Administration of Salary & Benefits for School Personnel
 

GUIDELINES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF SALARY & BENEFITS

1)         All personnel will be assigned a job (title) in accordance with the role/function for which they will be responsible.  All personnel will verify certification, degrees and years experience on an employment sheet provided by the diocese.  (2 years half-time experience is equal to one year.)

2)         All job classifications (titles) will have a job description which outlines the tasks for which the hire will be responsible.  Job descriptions are to be reviewed every other year or at the time of receiving a new applicant.

3)         Performance evaluations of all positions will be completed by the supervisor on an annual basis and will be made a part of their personnel file.

4)         The terms of the salary scale will be respected and implemented as approved by Bishop.

5)         The salary scales for school employees are reviewed annually by the Diocesan School Advisory Council.

6)         A health benefits program will be made available to all employees who qualify with the terms of the contracts held with the plan providers.  Health benefits will include medical, dental, and retirement.  For medical and dental programs, the renewal date is April 1.  A two-week to one-month open enrollment period will precede the renewal date.

7)         Benefits will be reviewed annually.

8)         An administrative benefits package will be provided which includes sick leave, vacation (eligible non-contracted employees) and paid holidays (eligible non-contracted employees) and other benefits deemed feasible by the diocese.

9)         The Personnel Policies will be used as the point of reference for all other issues related to employment.

11)       Washington State Patrol Background Check, a Disclosure Statement and a FBI Fingerprint Background Check are required for all new school employees.  An Employment Eligibility verification (Form I-9) is also to be completed by all new employees.  

GUIDELINES FOR PLACEMENT ON THE 
TEACHER SALARY SCALE
 

1.  Eligible college credit hours earned from a regionally accredited community college, college, or university
     will be accepted as "credit hours."

Criteria for Eligible Credit Hours

• Is consistent with the Diocesan Long Range Plan; or

• Is consistent with the School’s Long Range Plan; or

• Pertains to the individual’s current assignment or expected assignment for the following school year; or

• Is necessary for obtaining an endorsement as prescribed by the state board of education (describe the specific endorsement and appropriate essential area for which you are currently working in the “description of applicability” section below); or

• Is specifically required for obtaining advanced levels of certification (describe the advanced level which you are working towards in the “description of applicability” section below -credits in this category cannot be applied towards initial teaching certificate renewal or for maintenance of a continuing certificate); or
  
  Is included in a college or university degree program that pertains to the individual’s current assignment, or potential future assignment as a certificated instructional staff of the school district, where the potential of the future assignment is agreed upon by the school district and the individual (provide a description of the degree program in which you are enrolled in the “description of applicability” section below and ensure a copy of the acceptance letter from the college or university is on file in the Diocesan School Office).  

Guidelines for Placement 
on the 2008-2009 Child Care Salary Scale

Child Care Salary Scale (pdf document)

1.         EXPERIENCE

• A full year's experience as a childcare worker/preschool teacher in a DSHS Licensed Child Care Facility and/or a Kindergarten to Grade 8 teacher in a State Approved Elementary/Middle School will be granted upon the completion of 2080 hours. 
  
  Since we are redefining "a year's experience", it will be necessary to place current employees on the experience scale in accord with their status as of June 30, 1999 ; even if they have not actually worked the total number of hours described by this new scale.  For instance, if an employee on June 30^th has achieved a level of 3 years on the current scale (5280 hours or 1760 x 3), she will begin the new fiscal year with 3 years experience even though she has not technically worked 6,240 hours as defined on the new scale.  She will not, however, receive the level of 4 years until she has worked an additional 2080 hours beyond her current total.  Therefore, an employee will earn one year's experience for every 2080 hours of service, and her salary increase will be granted immediately upon the completion of these 2080 hours.
  Substitute experience will not be credited toward years of experience.
  
  All past experience must be verified in writing from previous employers.

2.         EDUCATION

• Only college credit hours earned from a regionally accredited community college, college, or university will be accepted as eligible credit hours.

• At least thirteen of the initial forty-five credit hours must be in Early Childhood Education/Elementary Education courses.

• All degrees must be in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Elementary Education.

• All hours beyond degree must be in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Elementary Education.

• Official college transcripts are required as official verification of earned college credits.  Copies of transcripts, report cards, etc. will not be accepted in place of an official college transcript.

3.        CERTIFICATES

• A valid Montessori Certificate is required from an Accredited Montessori Association which is licensed by the State.

• CDA -Current Child Development Certificate (attach credential)

• Family to Family or Child Care Aware or Ready, Set, Go (attach certificate)

• STARS -20 hr/2 credit basic training (attach certificate or transcript)

4.        RESPONSIBILITIES

• A full-time program is defined as an all day child care/preschool program.

• A part-time program is defined as a before and after school child care program or a half day preschool program .

Catholic School Tuition Reduction Program for Teachers and Principals
 of the Catholic Schools working for the Diocese of Spokane

The Gonzaga University Catholic School Tuition Reduction Program provides a 50% tuition discount to full-time religious and lay teachers and principals of Catholic Schools under the auspices of the Diocese of Spokane.  Individuals who are employed on a part-time basis are not eligible for the program.

In order to qualify, interested individuals must be admissible under the University’s normal entrance standards and under any special school or departmental standards.  The reduction will be applicable only to the University’s regular, evening, and summer session offerings.  The discount will not apply to courses or programs that have special or already reduced tuition rates (i.e., Site-based Education Centers of the School of Education, the General Studies program, etc.).  All fees, room and board, and other non-tuition expenses will be charged at the full rate.

Applicants for the Gonzaga Catholic School Tuition Reduction Program are specifically directed to the University’s undergraduate and graduate courses and programs of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Education.  The special tuition rate is not available in the University’s doctoral program, the School of Business Administration, the School of Engineering, the School of Law, and the School of Professional Studies, nor in designated special workshops or courses that require payment of differential tuition or fees.

Gonzaga reserves the right to limit the number of Tuition Reduction Program participants in any particular course or program, and it is understood that students will be admitted on a “space available” basis.

Application forms, which are available from the Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Schools, school principals and the University, require the endorsement of the school principal and Gonzaga University’s Associate Vice President, Administration and Planning.