Planning for Future RIFs: May 10 Deadline for Job Descriptions
Apr 25, 2016
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While the 2015-2016 teacher RIF season is coming to an end, planning for the 2016-2017 RIF season is just beginning. In particular, the May 10th deadline for updating your school district’s teacher job descriptions is right around the corner. It is required to have your job descriptions updated and finalized by May 10, 2016 so that you may use them as the basis for categories in the 2016-2017 sequence of dismissal (SOD) list.
Under SB7, teachers are now RIF’d in order of their groupings within category of position. To appropriately categorize teachers, districts must look to the teacher’s legal qualifications and any other qualifications established in a district’s job description on or before the May 10 prior to the school year during which the SOD list is created. This means that job descriptions need to be finalized and in effect as of May 10, 2016 to be used in categorizing teachers for the Spring, 2017 SOD list.
Robbins Schwartz has numerous recommendations for creating and/or updating job descriptions that will eliminate troublesome bumping outcomes, including the instance when a teacher who has never taught an area can bump a teacher currently teaching that area. Please contact any of our Labor and Employment attorneys to discuss such recommendations.
Further, we remind you of the bargaining obligations that accompany a change to or creation of a job description. In particular, there is an obligation to bargain with the union over the impact or effects of changes to job descriptions.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss changes to your job descriptions, please feel free to contact any of the firm’s Labor and Employment attorneys.