Hiring Process and Criteria
The Board of Directors has the legal responsibility of hiring all employees. The Board assigns to the Executive Director the process of recruiting staff personnel. The Executive Director may involve various administrative and teaching staff as may be needed in recruiting potential personnel. All personnel selected for employment must be recommended by the Executive Director or designee and approved by the Board. All personnel selected for employment must also go through the applicable screening process outlined in Idaho Code 33-1210.
To aid in obtaining quality staff members, the following non-exclusive list of factors will be considered, along with any other factors relevant to the position: qualifications, training, experience, personality, character, and ability to relate well with students. Every effort will be exerted to maintain wide diversity in staff experience and educational preparation. However, the welfare of the children of the RISE Charter School will be a paramount consideration in the selection of teachers and administrators.
This policy shall be made available to any RISE Charter School employee or person seeking employment with the RISE Charter School.
Guidelines
1. There will be no discrimination in the hiring process. See Policy 5120.
2. Applicants for teaching positions shall provide evidence of meeting State requirements for certification and sign a statement authorizing current and past school district employers, including those outside the state of Idaho, to release to the RISE Charter School all information relating to job performance or job related conduct, and making available to the RISE Charter School copies of all documents in the applicant’s previous personnel files, investigative files, or other files. Such statement will also release the applicant’s current and past employers from any liability for providing such information and documentation. Applicants who do not sign the statement/release shall not be considered for employment. The RISE Charter School will consider information received from current and past school district employers only for the purpose of evaluating applicants’ qualifications for employment in the position for which they have applied and no one shall disclose such information to anyone, other than the applicant, who is not directly involved in the process of evaluating the applicants’ qualifications for employment. Applicants may be employed on a non-contracted provisional basis as allowed by law. Applicants shall not be prevented from gaining employment if current or past out-of-state employers are prevented from or refuse to cooperate with the RISE Charter School’s request. See Forms 5100F1 and 5100F2.
3. Applicants for high school and middle school positions should have a major or its equivalent in the specific teaching field(s). Elementary applicants should have a major or its equivalent in elementary education or in the special area of assignment(s). Applicants for specific teaching positions shall also meet the applicable State standards.
4. Applicants for all teaching positions should have a minimum over-all grade point average of 2.5 (A-4, B-3, C-2, D-l). All candidates should have a grade point average of 2.75 in their respective major teaching field(s).
5. When considering coaching assignments in secondary schools, preference for hiring will be given to a qualified certificated professional employee in the school where the coaching vacancy exists. The Executive Director will be responsible for assuring that all qualified and interested applicants within the building have been given consideration. Giving such individuals consideration does not mean that such an individual will necessarily be retained for a coaching position. Another individual who is not a School employee may receive the position in question.
6. As required in Idaho Code 65-505, the RISE Charter School will observe preference for veterans and disabled veterans when considering hiring employees to fill vacancies, selecting new employees, or implementing a reduction in force.
7. As required in Idaho Code 33-130 and 33-512(15), the RISE Charter School will conduct a criminal history check for applicable positions. See Policy 5110.
8. Each newly hired employee must complete an Immigration and Naturalization Service form, as required by federal law.
9. Applicants must have an understanding of the RISE Charter School mission and vision and a desire to meet the intent of the RISE Charter School in addressing its unique reason for establishment.
The employment of any certified staff member is not official until the contract is approved by the Board and signed by both the Board Chair and the applicant.
To assist administrators in compliance with the above policy for the hiring of professional staff, the following guidelines shall be utilized:
Notice of Vacancies
Vacancies will be posted after the Board has approved written resignation from a contracted professional employee of the RISE Charter School, a termination or non-renewal has occurred, a release from contract has been granted, a new position is created within the RISE Charter School, or a vacancy has otherwise occurred. When that official resignation has been received or a position is otherwise available, the Executive Director will post notices in all school buildings and the RISE Charter School Office.
The Executive Director’s Office will post notice of any vacancy within the RISE Charter School for 5 school days for current qualified employees to apply for the position.
1. Upon the conclusion of the 5 school day period, the appropriate administrator will review all requests to apply for the open position. The administrator will have the responsibility to interview all final applicants who meet the qualifications needed for the position, and may or may not make recommendation for such applicants after review.
2. If an applicant is recommended by the administrator, it will be submitted in writing to the Executive Director immediately following such determination. If such transfer would create a vacancy in another location, notice of that vacancy will be posted as specified above, with the exception that if the same grade level vacancy for the RISE Charter School has already been posted, the above building notice requirement may be waived and the existing applicant pool utilized.
3. Should the administrator determine that he or she does not wish to accept the request of any internal applicants, or no internal applicants have requested to apply, the administrator will give notice to the appropriate school employee, who will prepare a job notice to be posted externally.
4. An application or letter of interest will be maintained within the RISE Charter School file for a period of one year from the date of inquiry. It is the responsibility of any applicant who desires to be considered for positions within the RISE Charter School to reactivate his or her file annually.
5. The Executive Director may deviate from the processes outlined in sections 1 through 5 above if he or she determines that such deviation is in the best interest of the RISE Charter School.
Preliminary Screening
1. At either the time the job vacancy is published, or prior to the conclusion of the application period, the Executive Director will provide notice to the appropriate administrator of the desired number of qualified individuals to be included in the "screening pool". The screening pool shall be defined as the number of individuals having completed applications that may be submitted to the administrator for final screening.
