Personnel

Evaluation Training

Annually, six hours of certified evaluation update training is required for all district administrators/supervisors. Harlan County Public School's will utilize the Southeast South-Central Educational Cooperative Certified Evaluation Update Training to meet this requirement. This training was designed so you can access content and learn anytime. To earn 6 hours of PD, you must complete the four modules and quiz linked below along with the district group follow-up activity. Note that these modules must be completed prior to the group follow-up activity. Once both are completed your ELIA certificate will be provided to you.

To begin, please use the following training document. Remember that you must complete modules 1-4 along with the quiz.

Please note that SESC has made a number of resources available to our staff which can be found at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nAiZX2_0aB9qOKO5d4c07rESf9xCSCto.

Resources

Evaluations & Forms

 Informal Classroom Observation Forms Classified Evaluation

Non-Renewals
  • Classified: If a classified employee is recommended for non-renewal, Policy 3.2711 states that the recommendation must be made to the Superintendent by March 15th, meaning that formative and summative evaluations must be completed prior.
  • Certified: Certified non-renewals are due to the Superintendent by April 15th
  • Note: Non-renewal notices will be hand delivered starting on or near April 30th. Principals should ensure that employee's recommended for non-renewal are made aware before this date.

Certified Evaluation

 Timeline
The following implementation time table is to be used for overview purposes only and is NOT inclusive of all guidelines. Please review the Harlan County Public Schools Certified Evaluation Plan for additional dates and information:

  • PGP - Completed by May 15th. New employees should complete within 30 days of hire.
  • Student Voice Survey (ALL) - November-January (to be determined yearly during SVS window). Administered with the first class of the teachers day.
  • Observations - May begin 30 days after the start of school or initial employment and the employee has received training on the district CEP and evaluation process. May begin earlier if deemed necessary by the evaluator. Should be completed 15 days prior to the due date of the summative evaluation.
  • Pre and Post-Conferences - Pre-conferences are not required for mini-observations. Pre-conferences should be conducted at least 5 working days prior to a Formal observation. Post conferences are required within 5 working days after completion of all observations including mini.
  • Summative Evaluations - Non-tenured and those tenured who are on a 1 year cycle – April 15th, Tenured (those on a three year cycle) and Administrators – April 30th.
Observation Schedule
  • Observations may begin after the evaluation training takes place within 30 calendar days of reporting for employment.
  • Non-tenured teachers and other professionals as well as teachers and other professionals on a one year cycle, shall have a minimum of one full observation and a minimum of three mini-observations annually. One of the mini-observations may be from a peer observer.
  • Tenured teachers and other professionals who are on a three year cycle shall have a minimum of one full observation and a minimum of three mini-observations over the three year cycle, with the peer observation and summative observation in the summative year of the cycle. One of the mini-observations must be from a peer observer. Additional observations may be conducted if deemed necessary.
  • Each principal will consult with the superintendent to determine the best format for documenting evidence of observations. Documentation may be recorded and maintained on hard copy (paper) or on the state approved electronic platform as directed by the superintendent.
  • All peer observations will be documented on the “Harlan County Peer Observation Assurance Document” which shall be submitted to the principal/supervisor upon completion.
  • Observations should be completed 15 days prior to the due date for summative evaluations.
  • Summative evaluations should be submitted to the district evaluation contact prior to April 30th for tenured staff and administrators.
  • Summative evaluations should be submitted to the district evaluation contact prior to April 15th for Non-tenured staff and staff on a corrective action plan.
  • The following observation windows are recommended but are not mandatory: Window 1 – First day of School through September 30, Window 2 – September 30 – November 15 (Peer Observation), Window 3 – November 16 - December 31 (this window shall be extended to account for school closures due to inclement weather), Window 4 – January 1 – April 1 (non-tenured) April 15 (tenured)
  • Late hires who are hired prior to the January 1st shall follow an amended observation schedule which includes four observation windows similar to the one above, with the observations spaced as equally as possible apart from the date of their hire until April 1st. One full and one peer observation must be included in this schedule.
  • Late hires who are hired after January 1st shall have a minimum of one full and one peer observation.
Explanation to and Discussions with all Certified Personnel:

Within the first 30 days of employment, all certified personnel shall have the Harlan County Evaluation Procedures explained to them. Each individual shall also be provided access to the evaluation instrument that will be used to evaluate their specific position.

