INCREASED SEVERANCE PAYMENT

The deadline for early separation notification is quickly approaching.  Notification by Friday, December 3 (by 5:00PM) will exempt members from TDES events and make a retiring member eligible for severance payment of 35% of unused sick days up to $60,000 (must complete contract).  Normally, the severance payment is 30% up to $30,000.  The contract that was approved in the spring of 2021 added language that could enable a retiree to receive the higher severance payment for unused sick days with early notification to the district (by December 3) and the member must complete their contracted school year.   Members that do not give early notification by December 3 or who do not finish contract will still receive severance at the 30% up to $30,000 rate.  A member must retire (not resign) to be eligible for a severance payment. 

EARLY SEPARATION & TDES

Any CTU Bargaining Unit member (teacher, paraprofessional, RSP) who submits his/her irrevocable letter of separation effective after the completion of the 2021-2022 school year will be exempted from completing all remaining events of the TDES evaluation system. Any CTU bargaining unit member who has already provided an irrevocable letter of separation upon conclusion of this contract year or who chooses to submit his/her irrevocable letter of separation by the close of business (5:00 PM) on Friday, December 3, 2021 will be eligible for the program. The earlier the notification submissions are received - the earlier employees are exempt from evaluation components.

CHARITIES OF CHOICE

The Annual Charities of Choice campaign is under way.

Last year staff and students raised over $97,412!  This was an incredible show of support that benefitted so many in our community and many of the students that we work with each day.  It is a fact that many of the students in our classrooms and their families use the services of the Charities of Choice organizations daily. This includes The Boys and Girls Club, the Rainey Institute, and Beech Brook, which are just a few of the agencies that United Way funds. The United Negro College Fund and the Community Shares member organizations, also remain as charities of choice for the 2021 campaign. In recognition of these agencies that do so much to support our work, we are asking CMSD Educators to join us in a system-wide gift of support for the 2021 Charities of Choice campaign efforts.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

To contribute to this year’s Charities of Choice campaign, please see the email sent to all employees from onlinegiving@unitedwaycleveland.org.  The step-by-step directions in the email will enable you to authorize the electronic payroll deduction or to access the other giving options available to you. Our campaign ends on Friday, December 10th. Charitable giving is a personal decision, and when it comes to creating a bright future for our community, every donation counts.

PERMIT & LICENSE RENEWAL

Anyone that needs to renew a license or permit for 2022, can begin to do that now.  The state is accepting applications for 2022 licenses and permits.  DO NOT get caught without a license after June 30.  Renew now.  Do not wait to take classes, do not wait to convert CEUs, do not wait. We strongly encourage everyone to have all documentation submitted for license or permit renewal by May 1.

CONVERTING PD HOURS TO CEUs

For all members that need to renew a license or certificate, there is NO COST for converting CMSD PD hours to CEUs through the CMSD Office of Professional Development.  You can view your transcript by going to the CMSD website, clicking Departments, Office of Professional Development, Application for your PD Transcript (on right in purple).  This will take you directly to your transcript.  You can only count the PD hours accumulated AFTER your license was issued AND after your IPDP was APPROVED.  There is a waiver for this year.  If you did not do an IPDP after your new license was issued, your hours will still count for this renewal.  In the future, this will not always be case.  Make sure that you have an APPROVED IPDP ON FILE.

DO YOU HAVE AN APPROVED IPDP?

IPDPs need to be written BEFORE you take classes for your license renewal.  An IPDP should be written and approved as soon as you have your new license in hand.  You DO NOT write a new IPDP when it is time to apply for a new license.  If you have an approved IPDP that was written after your current license was issued, there is no need to write a new IPDP.  When done correctly, the IPDP is written as soon as you get your new license and prior to taking any classes or PD that counts for CEUs and it is not written at the end when you are applying for renewal.

