icon West Geauga Professional Development Committee
By-Laws
  1. The West Geauga Professional Development Committee [WGPDC] shall be, by State statute (Ohio Administrative Code 3301-24-08), the official certification/licensing body for the West Geauga Local School District.

  2. The WGPDC policy and procedures cannot supersede the District?s policies and the negotiated Contract.

  3. Membership shall consist of eleven [11] members. The WGEA shall elect eight [8] representatives, two teachers per building. Three [3] administrators (including one elementary principal and one secondary principal) shall be appointed by the superintendent. The Personnel Administrative Assistant shall be a standing, nonvoting member. At all times, the WGPDC shall have a majority of teachers. Each member will serve a three-year term. Terms shall run from July 1 to June 30. Elections for the teacher members will be held in the spring. The Superintendent will appoint the administrators by August 1 of each year.

  4. If a member cannot fulfill his/her term of office on the committee, vacancies shall be filled as follows:
    1. Teacher vacancies: A replacement for a teacher committee member will be appointed by the WGEA Executive Committee. The appointed teacher will be a representative of the same school building as the departing committee member.
    2. The Superintendent will fill administrative vacancies.
    3. Vacancies will be for the duration of the term of the departing member.

  5. The committee shall hold a maximum of eight [8] meetings during the school year and a maximum of four [4] meetings outside of the school day. A scheduled calendar will be determined by the WGPDC and posted on the website.

  6. WGPDC meetings shall be held at the West Geauga Local Board of Education offices, 8615 Cedar Rd., Chesterland, OH 44026, unless otherwise agreed to by a majority of the WGPDC. Monetary compensation will be determined by the Contract between the WGEA and the school board.

  7. In accordance with state statute, the WGPDC members shall elect a chairperson. Co-chairs may be elected if a majority of the WGPDC members agrees.

  8. The chair[s] of the WGPDC shall:
    1. Preside at all WGPDC committee meetings;
    2. Call all meetings and set agendas in collaboration with the membership;
    3. Keep current on state standards and requirements;
    4. Ensure adherence to the Individual Professional Development Plan review processes and procedures;
    5. Serve as appeals process contact and liaison;
    6. Serve as a reviewer for IPDP certification/license renewal; and
    7. Communicate professional growth opportunities to staff.

  9. The chair[s] of the WGPDC will serve as one voting member of the WGEA Executive Board.

  10. Meetings
    1. All meetings held by the WGPDC are subject to the Sunshine Law.
    2. Meetings will not violate the WGEA negotiated contract.
    3. The schedule of meetings of the WGPDC will be posted on the website annually by September 1 of each year.
    4. The WGPDC chairperson may call an emergency meeting of the WGPDC.
    5. No action will be taken unless a majority of the WGPDC membership is present.
    6. The chairperson reserves the right to cancel a scheduled meeting if no IPDPs or Professional Development Activity forms are submitted during a particular month.
    7. A committee member shall excuse him/herself from review/voting on his/her personal professional development plan, activity proposals, or any other occasion that presents a conflict of interest.

  11. Record-Keeping and Paperwork
    1. It is the responsibility of every educator to keep his/her own personal files and records of professional development activities.
    2. All forms used for professional development activities and the licensing process will be developed by the West Geauga School District?s WGPDC.
    3. All WGPDC records will be kept in the Online LPDC Forms Database. The Database is backed-up on a daily basis. However, the total number of contact hours appearing on an educator?s transcript may or may not reflect an accurate total.
    4. All professional development activities intended for use in the certification/licensure renewal process must be preapproved by the WGPDC. This preapproval must occur before any professional development activity is undertaken.
    5. Contact Hours (CEUs) will ONLY be granted if Preapproval, Reflection, and Verification are submitted and approved. These items must be submitted within the same school year as the activity.
    6. Individuals who leave the West Geauga School District will be provided with a certificate, upon request, to verify their professional development activities undertaken while in the employment of the West Geauga School District.

Revised: August 2009