Formative Evaluation:

Formative evaluation is a continuous cycle of collecting evaluation information in order to provide feedback with suggestions regarding the certified employee’s professional growth performance.

Summative Evaluation:

The summative report is a compilation of the formative evaluations and includes all evaluation data.

Multiple Observations:

Evaluation with multiple observations as well as peer observation shall occur annually for each non-tenured certified employee (including those participating in KTIP). Multiple observations which include peer observations shall be conducted with a tenured, certified employee based on the Type and Length of Educator Plan for Tenured Teachers document/rubric.

Professional Growth Plans:
  • All teachers AND other professionals will collaboratively work with their evaluator in the completion of a Professional Growth Plan annually. The template should be completed in its entirety with on-going reflection and a summative reflection.
  • The Professional Growth Plan should be completed on district approved forms by May 15th.
  • If the employee is hired after May 15th, the Professional Growth Plan should be completed on district approved forms within 30 days of hire.

Opening Day Training's

Teacher Certification and Rank Changes

Valid/current teaching certification is required for all teachers in the content area for which they are employed. Failure to renew expired certification(s) or obtain valid initial certification may result in payroll interruptions or delays and the inability to serve as a classroom teacher and loss of employment. Additionally, requests for Rank changes must be submitted prior to September 15 to be added to the current year. Requests/certificates received after that date will not be added until the following school year.

Explanation of Application Forms:
CA-1 - Application for Kentucky Certification or Change in Salary Rank (use when applying for initial certification, completing an alt cert program or change in rank, Fees - http://www.epsb.ky.gov/mod/page/view.php?id=124)
CA-2 - Application for Certificate Renewal/Duplicate (use to renew expiring certifications, Fees - http://www.epsb.ky.gov/mod/page/view.php?id=124).
CA-TP - Application for Temporary Provisional Certification (use to renew temporary provisional certifications such as Option 6, no fee)

Renewals:
Credentials that are up for renewal will expire on 6/30 and we encourage you to please check your EPSB account and renew any/all certifications that are required for your employment to avoid issues prior to the beginning of the fall semester; failure to renew certification/credentials in a timely manner may result in interruption in duties and/or payroll delays as mentioned above. Everyone with a certificate set to expire for the upcoming school year will receive a notification from EPSB and also from Personnel Director, Scott Pace (scott.pace@harlan.kyschools.us).

To check your credentials and start an application, go to the EPSB web page at www.epsb.ky.gov. Click on the “EPSB ACCOUNT” link at the top-center of the page which will bring up the KECS Online Application System (large green button on left side). Note that when you start your application (CA-2), an experience record must be added for you before you can complete your application and pay the associated fee(s). Below is a summary of the data that is needed (send to Scott Pace) which will be verified in MUNIS. ESPB has indicated that we only need to add a record for your most recent/current role unless you have served as a classroom teacher and administrator within the last 5 years. Two records will need to be added in this situation.  

Experience Record Data:

  • School
  • Position
  • Grade Level(s)
  • Subject(s)
  • Full Time?
  • Start Date

Renewals for Retired Teachers:

There is an Emeritus Certificate for persons who have retired. If you by chance retired while you still held a valid certificate, you can apply for the 10-year Emeritus Certificate. It is your same professional certificate…same rank and same certifications. You must provide/upload a copy of your KTRS retiree benefits statement or some other written document from KTRS that verifies your actual date of retirement. You would apply by completing the "Add Emeritus Certificate (for retired educators/administrators)”.  The KTRS retiree benefits statement or other KTRS documentation would have to be uploaded to your application. The fee is $25.

To complete the application, go to the EPSB web page at https://wd.kyepsb.net/Epsb.WebApps/Login/Login.aspx. Click on the “EPSB ACCOUNT” link at the top-center of the page which will bring up the KECS Online Application System (large green button on left side).  If you already have an account, but don’t remember your username or password, click on "Forgot Username" and you will be emailed your username and a link to reset your password. If you do not have an EPSB account, click on “Register” to set up your account with a username and password. Once you are logged in, the first page will be your Dashboard. You will need to click on the link to “Start a New Application”, then select the application pathway, “Add Emeritus Certificate”.