FINGERPRINTS

Fingerprints - Educators who are renewing and have lived continuously in Ohio for the previous 5 years and have a BCI check on file – will only need to have FBI background check.  If you have NOT lived continuously in Ohio, then both BCI and FBI are required.  CMSD Safety & Security does fingerprinting at East Professional Center by appointment only.  To schedule an appointment, go to the CMSD website, click Departments, Safety & Security, Forms (on the left), Background Checks By Appointment Only.  Once you complete and submit the Background Check Form, you will then see the link to book your appointment.  The cost for fingerprints through CMSD are:   BCI = $22.00 and FBI = $25.25.  This is payable ONLY by money order.  Again, educators who are renewing and have lived continuously in Ohio for the previous 5 years and have a BCI check on file – will only need to have FBI background check.

FORMAL ANNOUNCED OBSERVATION (FAO)

A few notes to remember as we enter the Formal Announced Observation season.  1)  New teachers to the district are required to have 6 hours of TDES training PRIOR to any TDES evaluation.  New related service providers and paraprofessionals are required to have 3 hours of TDES training prior to any TDES evaluation.  2)  There is a ten-day window from pre-conference, to evaluation, to post-conference.  4)  Enter evidence after the evaluation if there is anything that is missing or incomplete.  5)  A teacher may request the intervention and/or support of the Network Leader within 10 working days of the conclusion of any TDES event.  The teacher will submit the appeal to the Network Leader with a copy to the evaluator.

PAYCHECK ISSUES

For all issues with your paycheck, please email WDpayroll@clevelandmetroschools.org.  Wdpayroll is the only email that is monitored by the proper people to resolve the situation.  You can also call (216) 838-4PAY.  CTU recommends that you send an email with your question or concern to the wdpayroll email. 

LICENSE OR PERMIT RENEWAL ISSUES

If you have a question or concern regarding license renewal issues and you are contacting the district, please use the licensing@clevelandmetroschools.org email.  This is better than directly emailing a person in the Office of Professional Development.  This email is monitored by others if the person you are contacting is out and these emails are easier to archive and keep on top of when sent to the licensing email instead of an email directly to a specific person.

DIFFERENTIAL PAYMENTS

Differentials are paid quarterly.  The quarters are based on athletic seasons, not academic quarters.  Differentials for athletics, test coordinator, SEL, etc. are paid on or about:  December 1, February 1, April 15, and June 15.

VOLUNTARY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Are you earning your Voluntary Professional Development/Community Engagement hours?  If you have, make sure that you enter the hours in Workday.  Voluntary Professional/Community Development hours are entered in Workday as the hours are earned.  This is in the same drop-down as coverage, AAP, Inservice, etc.

SUBSTITUTES WORKDAY

Just want to re-emphasize how important it is for substitutes to verify what is in Workday and submit.  I recommend that substitutes verify and submit on a weekly basis.  This makes it easier to correct any errors before pay day.

WORKDAY SUPPLEMENTAL PAY

All members must submit additional pay events (class coverages, VPD, and school-based PD, etc.) in Workday in order to receive payment.  Supplemental pay events should be submitted within 2 pay periods from the pay when the work occurred.  When additional work is completed, it should be submitted for pay when the work is complete.  Submit additional pay events in the Workday calendar on the date the work was ACTUALLY completed.  If you participate in VPD on August 2, but do not go in to Workday to submit it until August 27, you will go back to August 2 on the calendar and submit the time on August 2.  The system will catch it and process the payment. 

WHO SUBMITS FOR REGULAR PAY IN WD?

Teachers, RSPs, Sign Language Interpreters, and Paraprofessionals are not required to submit regular time into Workday.  The process of not submitting regular time in Workday that was started during the remote year will continue. 

Substitutes and tutors are required to submit regular time through Workday two times a month.  Regular time submitted after the semimonthly submission deadline and regular time that needs to be corrected will be processed within one business day following the late submission and/or correction.

TDES DATES TO REMEMBER

FAO event for teachers is due Friday, December 17.  The first evaluation event for paraprofessionals is due on Friday, December 17.  Do not wait until December 17 to enter evidence in the portal.  The entire event is due to be completed by December 17.