A victim of bullying and/or harassment, anyone who witnessed the act, and anyone who has credible information that an act of bullying and/or harassment has taken place may file a report. Florida spending $9,980 per student and pays teachers an average salary of$49,583. While ten (10) days is the expectation for completion of the investigative procedural steps, more time may be needed based on the nature of the investigation and the circumstances affecting that investigation. Polk County Public Schools employs school counselors who provide students with the support they need at each stage of their development. There is even a mobile app, so you can access the system from your smartphone or other mobile device. ; Bullying Information on identifying and reporting bullying. The investigator shall collect and evaluate the facts including but not limited to: whether there were past incidents or past continuing patterns of behavior; the relationship between the parties involved including whether the individual was in a position of power over the individual allegedly subject to bullying or harassment; the characteristics of the parties involved; where the bullying and/or harassment occurred; whether there have been other incidents in the school involving the same or other students; whether the conduct adversely affected the student's education or educational environment; the context in which the alleged incidents occurred; and. InJanuary, district officials extended the COVID sick leave through March31. LAKELAND Polk County Public Schoolsand the Polk Education Association teachers union arein final talks toextenduntil June 4the 10 days of COVID sickleave. But after year of COVID-19, a new reality sets in, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. This policy has been developed and reviewed in consultation with District students, parents, teachers, administrators, school staff, school volunteers, community representatives, and local law enforcement agencies as prescribed in F.S. Quick access to forms, resources, and information. The doctor gave hera prescriptionandsent her home. PEA President Stephanie Yocum said the school district received more than enough federal relief money to extend the COVID sick leave to those who need it, as other counties have done. Access is anonymous. Polk County Public schools has partnered with Benefitfocus to provide the members of our insurance plan with a secure, efficient and convenient platform to manage their benefits online. Jason Pitts, the districts chief of staff for the superintendents office, led the budget presentation during the boardsregularly scheduled work session Tuesday. He vowed to visit Florida's legislative offices in Tallahassee himself to make them aware of the alarming numbers facing the fast-growing school district. "Harassment" or "bullying" also means electronically transmitted acts (i.e., internet, e-mail, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant(PDA), or wireless hand-held device) that a student(s) or a group of students exhibits toward another particular student(s) and the behavior both causes mental or physical harm to the other student and is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student(s). Need Password Help? School Board of Polk County, Florida The Mission of Polk County Public Schools is to provide a high quality education for all students. View state and district assessments by grade level, including tips on preparing for exams. Administrator, Teacher, Parent Education - developed by the District, Monique Burr Foundation for Children, Inc.'s Child Safety Matters, Keys to Character - developed by the District. PCPS provides students with access to a variety of free resources, including eBooks, videos, articles and much more, to conduct research and build literacy skills. Links to online catalogs, eBooks, and reference and research tools. Capital is needed for the district's wish list of building projects that could add 10 more schools and multiple remodeling projects by 2041 in order to relieve already overcrowded schools and accommodate the endless waves of families with school-aged children moving to Polk County. The law went into effect Sept. 30. If you want to be notified of updates to our website, please subscribe here! The issue came upthis week in Polk afterWendell Watson Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Susan Woolsasked The Ledger about it. Charter school monies pass through the district coffers and that is expected to be $128 million for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. These programs focus on correcting behaviors and developing attitudes and skills that will help students make positive changes in their lives. This page contains links to important documents, including the Code of Conduct, Student Progression Plan, School Board polices, and more. The districthas lost a third of taxable value from the increases in home values since the Great Recession because of the rollback on millage rates, he added. Employees of Polk County Schools who are unable to access this folder, please email Laura Barnett. Register an account or Add a Student: Click Here The Florida Education Finance Program provides a formula taking into account the local property tax base, the cost of education programs, the cost of living within a school district, among other factors. Discipline and referral data will be recorded in Student Discipline/Referral Action Report and Automated Student Information System. Employees and retirees can submit requests through Benefitplace to change their benefits due to a qualifying, life-changing event, such as marriage, divorce, death of a dependent/beneficiary, birth of a child, adoption, etc. Why Polk School District? We ask all members (even if you do not plan to make changes) to login and verify their data and update their life insurance beneficiary information. I just put my absence in as my own sick leave.. Find everything to ensure your child is on track to graduate on time. Additionally, the Board expects school staff to conduct themselves in a manner that will protect the rights and welfare of students and other school staff and the care of school facilities and equipment. Polk is the second largest employer in the county with about 13,500 employees (excluding substitute teachers). In accordance with State law, District staff may monitor as part of any bullying or harassment investigation any non-school-related activity, function, or program. Each year the tax collector will then certify the taxable value of property in Polk County in July and the state sets the mileage rate the district can assess to determine its local funding amount. . If a provision of this policy is or becomes