5.11.7 Teacher and Faculty Employment Agreements
Schools enter into employment agreements for specific terms with teachers; the agreements expire at the end of the term. See the elementary school Teacher Employment Agreements (full-time exempt; part-time exempt) and the high school Faculty Employment Agreements (full-time exempt; part-time exempt).
5.11.7.1 Elementary School Teacher Employment Agreement
The decision to offer an initial employment agreement or to rehire a teacher is the responsibility of the principal with the approval of the pastor. A rehire decision should be based on the following considerations:
The teacher's record of support and cooperation with the philosophy and mission of the school, in particular, compliance with school regulations and policies for teachers as promulgated in this Administrative Handbook and the elementary school Teacher Employment Agreements (full-time exempt; part-time exempt), the faculty/staff handbook(s), the parent/student handbook, and other school communications
The extent to which the teacher's behavior on campus and in the community offers to the students an example of Catholic values
Archdiocesan elementary schools do not have a tenure system. Rehiring an elementary school Teacher Employment Agreement does not constitute granting of tenure.
The teacher/applicant must sign and return the offered elementary school Teacher Employment Agreement by the date that the principal sets for acceptance, or the offer is considered withdrawn. The agreement is not valid and binding until it is signed by the principal and the pastor/administrator of the parish, when applicable. If the school does not have a pastor/administrator, the agreement must be signed by the appropriate personnel in the Department of Catholic Schools.
See also Employees with Written Agreements.
5.11.7.2 High School Faculty Employment Agreement
In high schools, before an applicant for the position of vice principal, business manager, religion teacher or campus minister is offered an agreement, the principal must receive approval from the regional or assistant superintendent in the Department of Catholic Schools.
The principal alone has the final and sole authority with respect to offering contracts to first- and second-year teachers. Except in the case of
staff reduction or of noncompliance with
professional growth requirements, commencing in a teacher's third year of teaching and continuing for as long as the teacher remains a teacher at the school, the decision to not offer a contract for the subsequent year requires approval of a simple majority of the school
Evaluative Council.
The decision to rehire a teacher should be based upon, but not limited to, the following considerations:
The teacher's record of support and cooperation with the philosophy and mission of the school, in particular, compliance with school regulations and policies for teachers as promulgated in this Administrative Handbook and the high school Faculty Employment Agreements (full-time exempt; part-time exempt), the faculty/staff handbook(s), the parent/student handbook, and other school communications
The extent to which the teacher's behavior on campus and in the community offers to the students an example of Catholic values
Professional development
The needs of the school
Archdiocesan and parish high schools do not have a tenure system. Rehiring full-time high school teachers during and beyond the third year of teaching does not constitute granting of tenure.
Teachers who have been offered a high school Faculty Employment Agreement for the next academic year should accept the offer by returning a signed agreement within 7 days of receiving the offer. Teachers who fail to return a signed agreement to the principal by June 1 may be considered as having
voluntarily terminated their employment with the school, because teachers' employment agreements lapse automatically on the date indicated in the agreement.
See also Employees with Written Agreements.
7-1-21, 10-19-21