GCKPROFESSIONAL STAFF ASSIGNMENTS
AND TRANSFERS
GCKAssignments
The Superintendent will determine all professional staff assignments. Such assignments shall be based on the needs of the District, program needs and principal recommendations. In addition, no right to school, grade, or subject assignment shall be inferred from the standard teacher's contract.
Transfers
A teacher who has been employed by the School District for the major portion of three (3) or more consecutive school years and who is designated in the lowest performance classification for two (2) consecutive school years shall not be transferred as a teacher to another school in that school district unless the District has issued a notice of inadequacy of classroom performance and approved a performance improvement plan for the teacher pursuant to A.R.S. 15-539 and the Governing Board has approved the new placement as in the best interests of the pupils in the school. The Governing Board shall be notified in advance of approving such transfers. A teacher shall not be transferred more than once pursuant to A.R.S. 15-537. A teacher who is involuntarily assigned to a school that is assigned a letter grade of D or F pursuant to A.R.S. 15-241 may participate in the Teacher transfer process the following school year.
There is an additional admonition in A.R.S. 15-537 that any school district policy pertaining to the transfer of teachers from one school to another school within the school district shall take into consideration the needs of the pupils in the school district and the current distribution of teachers across all of the four performance classifications adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to A.R.S. 15-203(A)(38).
The procedure for assignment and transfer of professional staff members will be based on the needs of the instructional program. Assignments may be changed to serve the best interests of the District and students.
Professional staff may apply for transfer or reassignment whether or not a vacancy exists. Generally, transfers and reassignments will not be approved during the school year unless the needs of the District dictate such approval.
In the case of vacancies in new or existing positions, first consideration will be given to qualified applicants among current employees. It shall be the policy of the Board that instructional professional personnel be assigned on the basis of their qualifications, the needs of the District, and their expressed desires. When it is not possible to meet all three (3) conditions, personnel shall be assigned first in accordance with the needs of the District, second where the Superintendent determines the employee is most qualified to serve, and third as to expressed preference of the employees.
The Superintendent shall have the responsibility for the assignment of all personnel throughout the District.
The resolution of any conflicts over the need for a transfer shall be based on what is best for the instructional program, the needs of the students, and the overall needs of the District as defined by the Superintendent.
Adopted: January 15, 2019