illegal, invalid, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, that shall not affect the validity or enforceability in that jurisdiction of any other provision of this policy. There are also three career centers, five alternative education (Department of Juvenile Justice) facilities, two adult schools and 33 charter schools. Reporting an act of bullying or harassment that is not made in good faith is considered retaliation. Library Media Services Library Media Services offers a number of services and programs to aid students, school library staff, teachers, faculty, district office staff and members of the community. Polk K12 Parents: Forgot Password? Students, parents, teachers, school administrators, counseling staff, and school volunteers shall be provided training and instruction, at least annually, on the District's policy and administrative procedures regarding bullying and harassment. I'm confident we will get it extended,though, and anyone having to take their own time for quarantine will be given their time back, Yocum said. I have forgotten my password and security questions. Cyberbullying also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons, if the distribution or posting creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying. This did elapse, according to the memorandum of understanding with the Polk Education Association, PCPSspokesman Jason Geary said in a statement Friday. Log in using the same username and password you created during the self-registration process. Another, Kelly Services, provides the district with staff, including substitute teachers. K-12 Students: (username only, do not include @mypolkschools.net) to access Moodle. The Superintendent may authorize additional instructional programs or activities not previously listed within this policy on a case-by-case basis. 3 Steps To Hiring Quality Employees Step 1: Create A Vacancy. Documented interviews of the victim, alleged perpetrator, and witnesses shall be conducted privately and shall be confidential. There are also 145 school resource officers and guardians; and district support personnel of 1,595. The School Board is committed to providing an educational setting that is safe, secure, and free from harassment and bullying, including cyberbullying, for all of its students and school employees and applicants for admission. For property taxes, the Polk County School Board has two-line items on the property tax bill, the general fund and local capital improvement, said Joe Tedder, Polk County Tax Collector. "In collaboration with our union and the districts newadministration,we were able to make strides in getting a settlement for our supportstaff.. We are always striving to improve the accessibility standards of our All complaints about bullying and/or harassment that may violate this policy shall be promptly investigated by the principal or assistant principal, who is trained in investigative procedures. I looked through the employee COVID info in the(time card)hub, and everything I looked at expired in December, Woolssaid in a text message. About 300 teachers in Polk County, both public and private, have contracted COVID-19 between Sept. 6 and April 3, according to records with the Florida Department of Health. Cunningham and Fields left before the vote was takenduring a special meeting at 11 a.m., although the work session, set to run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., had been scheduled months in advance. Your principal has materials for you to certify that you have viewed the training video and have taught the required lesson for your grade level, but there are lots of other materials on the website if you want to explore the topic further with your students. Sexual cyberharassment may be a form of sexual harassment. Information on identifying and reporting bullying. It is defined as any unwanted and repeated written, verbal, emotional (relational), sexual aggression, cyberbullying, or physical behavior, including any offensive, threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, by an adult or student, that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual's school performance or participation; and may involve: "Harassment" means any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, use of data or computer software, or written, verbal or physical conduct directed against a student or school employee that: places a student or school employee in reasonable fear of harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property; has the effect of interfering with a student's educational performance, opportunities, or benefits; or. Pitts saida reduction in spending for the Polk County School Board to consider would be to start charging a premium for health insurance and looking for duplicate services provided in current contracts for services as budget deliberations continue. If the action is within the scope of the District, District procedures for bullying and/or harassment shall be followed. Information on immunizations, medication administration, and head lice. This authorization is to remain in effect until withdrawn by me, in writing, with sufficient notice to The School Board Payroll Department to . The bulk of the current general fund budget goes toward salaries and benefits at $625 million. Search . 1006.147 and in conformity with the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Model Policy. Accelerated Academic Programs Polk County Public Schools offers many programs for qualified, high-achieving students. Links to additional information for the community. In all cases, the Board reserves the right to refer the results of its own investigation to the State Attorney for possible criminal charges, whether or not the Board takes any action. You can search, save, and share with ease. The intended audience is 6th -12th grade students and parents. Each principal shall implement a process for discussing, at least annually, the District policy on bullying and harassment with students. If, during an investigation of reported acts of bullying and/or harassment, the principal or his/her designee believes that the reported misconduct may have created a hostile learning environment and may have constituted unlawful discriminatory harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, transgender status, or gender identity), race, color, national origin, religion, or disability (including HIV, AIDS, or sickle cell trait), pregnancy, marital status, age (except as authorized by law), religion, military status, ancestry, or genetic information which are classes protected by State and/or Federal law (collectively "protected classes"), the principal or his/her designee will report the act of bullying and/or harassment to one (1) of the