Continued education on the part of licensed employees may entitle them to advancement in compensation. Licensed employees who have completed additional hours may be considered for advancement. The board may determine which licensed employees will advance in compensation for continued education keeping in mind the financial condition of the school district, the education and experience of the licensed employee, the educational philosophy of the school district, and any other items deemed relevant by the board.
Licensed employees who wish to obtain additional education for advancement must notify their supervisor by January 15th of the school year preceding the actual year when advancement occurs. The superintendent has the discretion to approve credit outside the employee's area of endorsement or responsibility.
It is the responsibility of the superintendent to make a recommendation to the board for the advancement of a licensed employee.
Note: The law no longer requires a district to provide advancement for continued education credit. Districts may choose to maintain advancement for continued education credit but are only required to negotiate base wages as part of the collective bargaining process.
NOTE: If the Master Contract is silent, school districts need to insert a deadline in this policy. It is recommended the deadline be before budget certification so school districts can budget for the increase. If the Master Contract contains a date, that date can be inserted in this policy.
Note: Boards should adopt IASB sample policies to meet the needs of the local district. Please ensure that the language contained in local policy is consistent with language contained in other district documents (e.g., handbooks, master contracts, etc.).
For more detailed discussion of this issue, see IASB’s Policy Primer, Vol. 25 #4 – May 1, 2017.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 20.1, .4, .7, .9; 279.8.
Cross Reference: 405 Licensed Employees - General
406 Licensed Employee Compensation and Benefits
Approved 9-16-2020 Reviewed__9-16-2020__ Revised______________
