Frequently Asked Questions
All questions were submitted by members. If you have a question of your own that you'd like answered and added, email the PR chair listed on our Executive Council Member page.
These responses are based on the current contract along with Board policy and may not necessarily apply to you based on your position in the District. We suggest always relying on your best professional judgment based on your own individual circumstances, and remember that the Union equally represents all dues-paying members in good standing, so contact your building representative if you need advice or assistance.
Notice to members: you have the right to union representation during investigatory interviews with administrators. An investigatory interview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his or her conduct. Find out more about your Weingarten rights.
These responses are based on the current contract along with Board policy and may not necessarily apply to you based on your position in the District. We suggest always relying on your best professional judgment based on your own individual circumstances, and remember that the Union equally represents all dues-paying members in good standing, so contact your building representative if you need advice or assistance.
Notice to members: you have the right to union representation during investigatory interviews with administrators. An investigatory interview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his or her conduct. Find out more about your Weingarten rights.
Clock Hours and Extra Assignments
Can I leave campus the whole hour for my lunch?
We're technically limited to a half hour for duty-free lunch according to the contract. You may interpret that as you see fit.
Can I leave campus during my planning period?
We're not supposed to leave campus during our planning period without approval from the principal. Also, our planning period is meant for work-related business, which means that we are not supposed to use that time for personal reasons such as exercising or napping. We may, however, exercise our hearts out during our 30-minute duty-free lunch, as long as you're OK with coming back to work all sweaty.
Do I have to be on campus the whole time during finals?
According to the contract, finals days are normal work days. We're expected to be on campus for 7 periods with a 30-minute duty free lunch. For example, if we normally take lunch during 4th hour, we are still expected to be on campus at for at least 7 periods, subtracting our 30-minute lunch, the day of the 4th hour final. We are not allowed to wait until the start of 6th hour finals to arrive on campus. Our 30-minute duty-free lunch for those days may be taken when we see fit, as long as we don't have students at the time.
Do I have to go to parent/teacher conferences and open house?
Yes. We are contractually obligated to attend both. If we need to miss for some reason other than sickness, we can coordinate with the building principal to either make up the missed time or have the time deducted from our leave (if approved) or docked from our salary.
What time do i have to be on campus
Teachers are expected to be on campus from 8:25 to 3:25, or seven periods, on regular school days. Counselors and librarians work a seven and one-half hour day, either from 8:00 to 3:30 or 8:30 to 4:00.
is it o.k. to "bust out" at the bell?
We may leave campus at 3:25 just like the students. However, the contract states that "As professionals, teachers recognize their obligation to be available often for students and others before and/or after school hours." That's pretty vague, so we believe that means that we should be willing to take or make phone calls when necessary, come in early or stay late to meet with parents or students when needed, and generally make sure we're available at some point if the need arises and the request is reasonable.
If parent, student, or administrative expectations seem unreasonable or unfair, we suggest contacting the campus representative to discuss the issue. Many of us take work home, have kids to pick up, appointments to make, shopping to do, etc. As long as you're fulfilling your duties, there are no extra prizes for coming in early and staying late, and no extra penalties for walking in with the students or leaving with the students.
If parent, student, or administrative expectations seem unreasonable or unfair, we suggest contacting the campus representative to discuss the issue. Many of us take work home, have kids to pick up, appointments to make, shopping to do, etc. As long as you're fulfilling your duties, there are no extra prizes for coming in early and staying late, and no extra penalties for walking in with the students or leaving with the students.
AN ADMINISTRATOR MISSED MY SCHEDULED EVALUATION. DO I HAVE TO RE-DO MY LESSON PLANS?
If an administrator misses a scheduled evaluation after we've already typed up our lesson plan, we don't have to type a new lesson plan for the rescheduled evaluation. If told differently, contact our building representative first.
Grading, Homework, and Administrative Duties
How often do i have to update SIS?
