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CALENDAR OF RECURRING RESPONSIBILITIES

Organization is essential to successful educational leadership. Scripture admonishes that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (I Cor. 14:40). Admirable intentions mean little in utter chaos. By planning well in advance, the superintendent can avoid a leadership based on doing the urgent rather than the essential.

Many of the responsibilities of the superintendent are recurring, and over time become relatively routine. By developing a working calendar, the superintendent may address recurring duties while leaving time to meet the challenges that may come.

The normal operational responsibilities have been listed by monthly occurrence and can be used as a guide to create a conference office/department of education working calendar. The lists as provided are not exhaustive, and the superintendent may complete some responsibilities earlier or later than shown.

JULY

• Become acquainted with the union Education Code, especially sections that detail the functions of the conference office of education and board of education.
• Review teacher assignments for the upcoming school year to determine that each position is filled.
• Prepare packets of materials to send to appropriate individuals for the new school year. Include the following:

• • Student accident insurance information.
  • Directory information forms.
  • Professional growth information.
  • Other materials as determined by the conference.

• Complete planning for convention or in-service meetings.

• Send reminder letter to employees regarding:

• • Report-to-work date.
  • Conference school-year calendar revisions.
  • Information regarding pre-planning events and in-service.
  • School evaluations and projected dates for visiting committees.

• Prepare a yearly plan for attendance at school board meetings and classroom visitation.
• Update employment files. Move files for persons no longer employed and initiate a file for newly employed personnel.
• Update order for The Journal of Adventist Education, if applicable.
• Review the course offerings for each junior academy to determine that each course has been approved by the appropriate review committee.
• Update payroll information (late hires) for treasurer’s office.
• Update employee lists and rosters.
• Check evaluation progress reports of all schools for progress on recommendations.

AUGUST

• Notify teachers whose medical records are not up-to-date.
• Conduct pre-service meetings for support personnel.

• Conduct a pre-service orientation for all new principals and teachers to acquaint them with policies and procedures such as, but not limited to, the following:

• • Philosophy and goals of Seventh-day Adventist education
  • Student health and safety/supervision
  • SIS program and requirements
  • Instructional expectations
  • Conference-wide programming
  • Union code and other legal requirements
  • Conference payroll and benefits/policies and procedures
  • First aid/CPR certification

• Review the list of schools to be evaluated during the next school year. The union office of education supplies the list.
• Complete the schedule for the schools to be evaluated in cooperation with the union office of education. Notify visiting team members.
• Distribute teacher packets.
• Request that a proposed daily class schedule for each teacher be forwarded to the office of education.

• Distribute the standardized achievement test books and supplies.

• Encourage principals and teachers to plan for Weeks of Spiritual Emphasis (fall and spring).
• Correct employment contracts/work agreements where applicable. Submit revised salary information to the treasurer’s office and send corrected contracts/work agreements to the employees involved (i.e., certification status change).
• Conduct orientation/review sessions for principals on teacher evaluations.
• Develop tentative schedule for those teachers who are to be evaluated by the conference office of education personnel.
• Periodically review the electronic data-management system to ensure accuracy of data submissions.

SEPTEMBER

• Review data on opening enrollments from each school.
• Conduct in-service meetings, if requested, for schools to be evaluated during the current school year.
• Continue plans for in-service meetings to be held during the school year.
• Process and send the standardized achievement test forms to the scoring service when all testing has been completed.
• Sign and submit Statement of Non-Discrimination of Employment to the union office of education. Be sure it contains the names and addresses of all schools.
• Give priority to visiting new principals and teachers.
• Process student incident forms (every month).
• Select the visiting committee members for the elementary schools and junior academy evaluations to be conducted during the school year. Verify the list of schools with the union office of education.
• Do periodic surveillance for asbestos/compliance form (every six months).
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.

OCTOBER

• Review the policies, procedures, and instruments to be used for evaluation of certificated and classified personnel.
• Verify that physical examinations and TB tests have been completed for all employees as required.
• Participate in the College Education Day activities and interview prospective teachers.
• Make sure schools are responding to evaluation recommendations.
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.

NOVEMBER

• Conduct teacher evaluations of non-regular status teachers (teachers within the first three years in the profession).
• Verify that each teacher not on regular employment status has been evaluated based on the provisions of the Education Code.
• Prepare a Christmas letter/card to be sent to all administrative and certificated personnel.
• Prepare the conference school calendar for the coming school year.
• Make sure schools are responding to evaluation recommendations.
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.

DECEMBER

• Distribute teacher employment intent forms to determine each teacher’s interest in employment for the next school year. Set a January return.
• Distribute student aid scholarships (if applicable), based on committee approval.
• Distribute the annual junior academy review forms to principals. Be sure to show the date you want them returned to the conference office.

JANUARY

• Notify school boards of teachers on provisional (intern) appointment who are eligible for regular appointment the next school year.
• Complete plans for remaining in-service meetings.
• Begin meeting with school boards about personnel needs for the next school year.
• Begin planning for the next teachers convention.
• Begin plans to promote Adventist education at camp meeting.
• Encourage schools to prepare tentative school budgets and projected enrollments for the coming school year.
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.
• Complete and distribute the conference school calendar for the upcoming school year.

FEBRUARY

• Check employee certification records and notify those whose certificates will expire in August. Determine plans for renewal.

• Order diplomas and diploma covers from the North American Division Office of Education.

• Continue recruitment and placement of employees for the next school year.
• Meet with school boards to assist in the recruitment and selection of school personnel to fill vacancies for the next school year.
• Request and receive tentative school budgets and projected enrollments for the coming school year.
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.

MARCH

• Remind teachers and principals interested in attending summer school that requests must be submitted in writing on authorization forms.
• Prepare employment contracts/agreements for the next year.
• Conduct in-service meetings, if requested, for schools to be evaluated during the current school year.
• Begin planning for teacher bulletin/newsletters for the next year.
• Continue recruitment of prospective employees.
• Notify, in writing, those who will not be issued a contract/work agreement for the next year as union code requires.
• Distribute the standardized achievement test books and supplies if spring testing is scheduled.
• Complete the second formal evaluation for those on provisional (intern) employment.
• Send copies of completed visiting committee evaluation reports for the current school year to the union office of education.
• Notify the principals and school board chairs of each school to be evaluated during the next school year.
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.

APRIL

• Mail contracts/employment agreements.
• Order standardized achievement-testing materials.
• Prepare, sign, and distribute the eighth-grade diplomas to principals and head teachers.
• Complete the annual teacher evaluations.
• Continue recruitment and placement of employees.
• Plan teacher commissioning services.
• Do periodic surveillance for asbestos/compliance form (every six months).
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.

MAY

• Send letters of appreciation to employees who are leaving/recognize retirees.
• Continue recruitment of prospective employees.
• Obtain summer contact information from each teacher.
• Forward summer school authorization forms to colleges/universities.
• Distribute the end-of-year checklists to each principal and teacher.
• Send information regarding financial assistance for student aid based on conference policy to each principal, board chairperson, and pastor.
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.

JUNE

• Continue work on employee recruitment and placement.
• Remind principals to update equipment inventory lists.
• Submit pertinent information about new employees to the union office of education for certification purposes.
• Update payroll information for treasurer’s office.
• Periodically review electronic data-management system to ensure submissions are accurate and timely.