Option 6 / Alt. and Temporary Certifications:
We encourage those with a Temporary Provisional Certification (Alt. Cert.) to work closely with your certification officer or advisor at your college to ensure that you are meeting all requirements for the Alternative Certification Program. You can hold a temporary certificate for multiple years, but must renew it annually. Note that temporary certificates CANNOT renew until after layoffs have been completed and you have an offer of employment which will be toward the end of April or early May; you must also allow time for your current transcripts to post and show completion of the minimum required number of hours in your program. If you are on a temporary certificate (Opt. 6, etc.), you will need to complete a new CA-TP form/application. When you are ready to start your application, contact Scott Pace (scott.pace@harlan.kyschools.us) directly as there is a portion of the application (Verification of Employment) that must be completed for you. If you are completing/finishing an alternative certification program, the college will/should submit a CA-1 application to EPSB on your behalf. You will need to submit transcripts to EPSB that reflect your completed coursework and degree earned and also notify our finance department or Mr. Pace of your change in rank when available (see below). Instructions to submit your transcripts are within the application.

Retirees and Emergency Certifications:
Employed retirees and those who hold an emergency certificate must be laid off at the end of the current school year and the position posted. The District would only apply for and renew this type of certificate should there be no qualified applicants for the position.

Approved Applications / Certificates, Rank Changes:
Remember when renewing your teaching certificate(s) that you need to bring (or e-mail) a copy of your new certificate(s) to the central office (ATTN: Scott Pace) to be placed in your personnel file. EPSB will no longer mail you a new certificate. It must be saved/downloaded from their website when available. Also, if you are getting a rank change, you need to provide a copy of your new certificate to finance or Mr. Pace and request your rank raise. Note that all raises are applied at the beginning of each school year and certificates must be received by September 15th to receive a pay increase for that year. 

Cost / Fees:
As referenced above, for renewal use application CA-2 and for rank change use application CA-1.  Be aware that fees must be paid online to EPSB. Please also be aware that there is an option to sync multiple certificates so they will all expire in the same year.  This option allows you to pay an additional fee to synchronize certificates expiring in different years so you can renew everything at the same time for one fee every five years instead of paying multiple times to renew individual certificates. For example, when renewing you will need to select ‘Renew Certificate(s) (CA-2) and Synchronize Certifications (CA-1/CA-2). Please contact EPSB at 502-564-4606 with any questions that you may have and also to verify if you are eligible to synchronize your certifications.

The district, as a courtesy, sends numerous reminders to renew or apply for appropriate certifications and specific details regarding how to complete the process are included. However, the obligation to obtain and maintain proper certification is solely the responsibility of the teacher and failure to do so is a violation of your contract or prevents the district from offering a contract.

We, as a district, have the duty to provide certified teachers in all of our classrooms and cannot allow anyone without proper credentials issued by the Education Professional Standards Board to serve as a teacher.

Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification
The Kentucky General Assembly, under KRS 161.048 has enacted alternative routes to teacher and administrator certification for persons who have demonstrated exceptional work and/or educational experiences. There are eight options for alternative teacher certification available through EPSB with Option 6 - University Based (sometimes referred to as ALT Cert.) and Option 8 - Teach for America (TFA) being the most popular within the Harlan County Public School District. For more information about these and other traditional and non-traditional pathways to initial certification, please visit Pathways to Teacher Certification. Our school district receives numerous questions and inquiries about the process for Alternative Certification Routes. The following is a summary of steps that candidates, colleges and our district take in order to hire someone under the Option 6 University-Based Alternative Certification Route.

Retiring Teachers

If you are planning to retire at the end of the current school year, please notify Jody Gilliam (jody.gilliam@harlan.kyschools.us) or David Hensley (david.hensley1@harlan.kyschools.us) in writing and consider speaking with them directly to seek guidance or information you may need to make a smooth transition from work to retirement.

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