Quality of education to our children is affected by work performance, which includes attendance of teachers. Attendance at work is more than an expectation – it’s an obligation. All teachers are expected to report to work as scheduled and to attend work regularly under the terms of their employment contract. If teachers are unable to attend work, the principal needs to be informed promptly so that their work can be reassigned to ensure the operational needs of the classroom are met.

Accountability for managing sick leave, along with all other teacher time off provisions is places where the accountability legitimately belongs – with the principal. The sick leave plan provides teachers with paid time-off from school due to personal illness or unscheduled family care situations.

The intent of this policy is to allow the principal and teachers the flexibility necessary to manage time-off due to illness and family care situations.

The principal needs to consider two elements:

It is the principal’s responsibility to monitor teacher absences and to practice early intervention in addressing patterns of absenteeism.

Leave of absence due to sickness or accident will provide for a continuation of wages under the provisions outlined herein. For part time teachers, the entitlements will be directly proportional to their teaching time ratio; for example, a 50% teacher will receive 50% of the days allotted.

All full time teaching staff shall be entitled to twenty sick days each year of employment with the society, non-cumulative.

Any sick days used by a teacher during any time will decrease the total amount of remaining days. At the beginning of any school year a teacher shall have no less than twenty sick days.

Three (3) of these days may be used for care of a sick family member of the staff member at the discretion of the administrator. If there are special circumstances, extra days may be allowed upon approval by the principal. If granted, these extra days will be granted as days without pay and will not be subtracted from the remaining sick days.

The initial value of previously accumulated sick leave will be the total number of sick days accumulated up to and including August 31, 2001. Total accumulation may not increase after August 31, 2001.

Sick leave will be used up in the following order.

Total accumulation decreases each year by the number of sick days over the yearly allotment a teacher uses in a contract year. Total accumulation can only be used for illness.

This section applies to those teachers who do not have any accumulated sick time beyond the Yearly Allotment (or who were not employed by the Society as of August 31, 2001).

In the event of a short-term disability, the transition from regular salary to short term disability payments shall be implemented in cooperation with the teacher so as to ensure continuity of pay.

This section applies to those teachers who have accumulated sick time beyond the Yearly Allotment (or who were employed by the Society as of August 31, 2001 and who have a non-zero Total Accumulation).

In the event the Short Term Disability benefit becomes 100% non-taxable, which would occur when a teacher pays 100% of the premium, it may benefit, on an after-tax basis, to forgo the full salary option and accept the 75% benefit commencing the Short Term Disability Start Day.

In the event the Short Term Disability benefit becomes 100% non-taxable, which would occur when a teacher pays 100% of the premium, it may benefit the teacher, on an after-tax basis, to forgo the full salary option and accept the 75% benefit commencing the Short Term Disability Start Day.

In the event the Short Term Disability benefit becomes 100% non-taxable, which would occur when a teacher pays 100% of the premium, it may benefit the teacher, on an after-tax basis, to forgo the full salary option and accept the 75% benefit commencing the Short Term Disability Start Day.

In the event of a short term disability, the transition from regular salary to short term disability payments shall be implemented in cooperation with the teacher so as to ensure continuity of pay.

Benefits apply for one continuous sickness period if disabled due to sickness or accident when:

Should a teacher be off work due to more than one sick period, he/she shall be entitled to benefits as outlined above in each individual sickness or accident period.

The teacher shall be entitled to a maximum of seven (7) consecutive calendar days, if applicable, with pay in case of death or life-threatening illness in the immediate family. The immediate family shall mean husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child and fiancé.

The teacher shall be entitled to a maximum of five (5) consecutive calendar days, if applicable, with pay in case of death or critical illness of grandchildren, grandparents,

sister-in-law and brother-in-law.

In special circumstance, the principal upon consultation with designated board members may grant additional days without pay.

The principal upon consultation with designated board members may also grant unpaid leave in the case of death of a close friend or non-immediate family member.

Each full-time teacher is entitled to one (1) day off with pay as "personal days" per school year. For part-time teachers, the entitlement will be directly proportional to their teaching time ratio; for example, a 50% teacher will receive 50% of the days allotted.

No specific reason needs to be stated for using these days, but it is expected that these days off be scheduled in advance with the principal. These days may not be taken in September or June.

Personal days may not be accumulated.

In special circumstance, the Principal upon consultation with the Board, if requested may grant days without pay. These days could include additional days required for personal affairs or unanticipated travel requirements.

For days without pay, the reduction in salary will be calculated as the current supply teacher rate per day.

When called for jury duty, or subpoenaed as a witness to a proceeding to which a teacher/principal is not a party or one of the persons charged: