Employee ID

Orientation Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is my Employee Identification Number (EID) ?

• Five-digit code assigned only to you.

• Check your personal email to receive your Employee ID number.

• If you do not see an email in your INBOX, check your SPAM folder

2. How do I get a User Name & Password?

• WAIT 48 hours after receiving your email with your Employee ID before contacting HELP

• Call HELP (253.571.4357) and provide your name, Employee ID number, Date of Birth, & last four digits of your Social Security number

• Your user name and password give you access to your email, Employee Space, and other authorized system programs/information ~ never share your username and password

3. How do I get my ID Badge?

• Pick up your ID badge at the Central Administration Bldg., 601 S 8th St,

Tacoma, 4th floor Human Resources department

4. What is Absence Management?

• Absence Management is an automated absence reporting and substitute dispatching system

• Report absences as soon as possible. Call 253.571.3400 or access Absence Management via the District website

• Refer to your Welcome Packet and Absence Management handout for detailed information

Questions? Call the Substitute Services at 253.571.1260

5. How am I Paid?

• Pay days are on the 5th and 20th of every month (Note: if the 5th or 20th falls on a holiday or weekend, payroll deposit is made on the preceding work day)

• There are 24 pay periods beginning September 20 and ending on September 5th of the following year

• Your first pay will be a manual paycheck mailed to your address on file

• Direct deposit may take up to two payroll periods

• Your pay information can be viewed through Employee Self-Service (ESS)

Questions?

Call Payroll at 253.571.1308 (Cert); 253.571.1239 (Class) or 253.571.1341 (Subs)

6. What are Optional Days?

• Additional pay as defined within your collective bargaining agreement.

• Complete on-line form for payment

Questions? Call Professional Development at 253.571.1157

7. What are Certificated Contracts?

• Employment contracts are issued after Board approval and completion of orientation and can be accessed through Employment Self Service (ESS)

• Contracts represent your employment relationship (FTE) with the District

• PRS days are not part of the base contract, and not eligible to use leave if absent on designated PRS days

Username & Password

Absence Management

Payroll

Optional Days

Certificated Contracts

Badge

Salary Placement

Transcripts

Clock Hours

Submit Experience

Certification

Orientation Guide

Questions?

8. What is my Salary Placement?

• Everyone is placed at the beginning step of the salary schedule until required documentation is evaluated

• Certificated salary placement is based on highest degree, number of eligible credits and clock hours earned after the highest degree, and certificated experience

• Salary placement may be retroactive to the first day of your contract if required documentation is date-stamped in HR within the first 90 days of your contract

• If documentation is received after 90 days, increases will be applied to the next school year's salary placement

9. How do I Submit Transcripts?

• Submit original, official transcripts to your assigned HR Partner within the first 90 days of your employment

• Make sure your transcripts reflect your degree and the conferred date of the degree

• Degrees must be earned through an OSPI accredited institution

• All eligible credits earned are converted to quarter credits

10. How do I Submit Clock Hours?

• Submit your clock hour form(s) within 90 days of your 1st day of work: 10 clock

hours = 1 quarter credit

• In-service classes/workshops must be a minimum of 3 hours to earn clock hours

• In-district clock hours-Call Professional Development at 253.571.1061

• Out-od-District clock hours—Call your assigned HR Partner

11. How do I Submit my Experience?

• Employees must complete a Verification of Experience form and send it to their previous employer(s), when applicable

• Experience must be from a prior school district (K-12) that required a teaching certificate for the position

• Experience from a higher educational institution may be eligible for experience credit

• ESA staff may submit eligible related occupational experience for salary consideration

• Paraeducators are eligible for related experience credit if they worked at another WA state public school district in the same capacity

12. What is the Required Certification?

• Certificated staff must have a valid permit, teaching certificate, or ESA certificate

• Create an eCert account with OSPI to remain informed about your certificate

• You may also view certificate information on the District's website through Employee Space in your Employee Profile

• All certificates with an expiration date will expire on 6/30/xxxx

• When viewing your employee profile:

• Lifetime continuing certificate holders will see a 6/30/2049 expiration date

• Residency First Issue certificate holders will see a 6/30/2040 expiration date

• To view your “actual” expiration date, access eCert on OSPI website

• Renew your certificate early, prior to the expiration date

Questions? Contact OSPI at cert@k12.wa.us

SafeSchools is an easy to

use online training administration

system specifically targeting training

geared to school district employees.

As a Tacoma School District

employee you are required to

complete certain state, federal and

district directed training annually.

The training you see listed on the

training screen when you log in to

SafeSchools will depend on your

position.

Changing Per-

sonal

In-

Orientation Guide

Completion of this training is required for all staff. The renewal period is 8/1 of

the current school year through 8/31 of the following calendar year. DUE DATE

IS 12/31 of CURRENT YEAR (or within 30 days of hire date for new

employees.) Qualifies for use of District Optional/Inservice Hours if completed

on non-work time.

