r ecr uitment, selection, development, and evaluation of staff.
Recruitment of Staff - The school will ensure that faculty members are highly-qualified and match the learning
needs of virtual students. Accordingly, the school will recruit teachers through: • the organization’s current network of charter school educators
• state-sponsored, Department of Education, Teach in Florida website, • partnerships with virtual schools and virtual curriculum provider
Somerset Academy, Inc. already has approximately 100 teachers already trained to be virtual instructors. The school will continue to recruit and employ additional Florida Certified teachers (or utilize teachers currently at a Somerset Academy school) who meet all licensure and/or certification requirements that apply to the area. The school will continue to organize other efforts to attract in-field experts to serve as teachers in the various disciplines that require higher levels of academic content delivery. Recruitment efforts will also include advertisements online and in local newspapers and on the school’s website, presentations and fliers at local universities, school job fairs, and via word of mouth. Considerable effort will be taken during interviews to hire the most qualified candidates to serve student in a virtual environment.
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102 Selection of Staff - The School will be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices and operations. The school will not employ an individual to provide instructional services if the individual's certificate or license as an educator is suspended or revoked by this or any other state. The school agrees to fingerprint all employees as required by Section 1012.32, F.S., all employees agree to background checks, and drug-screening. The school agrees to fingerprint all employees as required by Section 1012.32, F.S., conduct background checks and drug-screening. The School will adhere to the antidiscrimination provisions of s. 1000.05, Florida Statutes.
All faculty and staff members employed by the school will possess the knowledge base of and belief in the virtual educational program described herein as well as an ability and motivation to work closely with parents and families involved in the program. The School will look for candidates who also demonstrate:
• Excellent presentation and interpersonal skills
• Satisfactory recommendation and/or evaluations from previous employer • Personal characteristics, knowledge, and belief in the school’s mission • References/Letters of Recommendation
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103 Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, all teachers must be “highly qualified” to teach in the school. The definition of a highly qualified teacher includes meeting at least the following three criteria:
1. Having a bachelor’s degree
2. Having State credentials or certificate
3. Demonstrated core academic subject matter competence Certifications -
- Present proof of bachelor’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution
In addition to producing eligibility by the execution and production of documents required for employment, teachers will be required to:
- Present a valid teaching certificate for the required position
- Present proof of educational certificates and/or statement of eligibility - Present original transcripts for all degrees conferred
- Submit for fingerprinting, background checks and drug testing to the county school board office, in addition to Human Resources Department, at the employee’s expense.
It is the professional responsibility of each educator to provide the administration with a copy of a current, valid
The principal:
-Interviews all candidates
-Makes all final hiring decisions and -Reports to the Governing Board The school leadership/principal's designee:
- Posts positions on Teach in Florida, Florida’s official teacher recruitment website - Works with virtual provider and service provider to and conducts initial screening
- Verifies credentials of in
terviewees (
proper documentation, certifications and references)The governing board:
- Interviews and Hires the school Principal
- Works with virtual provider to recruite qualified virtual staff
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104 Florida Educator’s Certificate or copies of other documentation such as Statement of Eligibility and/or college transcripts, as may be applicable (Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-1.0503). It is also the professional responsibility of each educator to maintain a current teaching certificate and to fulfill the requirements of any waiver they have. Teachers must agree to comply with all certification requirements, as set forth by the School and Florida Statutes. Any teacher who has been granted a waiver agrees to complete any and all credits required for certification in the subject area within the time frame specified by the Principal. The teacher further agrees to provide the School, in a timely manner, with written verification of her/his compliance with said
requirements. Required Screenings
o the evaluation system to focus on student performance.
- The school will conduct a background screening of all employees and contracted
personnel, as required by Section 1012.32, Florida Statute. All instructional and non-instructional personnel that are hired or contracted for positions undergo background screening. When applicable, any student teacher or person participating in a field experience or a short-term experience such as a teaching assistant also undergoes an initial background check before providing services. Employment requires additional pre-employment criteria, such as finger printing, a background investigation and/or a pre-employment drug test. If the employee has been offered employment before any such investigation or test is completed, employment is contingent on a satisfactory result on all required tests. In addition, continued employment is contingent upon maintaining satisfactory fingerprint clearance as well as active and current acceptable state teaching certification.
