III.
Human Resources (formerly
#4111)
D. Recruitment and Appointment
1. Staff Vacancies
a. Staff Hiring
I. Preface
The Narragansett School System recognizes that the
recruitment and selection of high quality, dedicated personnel is key to
accomplishing our mission of educating children. Therefore, the following personnel policy has
been adopted to ensure the hiring of the best personnel available. Candidates will be selected on the basis of
their qualifications, abilities, and the needs of the school system. The policy should be read in concert with the
employment contracts in place and reaffirm the school’s commitment to not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin,
age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression, disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era, or citizenship
status in its employment practices.
II. Recruitment
Procedure
A. Advertising
1. The Superintendent and/or his designee
shall be responsible for advertising position openings in the school
system. The Superintendent shall decide
the extent of the advertising and whether such advertisements should be placed
in local, state and/or national newspapers and publications.
2. Advertisements will solicit a completed
employment application (certified application for all teaching/administrative
positions or classified application for all other positions) which is available
for download at the Narragansett School System’s general website under “Forms
and Applications” at www.narragansett.k12.ri.us,
along with a letter of interest, a resume, and such other credentials/copy of
certification as appropriate.
B. Applications
1. Applications for all openings in the
Narragansett School System will be processed in the School Administration
Office. Applications must be completed
to the satisfaction of the Superintendent and/or his/her designee.
2. Applications will be kept on file for a
maximum of two (2) school years. Candidates
wishing to activate an application on file for a posted or advertised position
must contact the Superintendent’s Office either by phone or in writing before
the application deadline.
3. The Superintendent, or his/her
designee, shall acknowledge receipt of an application for an opening in the school
system via e-mail, when an e-mail address is included in the application, and
give that applicant timely notification as to the status of that application.
4. Criminal Records Background Checks:
All
persons seeking employment with the school department shall receive a criminal background
check to be initiated after receiving a conditional offer of employment. The person seeking employment shall sign the
attached release at the time of application.
Said background check will be conducted by the Bureau of Criminal
Identification (BCI), Department of the Attorney General, State Police, or
local police department where the person resides, and shall include
fingerprinting. Said criminal background
check shall be limited to an inquiry as to whether the person seeking
employment has been convicted of a crime.
If information regarding conviction of a crime is found, the
Superintendent shall notify the person seeking employment of the information
discovered, and make a judgment regarding the suitability of the person seeking
employment. Said judgment shall be
within the sole, unreviewable discretion of the Superintendent.
The cost of
said background check shall be borne by the person seeking employment.
The school
system shall maintain on file, subject to inspection by the Department of
Education, evidence that criminal records checks have been initiated on all
employees seeking employment subsequent to July 13, 1998, and the results of
the checks.
“Persons
seeking employment” shall include prospective independent contractors, volunteers,
and other providers of goods and services whose duties may bring them into
contact with students, but shall not include existing employees of the
Narragansett School System who undertake extracurricular or other extra duties.
A copy of
this Policy and the waiver shall be shown to all persons seeking employment at
the time that application for employment is made.
NARRAGANSETT SCHOOL SYSTEM
AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE CRIMINAL
CONVICTION RECORD INFORMATION
I hereby authorize the release of my criminal
conviction(s) to the Superintendent, Narragansett School System,
SIGNATURE DATE
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER DOB
DRIVER LICENSE NUMBER STATE
5. Non-Criminal Background Checks
In addition to
the criminal background checks referenced in paragraph 4, the Narragansett
School System may conduct a non-criminal background check of persons seeking
employment. Said non-criminal background
check is aimed at verifying educational background, licensing, credentials, and
present and prior employment; as well as obtaining references, driving records,
records of child protective services units, and other information pertinent to
fitness for employment. The person seeking
employment shall sign the attached release at the time of application.
“Persons
seeking employment” shall include prospective independent contractors,
volunteers, and other providers of goods and services, but shall not include
existing employees to the Narragansett School System who undertake
extracurricular or other extra duties.
AUTHORIZATION, CERTIFICATIONS, AND RELEASE
I hereby UNCONDITIONALLY
AUTHORIZE the Narragansett School System, its employees and agents (“School
System”) to conduct an unrestricted background investigation of me to such
extent(s) and in such ways as determined in the School System’s sole
discretion. I UNCONDITIONALLY AUTHORIZE
all persons, organizations, entities, and prior employers to release to the
School System any information whatsoever that may relate in any way to me. This authorization includes, but is not
limited to, any and all information concerning non-criminal matters, such as
driving records; previous employment; educational information; credential
verification; personal and professional reference data and opinions. This authorization does not include
information regarding arrests or criminal charges not leading to conviction.
I unconditionally agree to
RELEASE and hold harmless all persons, organizations, entities, and prior employers
which may provide background information and/or references to the Narragansett
School System from any legal action of any sort regarding the release of said
information and/or references. I further
agree to indemnify and hold harmless said persons, organizations, and prior
employers from any action brought against them as a result of said release of
said references or information.