Annually Required Training Assignments

This is an example of what you may see when you login to SafeSchools:

Listed below are the courses assigned to you by your administrator.

Additionally, you can track your progress towards completing each

assignment.

Note: Boundary Invasion and Bloodborne Pathogens training is covered at Orientation. You do not need to also complete those in SafeSchools your first year of employment.

Benefits Information

Orientation Guide

Important Information for New Hires

The Sound Partnership (the Trust) was formed in 1984 for the purpose of

providing a comprehensive and cost-effective benefits program to employees of

the Tacoma School District. The Sound Partnership offers medical, dental,

vision, life and long term disability programs.

Employees who have an FTE (full time equivalent) of .5 – 1.0 are eligible for

benefits.

Please call our office to reserve a seat at one of our upcoming optional benefits

orientations which are held in the 4th floor Board Room on Tuesdays at 4:00

p.m. This orientation is offered as a courtesy and attendance is not mandatory.

Our office will send you the full benefits packet to your work location with

deadline dates to enroll. Once you have reviewed the packet you may fill out

the enrollment form and send it to our office or attend an orientation and enroll

that night or after attending.

What is extremely important is that you have 30 calendar days after Benefits

Orientation to enroll in benefits. The only time you are able to make changes to

your benefits thereafter is during Open Enrollment, unless there is a qualifying

change in your family or employment status. Failure to enroll or respond within

the 30 day timeline, benefits will be waived until the next Open Enrollment

period in September.

We work very hard to make it as easy as possible for you to get your questions

answered even if you are not able to attend an orientation you can call, e-mail or

come to see us to get help with the enrollment process. We have some benefits

that are free to you. Let us tell you about them.

Don’t miss the opportunity for enrollment.

Contact The Sound Partnership at 253-571-1240 for any questions or assistance.

School Lockdown Frequently Asked Questions

Orientation Guide

What is a lockdown? A lockdown is the confinement of people inside secured rooms for safety measures. It is used when a serious threat exists to the campus that requires students, personnel and visitors to remain in a locked facility for safety. Examples of threats include a fugitive in the area or an intruder in a school. A lockdown may be ordered by law enforcement, the school principal or any school staff who identify a potential threat.

What does a lockdown look like for students? There are two types of lockdowns:

•In a full lockdown: An announcement will be made over the intercom and repeated several times. If there's an intruder, the announcement may include a description. Teachers will pull students and visitors into their classrooms and lock the doors immediately. They will keep everyone sitting on the floor away from the door and windows. Everyone is encouraged to remain calm and quiet. The teachers will take attendance and prepare a list of missing students and extra students in the room. Everyone will remain in the room until a formal announcement is made signifying the end of the lockdown.

•In a modified lockdown: Modified lock downs are used when the threat is external and not directed at the school. For example, schools may be on modified lockdown if there was a report of a fugitive in the neighborhood. The entries and exits to the school are restricted, however normal instructional activities continue as much as possible.

Who is in charge during a lockdown? As part of our emergency procedures, there is an established chain of command that includes district and school staff and local law enforcement.

Does the school coordinate with local law enforcement? Yes. We have ongoing partnerships with local law enforcement including the Tacoma Police Department. During a lockdown, the police department and school district will work collaboratively to respond to the threat and keep students and staff safe.

How will parents and guardians know what's happening? The district will notify parents as soon as possible about the lockdown through phone messages, emails, as well as the district website and social media pages. This is why it's vitally important to keep your contact information up-to-date. Please be aware that emergency situations are fluid and always changing, and that information you're getting from other sources such as the news media and personal Facebook pages may be inaccurate.

What if I want to come get my child immediately? We understand that the first reaction of most parents is to come to their child's school. However, we ask that parents and guardians wait until we advise them that it's safe to pick up their child. Parents arriving unadvised to the school may actually hinder the emergency response and could jeopardize their own safety. In extreme cases, law enforcement can arrest anyone who they determine is compromising their efforts.

What if my child calls or texts me during a lockdown? In the majority of lockdown scenarios, we advise that students and staff remain as quiet as possible and not use their phones. However, if you are contacted by your child, encourage him or her to remain calm and follow the directions of teacher and staff.

Why are students supposed to turn off their cell phones? There are many ways that cell phone usage can compromise staff and student safety. A phone in use may:

• Give away the location of students and staff in hiding to an intruder • Activate explosive devices • Overwhelm local communication networks

When will a lockdown end? Everyone will remain in the lockdown mode until a formal announcement is made that ends the lockdown. After the lockdown ends, normal school activities may resume or students may be released to their parents or other authorized adults according to the school's release procedures in the safety plan.

