They Did What???
New Teacher filmed her and her students from her class doing a TikTok dance during 3rd hour. She then posted it on her personal social media page.
What is:
WPSB Policy: EMPLOYEE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA EFAA
POSTING TO SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
8. Employees shall not post identifiable images of a student or student's family without permission from the student and the student's parent or legal guardian.
Experienced teacher needs to run to the bank during his planning period. New teacher is in a jam and needs to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy immediately after school. Long time teacher’s child got sick at school; she needs to go and pick her up. None of these teachers tell an administrator, but simply leaves campus.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 5
ABSENCES DURING THE DAY
No teacher or other employee shall leave the school campus without having first obtained permission from the principal or designee. Teachers shall be required to sign out, stating the reason for leaving school. Upon returning, the teacher shall sign back in and note the time of his/her return. An employee's immediate supervisor may authorize an absence during the business day. The Superintendent or designee must grant permission for a period of one day or more.
Freshman student tells her English teacher about her mom’s boyfriend making her feel uncomfortable. She goes on to say that he has touched her inappropriately. The English teacher knows the girl’s family and really likes the mom’s boyfriend. The teacher feels uncomfortable reporting this.
What is:
WPSB Policy CHILD ABUSE FILE: JGCE
The Webster Parish School Board shall require that instances of suspected child abuse and/or neglect be reported in accordance with appropriate state and local laws and procedures. Therefore, the School Board directs that all school personnel be informed of their responsibilities under law as mandatory reporters when performing their occupational duties.
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 15
CHILD ABUSE
Any person who provides training and supervision of a child, such as a public or private school teacher, teacher’s aide, instructional aide, school principal, counselor, school staff member, social worker, security coordinator, etc. is a mandated reporter. You are required to call 1-855-452-5437 and submit an official written report. The written report can be obtained at http://www.dss.state.la.us/assets/docs/searchable/OCS/CPI-2.pdf
Erica looks so pretty with her new hot pink streaks in her hair. They look very classy and cute. Teacher doesn’t say anything because, does it matter?
What is:
HAIR
Unnatural hair color (purple, green, blue, bright unnatural red, orange, pink, etc.) is not permitted.
Experienced teacher needs a break. He is tired. He doesn’t stand at his door between classes. He has started showing up late for his lunch duty and leaves early from lunch duty. There are some days he doesn’t even go to his lunch duty thinking maybe someone else will cover it. A fight happened at his lunch duty spot on one of the days he skipped duty. The student got seriously injured. Experienced teacher is now being sued for negligence.
What is:
SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS File: JGFB
The School Board expects all students to be under assigned adult supervision at all times when they are in school, on school grounds, traveling under school auspices, or engaging in school-sponsored activities. No teacher or other staff member shall leave his or her assigned group unsupervised except when arrangements have been made to take care of an emergency.
FILE: GBRE
EXTRA DUTY
Teachers are expected to assume reasonable duties over and above their regular classroom responsibilities. The principal shall have authority to make such assignments, which shall be distributed as equitably as possible among teachers.
Senior football player got injured during football practice. The coach called the parent and sent the student home. Coach went about his business and did not report it.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 5
ACCIDENTS ON CAMPUS
Students, teachers, or visitors who are involved in accidents on campus that result in injury and/or illness should report to the office to Mrs. Ellington so that an accident report can be completed. Coaches, teachers, or sponsors must complete an accident report on any student who is injured at a game, practice, or school-sponsored activity.
Tennis coach needs help! He has too many athletes and there is not enough him. He is friends with a local tennis pro. He asks her to help and she starts working with the students immediately. She is fantastic! The tennis coach is thrilled. His athletes are thrilled. The parents are thrilled.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 18
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
2. Only school personnel and students directly involved may attend practice sessions of high school groups (Band, La-Annes, Cheerleaders, Tider Line, Red Wave, etc.). Exceptions may be: parents, interested school personnel, or volunteer upon approval of the sponsor, administrator, and WPSB. To request permission for a volunteer (including parents), please email Dr. Wilson with your request. It should include the person’s name and phone number. Once approved, the volunteer will have to undergo a background check and fingerprinting through the WPSB. No one should work with our students who has not been vetted by the WPSB.
Junior John thinks the ID badge is stupid. Teacher honestly feels the same way. John does not wear his badge in class. Teacher doesn’t say anything because, does it matter?
What is:
ID Badges
Student identification badges must be worn and be visible on the student daily. One MHS lanyard will be provided to each student. Personal lanyards may be used, but they should be breakaway lanyards. If a student loses or forgets their ID badge, a temporary ID badge may be purchased for $1. A replacement ID badge costs $10.
Experienced teacher makes and sells handmade leather wallets. He uses his planning period to post his wallets for sale on Etsy, Marketplace, and eBay.
What is:
WPSB Policy: EMPLOYEE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA File: EFAA
EMPLOYEE PERSONAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Employees shall be prohibited from accessing social networking websites for personal use during instructional time or with School Board technological resources.
The fundraiser was a huge success. All the money was collected the week after the fundraiser ended. The spirit group sponsor left the money in her desk in order to turn it into Mrs. Barrett. She forgot that she left the money in her desk. Four weeks later, she remembered it, but it was no longer in her desk.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 6
ACCOUNTING INFORMATION
* All money raised through a fundraiser must be turned into the financial secretary within five days of the fundraiser.