Compliance Officers so that it may be investigated in accordance with the procedures set forth in Policy 5517 - Anti-Harassment. Forgot Your Password? Monthly Meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials Monthly meetings are live streamed. School Board Member Lisa Miller said she was interested in seeing an in-progress efficiency audit of current contracted services with the district. Our Services may display content that does not belong to Emerald Data Solutions or its affiliates. Find your Board member, access Board meeting calendars and agendas, and learn how you can watch meeting broadcasts. Polk County Public Schools Let's get started! If you get "Authentication Failed" message or need assistance , please contact the Help Desk at 519-8040.Authentication Failed" message or need assistance , please contact the Help Desk at 519-8040. A school employee, school volunteer, students, parent/guardian, or other persons who promptly reports in good faith an act of bullying or harassment to the appropriate school official and who makes this report in compliance with the procedures set forth in District policy is immune from a cause of action for damages arising out of the reporting itself or any failure to remedy the reported incident. Latest: At least 16 Polk County Public Schools teachers, staff have died of COVID-19 since the start of school, By the way: Polk County School District details plans for $202M in relief funds. She said there was simply no way she would be able to teach from home, as she has been doing throughouttheschool year to try to avoid getting sick. 88 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[68 36]/Info 67 0 R/Length 103/Prev 529646/Root 69 0 R/Size 104/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream But she worries about other newer teachers who might not. PBS LearningMedia is your destination for easy, instant access to tens of thousands of classroom-ready, digital resources including videos and presentations perfect for the Interactive Whiteboard, plus audio and photos, and even in-depth lesson plans. Such behavior is essential in maintaining an environment that provides each student the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education in a uniform, safe, secure, efficient, and high-quality system of education. Learn about the wide variety of school options Polk County Public Schools offers for students of all ages. ".a student attending a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school, as determined by the State in consultation, with a representative sample of local educational agencies, or who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense, as determined by State law, while in or on the grounds of a public elementary school or secondary school that the student attends, be allowed to attend a safe public elementary school or secondary school within the local educational agency, including a public charter school. The next work session and board meeting will take place Oct. 26 at the Jim Miles Center in Highland City. Information for vendors and potential business partners, including purchasing and construction bids. Reminders of the policy and bullying prevention messages will be displayed, as appropriate, at each school and at District facilities. Click here for more information Community Resources The Polk Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that directly supports Polk County Public Schools. ); intervention which includes assistance and support provided to parents; analysis and evaluation of school culture with resulting recommendations for interventions aimed at increasing peer ownership and support. Cyberbullying includes the creation of a webpage or weblog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person, or the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages, if the creation or impersonation creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying. Information on ESE services, projects, and programs, and resources for families. User Name. All rights reserved. Flyers, posters, and bookmarks are being distributed at schools with QR codes for easy access. Our district consists of 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and a virtual learning academy for grades K-12. Information on identifying and reporting bullying for parents and students. Thank you for visiting the official website of the Polk County Department of Education. You can search, save, and share with ease. Password Journey - Personnel Evaluation & Professional Learning System | A Polk County Public Schools Project Journey is an evolving resource designed to support educators at all levels in student-centered professional learning and personnel evaluation activities. The District expects students to conduct themselves in keeping with their levels of development, maturity, and demonstrated capabilities with a proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students and school staff, the educational purpose underlying all school activities, and the care of school facilities and equipment. What You Need To Know About Section 504 A Guide for Parents. The tentative budget for the 2023-2024 school year will be prepared by June setting a proposed millage rate, which is determined by a state formula. There will be no changes to the district's health insurance plan. That's when homeowners will find out what to expect to pay in local property taxes. Work online or offline, anytime, and on any device with myPolkApps, powered by Google. Library Media Services recently purchased Camerons Collection, a mental health and wellness e-book series for secondary students. 1915 South Floral Ave. | Bartow, FL 33830 | 863-534-0500. If the bullying incident results in the perpetrator being charged with a crime, the principal shall inform by first class mail or by telephone the parent/guardian of the identified victim(s) involved in the bullying incident about the Unsafe Schools Choice Option, Title IX, Part E, Subpart 2, Section 9532) that states, in pertinent part, as follows: ".a student attending a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school, as determined by the State in consultationwith a representative sample of local educational agencies, or who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense, as determined by State law, while in or on the grounds of a public elementary school or secondary school that the student attends, be allowed to attend a safe public elementary school or secondary school within the local educational agency, including a public charter school.".
Once For All Slicer Instructions,
Sims 4 Child Only Household Mod,
Best Anti Aging Products For Over 50,
Once Upon A Crime | True Crime,
How Old Is Tamara Strait,
Articles P