Policy-Code-GCAB

Filling of Vacancies

Section G: Personnel

Policy Title: Filling of Vacancies
Policy Code: GCAB

Purpose Statement

To give direction to the Superintendent for the filling of vacancies to ensure an equitable process, one in which the individual of highest merit is selected for employment.

Position Descriptions

An outline of job responsibilities shall be developed and maintained by the Superintendent or designee through position descriptions that reflect the purpose, duties and minimum requirements of each job. Each position description will be classified into a pay grade commensurate with the knowledge, abilities and duties required for this position.
The position description is the basis for the screening, selection and training of the individual to fill a vacant position.
If the job description is changed after the initial posting, then this change shall be noted and explained, in the posting.

Definition of Administrator

For purposes of this policy, an Administrator includes the following regardless of whether the position requires an Administrator's certification under state law:

Assistant Superintendents, Chief Officers, Executive Directors, Directors, Assistant Directors, Principals, Assistant Principals and Coordinators.

Board Vote Required

The Governing Board shall hold a separate vote on each person being recommended for interim (less than a year) or permanent employment or transfer to an Administrator position, with the exception that Assistant Principals and Coordinators may be approved on a personnel consent agenda item at the discretion of the Governing Board. The Governing Board shall also hold a separate vote on any person recommended for employment in the Board office.

Emergency Appointments and Exceptions to Process

In emergency situations and with notice and justification to the Governing Board, the Superintendent may appoint a qualified person to temporarily fulfill the duties of an Administrator position pending completion of the Administrator selection and Governing Board approval process required under this policy. Any such temporary appointment shall be confirmed by the Board as soon as practical.

The Governing Board, in its discretion, may approve the appointment of an Administrator without following one or more steps in the selection process described in this policy. However, absent emergency or interim appointments, the Governing Board shall not forego the School Council process described in this policy and/or directed in Governing Board Policy CFC.

Procedures Applicable to all Administrator Positions

When a position vacancy is identified, individuals from appropriate district and community stakeholder groups will be invited to participate on an interview panel.
Other than the School Council or Board appointees, if any, the Superintendent or designee shall appoint the interview panel, within the guidelines of this policy.
If community outreach is an important part of the Administrator's job description, the panel shall include at least one representative from a community group with which the administrator most regularly interacts.
For all positions at Director level or above, the Superintendent shall notify the Governing Board of the composition of the interview panel prior to the scheduling of any applicant interviews. Board members should not contact the candidates or members of the panel concerning the selection process, except when such contact is an explicit part of the process.
The interview panel shall be provided a Board-approved interview protocol document and shall adhere to the protocol during the interview process.
Interview panels shall interview qualified candidates and submit recommendations to the Superintendent or designee.
Interview questions should be created through a collaborative process among the Human Resource Department and subject area experts (if applicable) on the interview panel.
While all candidates should answer a core set of questions, additional questions can and typically should be crafted for individual applicants, reflecting the candidate's particular qualifications and experience. During the interview, followup questions can reflect the individual candidate's responses during the course of the interview.
All parts of the interview process shall be confidential to the extent permitted by law.
Panel members shall be required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to serving on an interview panel.
The Superintendent may require a subject-area competency examination and/or a writing sample for applicants.
Interview panel participants shall be free from conflicts of interest with any candidate, including but not limited to any past, current, or prospective vendor relationship in which the Administrator position had or will have a decision-making role, as defined here and by Policy GBEAA, and including anyone who has a relative applying for the position.

Additional Procedures for Administrator Positions Requiring Specialized Knowledge

Administrator positions requiring specialized subject area knowledge shall be interviewed by a panel, a majority of which should be subject matter experts. This requirement may be fulfilled by selecting interview panelists who are supervisors or subordinates of the Administrator position to be filled and who themselves have expertise in the subject matter.
If the Superintendent or designee cannot assemble a majority panel of subject matter experts from the supervisor and subordinates of the administrator position to be filled, subject matter experts from outside the District shall be located and invited to be part of the interview panel.
If a panel of subject-matter experts is not used in any administrator interview panel, the Superintendent shall include a statement in the Governing Board's hiring packet certifying that the position does not require subject matter expertise, or why convening a majority panel of experts was impractical to accomplish.

Additional Procedures for Site Administrators

For any school site administrator position, the School Council shall select at least 2/3 of the members of the panel that conducts the first round interview, unless it explicitly declines or is unable to do so.
For Assistant Principals or other site-based Administrators reporting to the Principal, the Principal shall have at least one direct appointment to the interview committee for the first round interview.
Human Resources shall provide a non-voting staff member to coordinate and monitor the site-based process.

Interview Panels and Selection Process for Administrative Positions

If the position being filled reports directly to the Governing Board, or is employed within the Board office, then the Board may, at its discretion, make direct appointments to the interview panel or set other conditions concerning its composition.

Preparation of Recommendation to Governing Board for Administrator Positions

The Human Resources Department will prepare a Board Agenda Item and a supporting packet of information to be forwarded to the Superintendent for placement on the Governing Board Agenda. This packet will include, if applicable:

Cover Memorandum from the Head of Human Resources certifying that the selection process comported with this Policy.
Position Description, including salary, if available
Application materials for the recommended candidate(s)
References/Background Check documentation
Brief Identification and composition of Interview Panel
Moderator's Summary of each Interview Panel Recommendation
School Council Recommendation Summary (if applicable)

Governing Board Review

The following shall be made available to the Governing Board Office for review upon request of a Governing Board member:

Interview questions
Summary of Applicants
Conflict of Interest disclosures (if applicable)
Signed interview sheets

Assignment of Non-Administrative Staff

The assignment of employees to positions in the various schools and departments of the District, the creation of new positions, and the deletion of existing positions shall be determined by the Superintendent or designee.

Certified and paraprofessional vacancies shall only be filled with highly qualified and appropriately certified individuals as set forth by the Department of Education regulations.

Placement of Staff, Teachers or Administrators through ESI or Similar Vendor

Any administrator who is appointed to a position through a contract with ESI or other similar third party staffing vendor must be approved by the Governing Board in a manner similar to that set forth above for the approval of other Administrator positions. The interview and selection process shall be subject to all of the requirements in this Policy, regardless of whether the candidate is procured or engaged through a contract with ESI or other similar third party staffing vendor.
Staff and teachers who are placed with the District through a contract with ESI or other similar third party staffing vendor must be approved by the Governing Board, but their assignment to specific schools and departments shall be determined by the Superintendent or designee.

Superintendent Authority

The Superintendent is authorized to establish implementing regulations and forms consistent with this Policy.

Adopted: September 17, 1985
Revision: September 9, 2008 (numeric to letter format only)
Revision: March 9, 2010
Revision: October 12, 2010
Revision: August 14, 2018

LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
15-501 - Definitions
15-502- Employment of School District Personnel
15-503 – Superintendents, Principals, head teachers and school psychologists; term of employment