2. Should the Executive Director desire to have applicants prioritized, he or she shall make such known to the administrator who will provide the prioritized list of a number consistent with the pool.
Screening
1. The administrator may establish a committee to assist in the final screening process.
2. The committee, upon receiving the written applications from the administrator, will review those applications for the purpose of:
A. Determining those most suited to the position;
B. Making personal telephone contact with one or more references submitted by the applicant;
C. Contacting individuals who might know the candidate, but were not listed as references, if needed; and
D. Inviting the top candidates to be interviewed for the position.
3. The committee will establish the procedures at the building or program level for interviewing the successful applicants.
4. For those applicants who have no prior public school work experience or whose out-of-state former employers will not release documentation requested pursuant to I.C. § 33-1210, the screening committee or administrator may engage in whatever background checks it deems appropriate but, at a minimum, shall verify all prior work experience and educational achievement listed by the applicant as the committee or administrator deems appropriate, preferably by contacting the prior employers and/or educational institutions listed by the applicant, and shall communicate with every person listed as a reference by the applicant.
5. Upon determining the qualified applicant, the administrator will submit to the Executive Director the written recommendation for the applicant to be offered a contract.
Acceptance Procedure
Once the Committee or administrator has selected the final candidate, the name will be provided to the Executive Director who will review the applicant’s credentials with the administrator. If the Executive Director concurs with the recommendation, the Executive Director will:
1. Authorize a statement of intention to employ, pending Board approval, to be made to the candidate.
A. If, at the time the statement of intention to employ is made, the RISE Charter School has not yet received documentation requested pursuant to I.C. 33-1210(3), the RISE Charter School may provisionally employ such applicant on a non-contracted basis for up to 30 days after receipt of the documentation. Within that 30 day time period, the Board may issue a written statement to the applicant identifying why a standard contract will not be issued and specifying which information justifies such decision. The Board may not identify any reason for non-issuance of a standard contract not based on the documentation received. If, within 30 days from the receipt of the information requested pursuant to I.C. 33-1210(3) no contract is issued or the written statement of non-employment is not provided to the applicant, the employee will be deemed to be employed pursuant to a certificated employee contract. During this provisional employment, the applicant shall be provided the same compensation and benefits as if the employee had been employed on a standard certificated contract.
If no documentation is received from out of state employers, the RISE Charter School may employ the applicant on the RISE Charter School’s certificated employee contract without utilizing the provisional, non-contracted employment.
B. Upon receiving a verbal or written statement of intention to accept employment, pending Board approval, by the candidate, the Executive Director will prepare the necessary papers for recommendation to the Board of Directors at the next regular or special Board meeting.
C. Submit to the Board of Directors such recommendation.
Board Action
The Board of Directors of RISE Charter School will:
1. Have placed before it all candidate names for the position; and
2. Discuss hiring and, in situations wherein the individual qualifications of the applicant are discussed, go into executive session pursuant to law; and
3. Vote relating to approval or disapproval of the candidates. If members of the Board personally have knowledge not available to the administrator and the screening committee the Board will not take action until all concerns have been reviewed by the administrator.
Approval
Upon approval by the Board of Directors, a contract, which may comply with the forms recommended by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, will be sent or given to the applicant pursuant to the requirements set out in I.C. 33-5206(4). The applicant must sign the contract and return it within ten days from the date the contract is delivered to them. Should the person willfully refuse to acknowledge receipt of the contract or the contract is not signed and returned to the Board in the designated period of time, the Board or designee may declare the position vacant. Should the candidate not be approved, or if the person willfully refuses to acknowledge receipt of the contract or if the contract is not signed and returned to the Board, the Executive Director will remand the situation to the administrator and screening committee to provide the next applicant’s name for consideration.
Any person on provisional employment pursuant to I.C. 33-1210(7) shall be subject to the same time limits and provisions for return of a signed contract when and if such contract shall be provided to them for signature.
Certification
To qualify for employment, each teacher or administrator must have, and maintain during the entire school year, a valid Idaho teaching/administrative certificate on file in the RISE Charter School Office at the beginning of the school year. If at any time the teacher/administrator’s certification lapses, is revoked, or suspended, the certificated employee may be subjected to action declaring a contract violation and possible action to terminate the employment of the individual with the RISE Charter School.
Cross References:
5100F1-F3 Hiring Process and Criteria Forms
5110 Criminal History/Background Checks
5120 Equal Employment Opportunity and Non- Discrimination
740PA1 – 2 Reduction in Force Procedures and Forms
Legal References:
I.C. § 33-130 Criminal History Checks for School District Employees or Applicants for Certificates or Individuals Having Contact with Students
I.C. § 33-1210 Information on Past Job Performance
I.C. § 33-5204 Nonprofit Corporation—Liability—Insurance
I.C. § 33-5206 Requirements and Prohibitions of a Public Charter School
I.C. § 33-5210 Application of School Law – Accountability – Exemption from State Rules
I.C. § 65-505 Officials to Observe Preference
I.C. § 65-501, et seq. Rights and Privileges of Veterans
I.C. § 74-206 Executive Sessions — When Authorized
IDAPA 21.01.06 Rules for the Enforcement of the Veteran’s Preference in Public Employment
IDAPA 08.02.04.300 Public Charter School Responsibilities
Policy History
Adopted on: July 12, 2021
Revised on:
Reviewed on: