722: Contracts for Newly Designated Principals and Vice Principals
Responsible Administrator: Superintendent
PURPOSE
Sturgeon Public Schools recognizes the importance of having effective school administrators, who are accomplished teachers, to direct student learning and the business of the Division. Based on the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS), the Division strives to select school leaders who can consistently analyze context and make decisions about what leadership knowledge and abilities to apply which will result in quality teaching and optimum learning for all students.
To provide the opportunity to evaluate the performance and suitability of newly designated school administrators, administrators will be placed initially on a probationary contract. This probationary period will allow for a fair evaluation of their leadership performance based on the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS).
PROCEDURE
1. All appointments to administrative designations with a start date after June 22, 2022, will follow this procedure for contracts and continuous designations.
2. Responsibility and authority for the appointment of school administrators shall rest with the Superintendent of Schools.
3. Principals shall be appointed to the Division and are subject to transfer.
4. Evaluations will include a performance review based on the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS), as well as a review of the newly designated administrator’s professional development plan.
5. No later than April 30 in the probationary and term contract period, an evaluation will be conducted by the Superintendent or designate. Copies of the summary evaluation will be provided to the administrator being evaluated, to the evaluator and placed in the Division’s personnel file.
Vice Principals
6. A teacher designated as a Vice Principal shall enter into a series of term contracts for a period of up to five (5) years. Up to two (2) of these five years may be on a probationary basis. Following the term contract maximum of five (5) years, inclusive of the maximum two (2) year probationary period, the Division must decide whether or not the designation will continue, and if it continues, it is deemed to be a continuing contract.
7. For each year of the term and/or probationary contracts the Principal shall evaluation the Vice Principal.
Principals
8. For each year of the probationary period, the Superintendent or designate shall evaluate
the Principal.
9. In the fourth year of a Principal designation and based on the results of a performance review conducted by the Superintendent or designate of the Superintendent, the Superintendent will determine as per Section 4.5 of the Collective Agreement:
9.1 To provide a continuous designation, or
9.2 To allow the contract to expire and return the administrator to an appropriate teaching assignment, after informing the individual.
10. The Superintendent shall not be restricted from taking disciplinary or other action, as appropriate, where the Superintendent has reasonable grounds to believe that the actions or practices of a teacher or school administrator endanger the safety of students, constitutes a neglect of duty, a breach of trust or refusal to obey a lawful order of the Board.
References:
Board Policy: 105 Vision, Mission and Values
Administrative Procedure: 723 Growth, Supervision and Evaluation of Principals and Vice Principals
Education Act: Section 197
Leadership Quality Standard
Three Year Education Plan
Alberta Teachers' Association Collective Agreement
History
2020 Jan 29 Initial Approval
2022 Aug 24 Amended
2023 Mar 23 Amended
Administrative Procedures VII. Personnel and Employee Relations (Teacher Staffing, Certification and Placement)