PERSONNEL

EMPLOYEE CONDUCT

A. Employee Conduct

The School Board is committed to establishing a workforce dedicated to the education of the City’s youth and creating an environment conducive to productivity for the benefit of both staff and students. It is the policy of the School Board to recruit and employ highly professional employees who demonstrate the highest ethical behavior on the job and outside the workplace.

B. Standards of Conduct and Discipline Philosophy

All employees are expected to maintain a standard of dress, personal appearance, general decorum and behavior that reflects positively on their status as employees of the School Board and as role models for students. The School Board expects that staff will set examples for students that will serve students well in their own conduct and behavior and which will contribute toward an appropriate instructional atmosphere. Therefore, as a condition of employment, all employees are to perform their duties and comply with School Board Policy, School Administration Regulations, and state and federal law and regulations. Employees shall demonstrate the necessary skills, maturity, ability in dealing with others, and understanding of their job functions. Safety, courtesy and respect for diversity are expected of all employees. At no time should any employee’s conduct jeopardize a student’s right to be educated or an employee’s right to perform job functions. To reinforce these expectations, the School Board supports continuous training and professional growth of all of its employees to develop and maintain their skills. School Board policies require a school and work environment that is respectful of the rights of all individuals in the school community and maintained in a manner adequate to meet the vision and goals of the School Board.

Employees will support the mission of the School Board by fulfilling their duties and complying with School Board policies and regulations. Inappropriate conduct can interfere with instruction and operations, can discredit the organization, can be offensive to others, and is nonproductive. The Superintendent will promulgate core values and standards of conduct to guide employees in meeting the School Board’s expectations.

The Superintendent will establish and promulgate to all employees disciplinary procedures and regulations necessary to implement the School Board policy. Such procedures and regulations will include a table of example infractions and the range of disciplinary actions for the various infractions. Such table will serve as a guide, but not necessarily be inclusive of all possible actions that could lead to disciplinary action. The table will address employee conduct on duty, off duty, involving other employees and involving students.

Disciplinary action shall be consistently and fairly applied and shall be taken only for good reason, for the primary purpose of correcting unsatisfactory performance or conduct, and as a secondary purpose of exacting disciplinary measures. The severity of the disciplinary actions shall be determined by the severity of the misconduct. When appropriate, oral warnings or counseling will first be used to correct employee conduct. Oral warnings or counseling are not grievable. In general, formal disciplinary actions shall be progressive in nature, ranging from a written reprimand for an initial infraction to stronger actions that may include recommendations for dismissal when corrective behavior fails to occur. However, progressive discipline is not always appropriate, and supervisors and program managers may recommend a more or less stringent action based on the severity of the violation, including dismissal, for the first offense.

C. Conduct Outside of the Workplace

The School Board recognizes that employees retain the right to keep their personal lives separate from their positions as School Board employees. Yet, due to the unique position that School Board employees serve in the community as role models, leaders and caretakers for the division’s students, certain conduct is inconsistent with employment with the School Board.

Applicants who have convictions for felonies, offenses involving sexual molestation, physical or sexual abuse or rape of a child, convictions for crimes of moral turpitude ¹, or founded cases of child abuse or neglect will not be eligible for employment by the School Board. Current employees who are convicted of any of the above noted crimes or have founded cases of child abuse or neglect shall be recommended for termination, and may be terminated from employment by the School Board. ²

Other conduct that jeopardizes the School Board’s or the community’s trust in the employee’s ability to perform his duties may be the basis for disciplinary action. Examples of such conduct include: drug or alcohol abuse that becomes open and notorious; plea bargains to lesser crimes after being charged with crimes that would disqualify an employee from employment; misuse of School Board property; intentional conflicts of interests; and interference of personal matters with performance of duties. In such cases the School Board reserves the right to take disciplinary action that promotes the integrity and safety of the staff and students.

D. Employee Guidebook

Beginning July 1, 2000, each contracted employee shall be provided an employee guidebook that summarizes the School Board policies and Division regulations applicable to all employees. The guidebook shall also be provided to new hires at the time of orientation. Updates to the guidebook will be made available via the school division’s Intranet and Internet sites.

The purpose of the guidebook and updates is to inform employees about the terms and conditions of their employment. Neither the guidebook nor the updates constitutes a contract or is otherwise binding on the School Board or school division.

E. School Board Bylaws, Policies and Division Regulations

The School Board's Bylaws, Policies & Division Regulations are available to employees in the following locations: The School Division Intranet (vbcps.net) and School Division Internet Website at www.vbschools.com. A master copy is also available in the Office of the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent at the school board office.

Editor’s Note

See School Board Policy 5-45 – Use of Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Products.

See Division Regulation 5-45.1 – Possession/Use/Sale of Alcohol, Drugs or Drug Paraphernalia.

See Virginia Beach School Division Website at http://www.vbschools.com/ .

Legal References:

Adopted by School Board: July 13, 1993 (Effective August 14, 1993)
Amended by School Board: October 21, 2003
Amended by School Board: August 16, 2005

¹ Moral turpitude is defined as, but not necessarily limited to, lying, cheating, stealing, giving false statements, petit larceny, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

² Teachers may further be subject to dismissal or probation for incompetencey, immorality, non compliance with school laws and regulations, disability as shown by competent medical evidence when in compliance with federal law, conviction of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude or other good and just cause. ( Va. Code §22.1-307. Dismissal, etc., of teachers; grounds)