W. Va. Code R. § 126-126-6

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 126-126-6 - Criteria for Hiring Classroom Teachers

6.1. A county board of education shall make decisions affecting the filling of vacancies for classroom teachers on the basis of the applicant with the highest qualifications.

6.2. In judging qualifications for the filling of vacancies for classroom teachers, consideration shall be given to each of the following:

6.2.a. Appropriate certification, licensure or both;

6.2.b. Amount of experience relevant to the position or, in the case of a classroom teaching position, the amount of teaching experience in the required certification area;

6.2.c. The amount of course work, degree level or both in the relevant field and degree level generally;

6.2.d. Academic achievement;

6.2.e. In the case of a classroom teaching position or the position of principal, certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards;

6.2.f. Specialized training relevant to the performance of the duties of the job;

6.2.g. Past performance evaluations conducted pursuant to W. Va. Code § 18A-2-12 and § 18A-3C-2 or, in the case of a classroom teacher, past evaluations of the applicant's performance in the teaching profession as a certified educator;

6.2.h. Seniority;

6.2.i. Other measures or indicators upon which the relative qualifications of the applicant may fairly be judged;

6.2.j. The recommendation, if any, of the principal of the school at which the applicant will be performing a majority of his or her duties; and

6.2.k. The recommendation, if any, resulting from the process established by the faculty senate of the school at which the employee will be performing a majority of his or her duties.

6.3. If one or more permanently employed instructional personnel apply for a classroom teaching position and meet the standards set forth in the job posting, each criterion under section 6.2 shall be given equal weight except that the criterion in subdivisions 6.2.j and 6.2.k shall each be double weighted. This shall apply when the faculty senate and the principal do not agree on a recommendation, when either the faculty senate or principal forfeit or cannot make a recommendation, or when the superintendent does not concur with the recommendation of the principal and the faculty senate.

6.4. For a classroom teaching position, if the recommendations resulting from the operations of sections 6.2.j and 6.2.k are for the same applicant, and the superintendent concurs with that recommendation, then the other provisions of sections 6.2 and 6.3 do not apply and the county board shall appoint that applicant notwithstanding any other provision of this policy to the contrary.

6.5. Recommendations made pursuant to sections 6.2.j and 6.2.k shall be made based on a determination as to which of the applicants is the highest qualified for the position. When making recommendations, principals and faculty senates shall consider each criterion listed in sections 6.2.a. through 6.2.i. Neither principals nor faculty senates are required to assign any amount of weight to any factor. Principals and faculty senate chairs or single designees shall complete the applicable hiring recommendation forms (see Appendices A and B) and shall submit a completed form as documentation of the recommendation. Other than the recommendation form, no other matrix or documentation of the selection shall be required.

6.6. Any professional educator who is employed within the public school system of this state shall hold a valid teaching certificate licensing him or her to teach in the specializations and grade levels shown on the certificate for the period of his or her employment.

6.7. As provided in W. Va. Code § 18-5A-5(b)(2), the processes and procedures set forth in this policy are designed to be effective and consistent among schools and counties and are designed to avoid litigation or grievance. To that end, this policy is designed to allow teachers to be meaningfully involved in the hiring recommendation process in an open and honest manner without fear of reprisal, retaliation or coercion and to minimize lost instructional time and classroom disruption.

6.8. These criteria shall be utilized in making hiring decisions for any classroom teacher hired on or after July 1, 2013.

W. Va. Code R. § 126-126-6