* Collected money must be deposited every day to the financial secretary. Do NOT hold money. If the financial secretary is unavailable, you may turn in the money to the principal. (The teacher may be responsible for lost or stolen money that was not turned in the day the money was received.)
It’s 7:45am and one of your favorite seniors walks into school with a bag from McDonalds and a large caramel frappuccino. You hate confrontation and you really don’t want to say anything to this charismatic student. So what if she brings the drink in.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 27
FOOD POLICY/CONSUMPTION
Students may bring lunch/food/snacks to school, but it should only be eaten during the lunch period. Students may bring drinks to school, but they must have a screw top lid on them or a way to keep the drink from spilling. Fast food drinks may not be brought in at any time.
It is so cold in the teacher’s classroom. Lizzy takes a blanket out of her backpack and wraps up. Teacher doesn’t say anything because, does it matter? And it’s really cold.
What is:
Blanket/Pillows
Blankets and pillows are not allowed on campus.
New teacher decided to use “peer influence” to increase student grades. She hopes that sharing grades will inspire students with Fs to work harder. She lists all of the students' names and their current grades on the SmartBoard for the class to review.
What is:
Employee Conduct FILE: GBRA
Maintain confidentiality of all matters relating to students and other employees.
New teacher is getting after it teaching her heart out during first hour. She never enters attendance.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 10
Entering Attendance in JCampus
Taking attendance in 1st block is imperative. If you do not mark a student absent, they will then be marked skipping in their following classes. Every time a student is marked absent, tardy, or skipping, their parents get a phone call. After posting attendance, 1st hour teachers should click the Roll Call Verification button by 8:20am each school day.
Your students’ mom calls the school angrily because her child had a 98 A going into the final exam. The day of the final exam, the teacher enters several grades that they had forgotten about. The student’s grade changed to a 65 F. The parent wants to meet with you, but you really don’t want to.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 27
GRADES - GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
At least TWO grades must be entered every week. We recommend more than that, but there must be at least TWO. Tests and assignments should be graded and entered into JCampus in a timely manner.
Coach and Veteran Teacher loves his MHS sports hoodie. He wears it all the time to school. He thinks it is dumb that him and his athletes can’t wear the sports hoodie to school. They spent good money on it. He doesn’t understand why the assistant principal told the coach that he and his student athletes may not wear hoodies to school.
What is:
Hoodies are not allowed at any time. Only the school-approved uniform sweatshirt or the school-approved uniform jacket may be worn over the school-approved uniform t-shirt.
Experienced teacher has had a rough day. During 4th block, a student got mad at him about an assignment. The situation escalated quickly. Student cussed at the teacher. Teacher got very frustrated and started cussing back at the student. Teacher in his anger grabbed the student’s arm to remove her from the classroom.
What is:
Employee Conduct FILE: GBRA
Be courteous to students, one another, and the public and conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner.
Veteran teacher is so tired of all the junk in his room. It has accumulated for years. Teacher and his students help him to move all of the old graded papers, notebooks, boxes of old textbooks, and a huge old-school TV are all taken to the textbook room and left there. Two days later, Mr. Dillon sees veteran teacher and loses his mind.
What is:
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 11
BOOK ROOM
The book supply room is located within the teachers’ lounge. Entering the lounge from the office, it is the second door to your right. It is usually locked. To access it, please ask for a key from someone in the office. Here, you may find books and workbooks suited to your classes, especially core classes. Many materials in the book room have never been used. Please check with your department chair about using or removing materials from it. Please DO NOT leave it messy.
DO NOT DUMP UNWANTED ITEMS FROM YOUR CLASSROOM IN THE TEXTBOOK ROOM. Mr. Dillon spent a large part of last year and this summer cleaning the book room AGAIN.
Principal conducts a random walkthrough observation. She goes to the teacher’s desk and looks for his lesson plans. When she asks about them, he says, oh…I left them home.
MHS Teacher Handbook - p. 31
LESSON PLANS
Webster Parish School Board requires a typed lesson plan through JCampus or another template for each instructional period of the day. Keep a printed daily lesson plan on your desk in a folder or notebook. Lesson plans documented in JCampus do not have to be printed but must be retrieved upon request. Lesson plans will be audited periodically and must be made available immediately when requested. Lesson plans submitted through JCampus may be viewed by the school’s administration as well as the WPSB supervisors. LEAP teachers utilizing a Tier 1 curriculum are expected to annotate their lesson plans and are not required to enter them in JCampus.
Teacher gets tired of correcting dress code infractions. It is homecoming week and the theme is Hawaiian Day. A student walks into your class with LSU pajama pants on and a purple t-shirt. They offer to pay the $2 for St. Jude. It doesn’t matter if the money is going to St. Jude, does it?
What is:
SPECIAL DRESS FUND-RAISING DAYS
On special dress fundraising days (i.e. Homecoming, holidays, St. Jude, etc.), students may choose to wear the Dress Day Theme for a specific amount of money. Students may choose to not participate and wear the regular school. uniform. If participating in the dress day, the theme must be followed or the student will be considered out of dress code and will receive a penalty.