HR Extras

Post new DOL notice on military leave

School districts should post a new notice of recent military leave amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. The notice will allow employers to comply with worksite posting requirements. HR Services’ worksite posters will be updated when final regulations are complete.

DOL focused on FLSA compliance of large employers

Employers need to know that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is focused on bringing them into compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). So much so, that the DOL reports its recovery of back wages has spiked by one-third.

DOL recently reported collecting close to $181 million in back wages for more than 311,000 workers for fiscal 2007. That represents a 33 percent increase from the previous fiscal year and falls just short of the all-time high ($182 million in 2003). DOL attributes the increase to its decision to focus on bringing very large employers into compliance.

Approximately 90 percent of the violations came from employers paying employees straight time for overtime hours or miscalculating their regular rate of pay. Exemption rule violations were much less common but back wages collected for violating them also increased almost $3 million.

The figures represent only DOL actions, a fraction of the total money awarded in the U.S. for FLSA violations. They don’t include private lawsuits or out-of-court settlements. In 2006, private-plaintiff settlements alone totaled $514 million, almost triple the amount DOL recovered in 2007.

 —“DOL Recovery of Back Wages Spikes by One-Third,” Fair Labor Standards Handbook, February 2008.

List of problem teachers made public on newspaper Web site

A confidential, national list of 24,500 teachers who have been disciplined for misconduct of some kind was recently made available to the public on the Web site of a Florida newspaper, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. While the list includes teacher names, it does not provide any details on the reasons for disciplinary actions.

The newspaper obtained the list, gathered and maintained by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), through the Florida Department of Education. It was seeking the information to complement earlier reporting on teacher misconduct in Florida.

There is no other nationwide effort by school systems to track problem teachers. The association, a nonprofit organization of state education agencies, allows those agencies to access the database of information. They also contribute to the list of names. The association’s ability to collect the names of disciplined teachers rests on a promise that the list be kept confidential.

Roy Einreinhofer, NASDTEC’s executive director, opposed the newspaper’s decision to publish the names and warned that such an action could have a chilling effect on the association’s ability to continue the list, which is 20 years old.

Robert Shoop, a Kansas State University professor who has studied teacher sexual misconduct, has called for more openness by administrators. He says states should keep their own lists of problem teachers and make them public to protect students.

—“National list of problem teachers made public,” SignonSanDiego.com, Dec. 21, 2007.

Extended-school movement gains support

As public schools work to raise achievement, many districts find there literally aren’t enough hours in the day to intensify math and reading lessons and still offer music, art, or even recess.

Some are solving that problem by extending the school day. An 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. school day can help students get the additional learning time they need without cutting out other subjects. The weekly schedule is 7.5 hours longer than the typical school schedule.

Some districts add additional time by trimming down the long summer vacation, arguing that the extended time away from school sets kids back academically. Other school systems don’t add mandatory hours but offer optional lessons for struggling students after school, on weekends, or in the summer.

The movement has drawn support from billionaire philanthropists Bill Gates and Eli Broad. Gates and Broad are working with an organization called Strong American Schools to urge the next president to consider expanded learning time for all students.

Critics contend that there’s not enough research on the benefits to justify extending the school day and that longer school days might curtail participation in after-school activities.

—“Finding Time for Success,” by Maria Glod, Washington Post, Feb. 4, 2008.

Florida teachers eligible for affordable housing

The school board in Highlands County, Florida recently approved an agreement with a local developer to provide affordable housing for the district’s teachers. The developer qualified for a grant to provide housing for workers the county deems essential personnel, and teachers are on that list.

The agreement will enable teachers that qualify for loans to purchase units in Las Villas Phase 2 at a price lower than the market value. That could mean a $50,000 to $70,000 discount. With a shortage of affordable housing in the county, the district believes the units could prove to be a useful recruiting tool.

—“Affordable Teacher Housing Agreement Approved,” by Marc Valero, Highlands Today, Feb. 4, 2008.

Recovery School District to try merit pay

New Orleans educators in the 30 public schools that make up the Recovery School District could earn sizable bonuses as a result of a new pay-for-performance plan based largely on student test scores. The district is run by the state of Louisiana.

Under the plan, principals can earn as much as $5,000 more, assistant principals and reading and math coaches would be eligible for an additional $4,000, teachers would be eligible for up to $3,000, and support-staff employees could earn as much as $1,500 more if their schools reach a specified performance goal.

The state will provide smaller bonuses to schools whose students’ scores improve at least 10 points, assuming the gains reach a predetermined level.

—“State-Run New Orleans District Proposes Bonuses for Educators,” Education Week, Jan. 9, 2008.

Australian teachers voice overwhelming support for merit pay

Seventy percent of Australian teachers favor merit pay to reward the nation’s most competent educators and stem the exodus from the profession, according to a survey conducted by the Australian Council for Education Research and the Australian College of Educators. A full one-third of Australian teachers (13,000 people) participated in the survey.