Do school staff and students practice lockdowns? Yes. Staff and students at every Tacoma public school participate in a minimum of four lockdown drills each year. Information about the lockdown drill is communicated to students in an age-appropriate way, with teachers paying special attention not to alarm younger students.

How can I find out more information? If you have any questions or concerns about Tacoma Public Schools lockdown procedures, please don't hesitate to contact our Director of Security Mike Rupert at 253-571-1255 or mrupert@tacoma.k12.wa.us.

Superintendent’s

Memorandum

Regarding Drug-Free

Workplace and Drug-

Free Schools

Orientation Guide

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Policy 5201

The Tacoma School District No. 10 is a recipient of funds from the federal

government. As a recipient of these funds, the District is obliged to comply with

the Drug-free Workplace Act and the Drug-free Schools and Communities Act

Amendments of 1989. The Drug-free Workplace Act requires that all

employees directly engaged in the performance of work under a federal grant

or contract be advised that it unlawful and prohibited to manufacture, distribute,

dispense, possess or use a controlled substance in the work place. District

employees performing work under a federal grant or contract must abide by this

prohibition and must notify the Human Resources Department of any criminal

drug stature conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than 5

days after conviction. Any employee so convicted will be disciplined and the

discipline may include dismissal from employment.

Compliance with the Drug-free Schools and Communities Act requires that all

employees be notified that District employees are prohibited under Policy 5201

from illegally manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or possessing any

controlled substance, using alcohol at work, working under the influence of

alcohol or working under the influence of any controlled substance unless the

substance is prescribed by a doctor and does not impair the employee’s ability

to function in his or her position. Compliance with this provision is mandatory.

Violation of the policy will result in discipline, which may include dismissal from

employment and referral for prosecution.

While there are circumstances under Washington law where the use of

marijuana is not illegal, it continues to be illegal to consume or be under the

influence of marijuana on Tacoma School District property, and the above

identified federal laws and Policy 5201 continue to govern the use and

possession of marijuana by District employees.

If you have questions about Policy 5201 or your obligations under the Drug-free

Workplace Act or the Drug-free Schools and Communities Act, please contact

the Human Resources Department, 253.571.1250.

Orientation Guide

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Classified Substitutes and Temporary Employees

The Tacoma School District maintains two types of classified substitute

positions and one type of temporary position, all of which are generally ineligible

for retirement benefits through the State of Washington’s Department of

Retirement Services’ School Employees Retirement System (SERS) and/or the

Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).

1. The District employs classified substitutes on an on-call, as-needed basis to

fill in for absent regular employees, many of whom hold retirement-eligible

positions. The District has created a separate retirement-ineligible position

corresponding to each such retirement-eligible position and classified

substitutes are employed in the ineligible position rather than the retirement-

eligible position of the absent employee.

2. The District also maintains separate positions for classified substitutes hired

to provide additional support in “overload” situations. There are no

corresponding eligible positions for this class of ineligible positions.

3. The District hires temporary employees to provide short-term and/or short-

hour support services. Separate, ineligible positions have been established for

this purpose. There are no corresponding eligible positions for this class of

ineligible positions.

Each classified substitute and/or temporary employee employed by the District

must sign a statement acknowledging that he/she is being hired into a position

that is not eligible for retirement. This statement will be maintained in the

employee’s personnel file.

A periodic review will be conducted to determine (1) whether ineligible positions

continue to satisfy DRS standards for ineligibility and (2) whether classified

substitutes and/or temporary employees working in multiple ineligible positions

should be treated as employed in eligible positions based on their overall

pattern of work.

Statement of

Position Eligibility

Orientation Guide

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403(b) and 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Orientation Guide

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403(b) and 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Orientation Guide

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New Health Insurance

Marketplace Coverage

Orientation Guide

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New Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage

Orientation Guide

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Tacoma School District Map

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Tacoma School District Map

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Example of Teacher’s Paycheck

Orientation Guide

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Substitute Paycheck

Orientation Guide

At Tacoma Public Schools we believe all employees should be empowered to

use professional judgment to deliver best practice that is flexible, relevant and

meaningful. We strive to create a culture and atmosphere where collegiality,

respect, and candor are the norm. That is the philosophy behind our Whole

Educator model and the programs and benefits we offer to support our team

members.

Xerox Copier Access Secure Access 1st Time:

1. Open any document and print

2. Walk up to the multifunction printer

3. Scan your badge on the badge reader located on the printer.

4. The display will show the following message: Pin not recognized. “Would

you like to associate the pin with user account?”

5. Select YES

6. Enter your Active Directory login for “Username”

Log Out Procedure:

Your account will be logged out automatically after 1 minute of inactivity. If

you would like to logout sooner, you can do the following:

Secure Access 2nd Time and Beyond: 1. Scan your badge at any printer

2. Follow instructions on the display screen to complete your printing

Whole Educator