Without limitation, this
authorization embraces all possible information sources, including, but not
limited to those defined above in this application and specific examples as
follows: the United States Military
Services; any state or federal agency or department, departments of social
service, child protective services units; and any organization or person to
which they may refer for release of information pertaining to possible
finding(s) of child abuse or neglect investigations involving me or as to any
other matter.
I FOREVER WAIVE my right of
review or access to any reported information and, without limitation, hereby
FOREVER RELEASE the School System and any information or data source, including
organizations and individuals, from any liability of whatsoever nature in
connection with its release or use, even though such individual or organization
is unnamed in this authorization. The
School System may use and distribute a copy of this authorization for any
purpose deemed necessary, and a copy shall operate just as effectively as the
original. I agree that this
authorization is irrevocable.
Furthermore, I UNCONDITIONALLY
CERTIFY that I have carefully reviewed this completed application and have made
true, correct, and complete answers and statements with respect to my
application, acknowledging that the information will be relied upon in
considering my application; and I understand that any omission, misleading or
incorrect statement or other representation made or implied by me, or any
supplement thereto, whether written or oral, will be sufficient grounds for
failure to employ or for immediate termination by the Narragansett School
System. I acknowledge that any
employment offer/appointment made to me by the Narragansett School System shall
be conditioned upon the School System’s receipt of background information which
discloses no material, adverse report of any kind, as determined in the sole
discretion of the Narragansett School System.
In the event the Narragansett School System determines, in its sole
discretion, the existence of a material, adverse report in any background
information, I agree that the employment offer/appointment shall be deemed
revoked immediately without further action or notice.
SIGNATURE DATE
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
This form is to be returned
with completed application to:
Mr. Albert E. Honnen, Jr., Superintendent
25
THE NARRAGANSETT SCHOOL SYSTEM
IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
C. Screening
Committee Composition
1. The Director of Business Operations shall
convene a Screening Committee for applications for clerical/technical
staff. He/she shall be the chairperson
supported by the Supervisor of Transportation & Grounds, the Supervisor of
Maintenance & Custodians, or one of the school Principals.
2. The building Principal or Assistant
Principal shall service as Screening Committee chairperson for applications for
certified personnel openings. The
Administrator for Student Services shall serve as a chairperson for Special
Education teacher vacancies.
3. The composition of Screening Committees
convened for the filling of certified personnel openings shall include the
building administration, the department head (or equivalent), and teachers
selected by the building administration whenever feasible.
4. All Screening Committees convened for
the filling of a Special Education teaching vacancy shall include a parent
appointed by the Narragansett Special Education Advisory Committee.
5. Screening Committees for administrative
openings shall be established by the Superintendent of Schools.
6. The composition of Screening Committees
shall not change during the interview process, and every effort shall be made
to have all members present at meetings and interviews.
D. Functions
and Responsibilities of Screening Committee
1. Screening Committees are advisory in
nature and shall never limit the legal appointment authority of the
Superintendent and the School Committee.
The purpose for convening the Screening Committee is to provide a wider
and more thorough review of applications.
2. Screening Committees will review
applications and interview qualified candidates. In order to determine the most qualified
finalists, chairpersons are expected to verify written credentials by personally
contacting the candidate’s references and/or immediate superiors/supervisors.
3. Screening Committees will normally
recommend in writing three finalists to the Superintendent of Schools. If appropriate, more than three finalists may
be recommended. However, when there are
qualified candidates, no less than two finalists should be recommended to the
Superintendent.
4. In making their written
recommendations to the Superintendent, the Screening Committee should rank
the finalists and document their rationale for their ranking.
5. The Superintendent will verify the
qualifications and credentials of finalists and may choose to interview each
finalist. The Superintendent may
recommend any one of the finalists to the School Committee for appointment or
may reject all finalists and re-advertise the position. If all finalists are rejected and the
position is re-advertised, the Superintendent will reconvene the original
Screening Committee or direct that a new one be constituted so that the recruitment
process may be recommenced.
6. The Superintendent will make his/her
personnel recommendation to the School Committee before the candidate is
employed by the school system. Adequate
time should be allowed before the date of hire.
7. The School Committee may interview the
finalists recommended by the Superintendent for an administrative position.
8.
The Screening Committee will notify all candidates in
writing of the final status of their application. All applications will then be returned to the
School Central Administration Office to be kept on file (per Section II.B.2.)
following selection and appointment of a candidate.
9.
The Screening Committee process may be modified in the
months of July and August due to the limited availability of Screening
Committee participants.
1st Reading:
Adopted:
Amended --
1st Reading:
2nd Reading:
Revised:
Amended --
1st Reading: May 20, 1992
2nd Reading: June 17, 1992
Amended --
1st Reading: February 14, 2001
2nd Reading: March 21, 2001
Amended --
1st Reading: October
17, 2001
2nd Reading: November 14, 2001
Amended –
1st Reading: November 16, 2005 Narragansett School System
2nd Reading: December 21, 2005 Narragansett,