Evaluations - Since 2007, Somerset Academy, Inc. has participated in the STAR and then subsequently MAP performance pay programs for teachers in in the schools it currently operates. Somerset administrators and educators have already attended trainings related to the implementation of new evaluation systems under SB736 and plans to implement such evaluation system in alignment with the Sponsor. The bill holds charter schools to the same standard as other public schools with respect to performance evaluations for instructional personnel and school administrators, assessments, performance pay and salary schedules, and workforce reductions. The school will mirror the district’s performance and evaluation system for teachers and administrators in compliance with SB 736, which requires that:
o 50 percent of the evaluation for classroom teachers and other instructional personnel to be based on student performance for students assigned to them over a 3-year period.
o 50 percent of a school administrator’s evaluation be based upon the performance of the students assigned to the school over a 3-year period.
o the remainder of a classroom teacher’s evaluation will be based on instructional practice and professional responsibilities.
o the evaluation system l differentiate among four levels: highly effective; effective; needs improvement or, for instructional personnel in the first three years of employment who need improvement, developing; and unsatisfactory.
o the remainder of a school administrator’s evaluation would include the recruitment and retention of effective or highly effective teachers, improvement in the percentage of classroom teachers evaluated at the effective or highly effective level, other leadership practices that result in improved student outcomes, and professional responsibilities.
o newly hired teachers will be evaluated at least twice in the first year of teaching.
Employment
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105
performance ratings, 50 percent of which must be based on data regarding student growth, including scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. I
• Upon successful completion of a probationary contract, classroom teachers will receive an annual contract. The school will must annually report to the parent of a student who is assigned to a classroom • Teacher or school administrator with two consecutive unsatisfactory evaluations, two unsatisfactory
evaluations within a 3-year period, or three consecutive needs improvement or a combination of unsatisfactory or needs improvement.
Staff Evaluations: The principal will conduct all faculty evaluations. A performance appraisal system in
accordance with SB736 as stated above, will be established to validate teacher competence in accordance with Florida Statutes. Formal teacher observations will be conducted at least two to four times a year for new teachers and bi-annually for experienced teachers. Additional appraisals may be effected, as needed, to address areas of concern and/or to inform completion of improvement plans that may include specific strategies,
resources, and timelines for improvement deficiencies.
Observations of teacher log-ins, virtual grade books, lesson plans, communication logs and web-based lessons will be conducted frequently to provide feedback on objective-setting, grade level appropriateness of lessons, delivery appropriate higher-level thinking strategies, (as evidenced in Bloom’s Taxonomy) and appropriate use of technology. Instructional strategies, and engagement of learners, communication with students and parents will be observed through the administrative login and teacher performance will be evaluated as a means to inform instruction.
Other support staff, such as clerical staff and teacher assistants will also receive feedback on their performance via individual conferences with the principal or his/her designee. School staff performance will be continually improved through a number of strategies. Performance evaluations will be completed by the principal, or his/her designee, and will serve as the basis for continuing employment contracts.
Staff Development - In setting high expectations for all, the school will be committed to maintaining the level of high quality instructors by implementing a comprehensive professional development plan for the virtual environment. The school will support the professional development needs of all professional staff by
subsidizing college classes, facilitating the attainment of continuing education credits, and offering trainings. Teacher training will be offered throughout the school year both in person and online. Select teachers will attend local, state and national conferences and serve as trainer to the remainder of the staff upon returning to the school. Appropriate and relevant school wide training will occur on teacher planning days. All staff will participate in school-initiated and other relevant and necessary workshops for professional development, and a member of the administrative team will coordinate, assist and monitor the staff development
process. Workshops and meetings will be held monthly by administrators and may occur as often as biweekly through team leaders, in order to facilitate support, encourage communication, allow for team planning, and troubleshoot concerns and needs.
In conjunction with the virtual content provider and the school’s ESP, online and live trainings will be conducted covering but not limited to the following: LMS and SIS systems; creating web-based lessons; organizing progress reports, lesson plans, gradebooks; proper communication, academic integrity and other virtual policies, and data-driven instruction in the virtual classroom.
