The board encourages licensed employees to attend and participate in professional development activities to maintain, develop, and extend their skills. The board will maintain and support an in-service program for licensed employees. Professional development activities will include activities that promote and/or teach about compliance with applicable Iowa laws.

For all professional development programs the district requires employees to take, the district will provide to the employee notice indicating the section of the law, or rules adopted by the state board of education or board of educational examiners that the district determines requires the employee to participate in the professional development program.

Requests for attendance or participation in a development program, other than those development programs sponsored by the school district, is made to the superintendent. Approval of the superintendent must be obtained prior to attendance by a licensed employee in a professional development program when the attendance would result in the licensed employee being excused from their duties or when the school district pays the expenses for the program.

The superintendent will have sole discretion to allow or disallow licensed employees to attend or participate in the requested event. When making this determination, the superintendent will consider the value of the program for the licensed employee and the school district, the effect of the licensed employee's absence on the education program and school district operations and the school district's financial situation as well as other factors deemed relevant in the judgment of the superintendent. Requests that involve unusual expenses or overnight travel must also be approved by the board.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code § 279.8.
                                       281 I.A.C. 12.7; 83.6

Cross Reference:  414.9 Classified Employee Professional Purposes Leave

Approved: March 1996.
Reviewed:  April 2009, January 2011, January 2014, January 2017, May 2020, August 2023

Materials created by licensed employees and the financial gain therefrom are the property of the school district if school materials and time were used in their creation and/or such materials were created in the scope of the licensed employee's employment. The licensed employee must seek prior written approval of the superintendent concerning such activities.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code § 279.8.
                                       17 U.S.C. Sec. 101 et. al.

Cross Reference:  401.2 Employee Conflict of Interest
                                       606.4 Student Production of Materials and Services

Approved: March 1996.
Reviewed:  April 2009, January 2011, January 2014, January 2017, May 2020

Every effort will be made by the licensed employees to help students with learning problems before recommending that the parents engage a tutor. Since there are exceptional cases when tutoring will help students overcome learning deficiencies, tutoring by licensed employees may be approved by the superintendent.

Licensed employees may only tutor students other than those for whom the teacher is currently exercising teaching, administrative or supervisory responsibility unless approved by the superintendent.

Tutoring for a fee may not take place within school facilities or during regular school hours unless approved by the superintendent.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§ 20.7; 279.8.

Cross Reference:  401.12 Employee Conflict of Interest
                                      402.6 Employee Outside Employment

Approved: March 1996.
Reviewed:  April 2009, January 2011, January 2014, January 2017, May 2020