INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS
What the MOU says:
INCLEMENT WEATHER p.30 – If school is delayed, professional employees will adjust their arrival time based on the number of hours the student schedule is adjusted. For example, if school is delayed for two hours the professional employee report time is two hours later than their normal report time. If a professional employee is unable to report to school due to inclement weather and schools are open, the employee shall be charged a personal day (unpaid leave if no personal day remains). Professional employees shall not be charged leave when school is closed and not in session. Inclement weather days will be made up based on the school calendar. Professional employees shall not be charged for pre-approved leave on days school has been closed and is not in session.
What Tennessee state law says:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3004 (e) (1) A local board of education or private or church-related school that exceeds the full six and one-half (6½) hours instructional time required by law by one-half (½) hour daily for the full academic year shall be credited with the additional instructional time. The excess instructional time may be accumulated in amounts up to, but not exceeding, thirteen (13) instructional days each year, and applied toward meeting instructional time requirements missed due to dangerous or extreme weather conditions and for serious outbreaks of illness affecting or endangering students or staff.
What it means:
If school is cancelled for students due to inclement weather, teachers do not report.
If school is open and teachers are unable to get to school due to inclement weather in the area where they live, they will be charged a personal day.
If student arrival or dismissal time is adjusted, teacher arrival or dismissal time is adjusted by an equal amount. Example: Students have a 2-hour delayed start time so teachers will report 2-hours later than normal start time.
If a teacher had a scheduled day off for professional development, personal, etc. on the inclement weather day, they will not be charged for that day.
Because the instructional day for students is seven hours, which is one-half (½) hour more than required by state law, MNPS is able to “stockpile” days to use for other purposes such as inclement weather, professional development, and planning.
The teacher workday is seven and one-half (½) hours. When inclement weather days are not used, teachers have not lost anything because they have not worked extra time to earn inclement weather days. The days are earned based on the amount of time students are in school. When inclement weather days are used, teachers stay home and are paid as if they were working.
Start practicing your snow dance!