The language of the contract states that we have to update our electronic grade book "within two weeks after the completion of an assignment." So if students complete an essay or a test on a Monday, it should be entered into the grade book by Monday, exactly two weeks from the date we collected it.
How often should i check my email or voicemail?
The contract states that employees "understand the importance of checking voicemail and email messages regularly and responding to those in a timely fashion." "Timely fashion" is a bit subjective, so we recommend checking both at least a few times a week at the absolute bare minimum, and preferably daily at least once. The best way to judge the appropriate time-frame for a response is to consider how long we would expect to wait to hear back from someone if we were in a similar situation, and respond accordingly.
How Much Homework can I assign?
The Board's policy on homework states that that homework assignments are "of appropriate frequency and length, and [do] not become excessive, according to the teacher's best professional judgment." So we suggest using your best professional judgment to decide how much homework to assign. Assigning homework is not required. For a quick run-down of homework research, click here.
Can I assign Homework as punishment for misbehavior?
The short answer is no. There is only a short answer since it clearly states in the Board Policy Manual that we can't.
Dress and Attire
We understand that the term "professional" is highly subjective and changes with the times, so these are just some general guidelines. If you ever feel singled out or treated unfairly by the administration, or feel like your rights are being violated, always feel free to contact your campus representative for guidance or advice.
Is there a dress code for #201 staff?
Not technically. Employees are expected to conduct themselves professionally according to District #201 Board policy, but that term is never clearly defined. As a union, we're not generally in the business of defining the term "professional." We can only suggest using your best judgment based on your position in the district. Since the Union represents members in all different positions, it's too difficult to define professional dress or attire for everyone.
Can I wear jeans to work?
Are those jeans considered professional attire based on your job description or position in the district? If so, then yes. If not, then use your best judgment. Times change, and definitions of acceptable professional attire change with them. Believe it or not, jeans are now being worn with ties and suit jackets in many jobs that typically require business-casual attire. If you're unsure, contact your campus representative or ask an administrator.
Should I cover up my tattoos?
While there is no official district policy on tattoos, again, we are expected to conduct ourselves professionally, so as long as our tattoos don't distract from our professionalism then they should be acceptable. A good rule of thumb might be to cover tattoos that could be considered obscene or inappropriate in a school setting. However, before you roll those sleeves up to unveil your skin sleeves, just keep in mind that non-tenured members can be let go without cause, meaning the district doesn't legally have to give a reason for letting them go. We're not saying they would fire you because of your tattoos, but they could fire you and never give a reason why, so you'll just be left to wonder if it was because of your tattoos... Just kidding. We don't think anybody really cares about tattoos these days. Either way, you're always entitled to union representation when meeting with an administrator, so if you sit down with admin and they say, "We need to talk about your tattoos," it's your right to request union representation before that meeting goes any further. Read up on your Weingarten rights to find out more.
Non-Tenured Teachers
It's important to understand that non-tenured teachers (teachers who have only 1 to 4 years of service) can be let go without cause, meaning the administration doesn't have to give a reason for letting you go. We suggest you keep that in mind as you ponder these questions.
When am I considered tenured?
As long as we've been employed full time in the district for four consecutive years, we're considered tenured our fifth year and our full union protections kick in. The Board is legally required to notify us in the spring if we're being rehired the next year, so once we've received a letter from the Board informing us that we've been hired for our fifth year then we can consider ourselves tenured. If you receive three consecutive excellent ratings in your evaluations, you can earn tenure after your third year, so you'd be tenured your fourth year.
What should I do if the union strikes?
We suggest showing up to work and continuing to fulfill any assigned duties.
Do I Have to sponsor or coach extracurricular assignments?
No, unless that assignment was part of our hiring agreement with the district. However, we're welcome to if we want.
Can I be on the executive council if i'm non-tenured?
Absolutely! As long as we are a dues-paying member in good standing, we can hold a position on the Executive Council.