In addition to school wide professional development opportunities, faculty members will each complete an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) as a means to document and identify areas for personal
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106 targeted professional growth, including the identification of strategies for obtaining specified goals, its’
compatibility to ensuring the professional development exercise will serve to benefit the student, and a
timeframe in which the staff development exercise should occur. The IPDP will be approved by the Principal, or his/her designee, at such time the principal may elect to recommend additional recommended professional development that should occur within a given timeframe. The principal or member of the administrative staff, together with the teacher, will commit to the IPDP, including the allocation of necessary resources for plan implementation, and observation of new/struggling teachers by veteran/mentor teachers to implement support strategies.
Staff Retention: The school wishes to provide the best benefits and employee services possible. Our experience has shown that when employees deal openly and directly with supervisors, the work environment can be
excellent, communications can be clear, and attitudes can be positive. We believe that the school will amply demonstrate their commitment to employees by responding effectively to employee concerns.
A number of the programs (such as Social Security, workers' compensation, and unemployment insurance) cover all employees in the manner prescribed by law. In addition, the school will provide a wide range of benefits to ensure the retaining of qualified and capable staff. The full range of services include: Flexible Benefits Plan; Credit Union; Direct Deposit; Tuition Assistance; Retirement/401(k) Savings Plan; Bereavement Leave; Health, Dental and Vision Care Insurance; Employee Assistance Program; Family Medical Leave; Financial Counseling; Holidays; Jury Duty Leave; Life Insurance; Sick Leave and Long-Term Disability. Additionally, the school will provide a wide range of benefits to ensure the retaining of qualified and capable staff. These include:
Educational Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement: The educational assistance program encourages personal development through formal education so that employees can maintain and improve job-related skills or enhance their ability to compete for reasonably attainable jobs within the school. The following criteria will be used for tuition reimbursement for full-time certified teachers.
Employee Assistance Program: Through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), the school will provide confidential access to professional counseling services for help in confronting such personal problems as alcohol and other substance abuse, marital and family difficulties, financial or legal troubles, and emotional distress
Flexible Spending Account (FSA): A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) program that allows employees to have pre-tax dollars deducted from their salaries to pay for eligible out-of-pocket expenses. The pre-tax contributions made to the FSA can be used to pay for predictable non-reimbursed health care expenses and dependent care expenses during the plan year. Through the FSA program, staff can reduce taxable income without reducing real income, in order to keep more of the money they earn.
Support for Beginning and Struggling Teachers: Observation of new and struggling teachers will be conducted and support strategies will be implemented as applicable. A new educator support system format will also be utilized as a means to offer support to beginning teachers, through the assigning of a willing mentor, who will be assigned for struggling and/or beginning teachers.
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107 Section 11: Education Ser vice Pr ovider s
A. Descr ibe the ser vices to be pr ovided by the ESP.
The ESP’s services include assistance with staffing recommendations and human resource coordination, research and data updating, sponsor relations and reporting, program marketing, bookkeeping, budgeting, and financial forecasting, provided to the Governing Board for its oversight and approval.
The ESP will also assist with coordination and oversight of a state-approved virtual instruction provider to be contracted under the provisions of FS 1002.45 as amended by the Digital Learning Now Act.
B. Pr ovide a dr aft of the pr oposed contr act between the school and the ESP including, at a minimum, pr oposed ser vices, per for mance evaluation measur es, fee str uctur e, renewal and ter mination pr ovisions, and ter ms of pr oper ty owner ship (r eal, intellectual and per sonal).
Draft of proposed contract between the school and the ESP is included herein as Appendix C. Sample ESP Contract.
C. Explain why the ESP was selected, including what due diligence effor ts wer e conducted to inform the selection and how the r elationship with the ESP will fur ther the school’s mission.
The Board analyzed data regarding several ESP’s currently working with charter schools in Florida and concluded that the ESP chosen offered the most competitive price and had a proven track record of success. The ESP is one of an affiliated group of charter school service and support entities, which compose one of Florida’s longest serving and most successful charter school service and support organizations.
The ESP was selected for the following reasons including, but not limited to: