iconTallmadge City Schools Professional Development Committee
By-Laws

ARTICLE XIII

Section A. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Tallmadge City Schools Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC) is to oversee and review course work and other professional development activities completed by educators within the District for renewal of certificates or licenses.

Section B. COMMITTEE COMPOSITION AND SELECTION
The Committee shall be comprised of a minimum of six (6) members, including one representative from each building, as follows:

  1. A majority of the LPDC members shall be teachers unless the review of an Individual Professional Development Plan affects the renewal of an Administrator's license or certificate. If the Administrator requests, one (1) teacher member would not participate and an additional Administrator would be added to the LPDC for purposes of reviewing the Administrator's proposal only.

  2. The TTA shall appoint the teacher members. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall appoint the Administrators. Alternates, one (1) teacher and one (1) Administrator may be selected a year prior to their term as Committee member.
Section C. TERMS OF OFFICE
  1. Members shall serve three (3) year terms.
  2. A term shall go from September to September with no more than half of the remaining members new to the Committee at any one (1) time.
Section D. VACANCIES
  1. The TTA shall appoint a teacher to fill the vacancy of a teacher Committee member.
  2. The Superintendent or his/her designee will appoint an Administrator to fill the vacancy of an Administrator Committee Member.
  3. An individual selected or appointed to fill the vacancy prior to the end of the expiration of a term for which the predecessor was appointed shall hold office as a member for the remainder of that term.
Section E. CHAIRPERSON AND OTHER ROLES
  1. The Chair shall be elected by a written majority vote of the LPDC. Anyone interested in serving as the Chair may self-nominate.
  2. The Chair shall be elected for a two (2) year term. A term shall run from September to September.
  3. Additional officers may be selected at the discretion of the Committee with those duties established in the LPDC Bylaws.

Section F. TRAINING
Training, with release time, will be provided on an as-needed basis.

Section G. MEETINGS
  1. The number of release day meetings in any one (1) year shall not exceed two (2) in number.
  2. A schedule of meeting dates will be posted by October 1 of each school year. Additional meetings may be scheduled as deemed necessary by the LPDC.
Section H. NOTIFICATION OF EXPIRATION, SUBMISSION AND DECISION MAKING
  1. By November 30 of each school year, the Central Office will notify staff of certificates or licenses that will expire. However, the ultimate responsibility shall remain with the teacher to ensure that his/her certificate/license are current.
  2. Dates for submission of the Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDPs) and the notification of action on the IPDPs shall be according to the time lines established by the LPDC. The LPDC will communicate these time lines to staff by September 15 of each school year.
  3. Any decision to approve or reject a submitted IPDP for certification/license renewal shall be by a majority vote of the LPDC members.
Section I. RECORDS OF THE LPDC
  1. The LPDC shall keep and retain records of its meetings, decisions, and recommendations.
  2. It is the educator's ultimate responsibility to keep his/her certification/licensure current and records accurate.

Section J. COMPENSATION
All Committee members shall receive a stipend of four percent (4%) of the base salary.

Section K. APPEALS PROCESS
  1. Educators up for renewal will be provided with a copy of the approval guidelines/criteria prior to development and submission of their IPDP for review. If the IPDP or course on an IPDP is rejected, the LPDC will communicate to the educator the reasons for the rejection. In the event the LPDC does not approve an individual professional development plan (IPDP) or course (only after IPDP has been approved), the licensed employee may resubmit a proposal which has been refined or revised in areas specified by the LPDC within 14 calendar days after receipt of the LPDC decision. If the educator has any questions or concerns, they are encouraged to contact their building LPDC representative.
  2. Reconsideration
    If an educator disagrees with an LPDC decision, the educator first will be given the opportunity to meet with the LPDC in person to discuss the IPDP and/or credit request to present his/her case to the LPDC. A written request for inclusion on the agenda must be submitted to the LPDC chairperson no later than 14 calendar days following the notification of the denial. Written notification of the LPDC decision shall be provided within 14 calendar days of the face-to-face reconsideration. If the educator and the LPDC agree on a resolution, the resolution will be documented and will become part of the official minutes. If, however, the parties do not reach a mutually acceptable resolution, then the educator may appeal to a third-party review.
  3. Third-Party Review
    For circumstances in which the reconsideration process does not yield a mutually acceptable resolution, the LPDC will provide for a third-party review and decision. The panel will review the LPDC decision and either uphold or overturn the decision on evidence of fidelity to the LPDC's procedures (Did the educator comply with the LPDC criteria, procedures and timelines? Did the LPDC abide by its operational procedures? Etc?) The LPDC will assemble a panel consisting of one licensed educator selected by the LPDC; one licensed educator selected by the educator seeking resolution; and one licensed educator selected by mutual agreement of the Superintendent and the Association President. These three individuals will function as a panel to review the LPDC decision and either uphold or overturn the decision. The decision will be final and not subject to the grievance procedure.
Section L. RECIPROCITY
  1. Approved and completed IPDPs from outside the District shall be accepted by the Tallmadge City Schools’ LPDC.
  2. Tallmadge City Schools’ LPDC shall honor hours accumulated in the district of previous employment.
  3. The Tallmadge LPDC reserves the right to review and revise the balance of the plan.
  4. The educator’s IPDP will be requested as part of the application submission process and will be reviewed and marked as “acceptable” or as “in need of revision according to the following guidelines after hiring.”
  5. The Chair will collect IPDPs of all new hires and the LPDC will review and notify the teacher of acceptance or revision by October 15.
Section M. AMENDING THE BY-LAWS
  1. The LPDC shall meet annually to review the by-laws and vote on any changes by June of each year.
  2. Amendments shall be voted on by the full LPDC committee. A simple majority of LPDC members will prevail.
  3. The Superintendent and the TTA President will receive copies of ratified amendments. All amendments to the by-laws must be in compliance with the terms and conditions of this agreement.