20-1. General Provisions
20-1.1. Definitions.
20-1.1(a). Teacher Clinicians Defined.
For the purposes of this Article, clinicians are defined as all full-time certified or licensed employees who hold School Service Personnel certifications under Article 21 of the Illinois School Code in the following titles: counselor, certified school nurse, school psychologist, school social worker, case manager or individuals assigned case management responsibilities, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist.
20-1.1(b). PSRP clinicians defined.
For purposes of this Article, PSRP clinicians are defined as full-time certified or licensed employees who are employed in the following titles: PSRP case manager or PSRPs assigned case management responsibilities, speech language pathologist paraprofessional, licensed practical nurse, health service nurse, and health assistant.
20-1.2. Teacher clinician Regular School Day.
20-1.2(a). Elementary and Middle Schools.
The regular school day for clinicians assigned to any elementary or middle school (including schools operated by entities other than the BOARD) shall be seven hours with a continuous lunch period of forty-five minutes with no work responsibilities.
20-1.2(b). High Schools.
The regular school day for clinicians assigned to any high school (including schools operated by entities other than the BOARD) shall be seven hours and fifteen minutes with a continuous lunch period of forty-five minutes with no work responsibilities.
20-1.3. Teacher Clinician Preparation Periods.
Each clinician’s school day shall include sixty minutes of continuous duty-free preparation time. Four days each week the clinician’s preparation time shall be self-directed; one day each week this period shall be directed by the principal or the clinician manager, as appropriate.
20-1.4. Content of Professional Development.
The BOARD shall provide relevant professional development to clinicians to promote positive student and school outcomes. Professional development shall include, but not be limited to, training on new BOARD-managed initiatives and changes to IMPACT and other BOARD hardware and software computer applications. The BOARD shall survey clinicians’ professional development needs annually. All clinicians shall receive training for all computer programs required to complete their work.
20-1.5. Receipt of Tentative Schedules.
Clinicians shall receive their tentative schedules no later than May 15.
20-1.6. Teacher Clinician Responsibilities.
In programming and directing the work of Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services clinicians, the BOARD and its administrators shall endeavor to assign duties consistent with the recommendations and guidelines developed by national and other recognized professional organizations, except when such recommendations are inconsistent with fair-share responsibilities or BOARD or local school level administrative and educational requirements.
20-1.7. Work Space and Equipment for Clinicians.
Clinicians shall be provided with appropriate work space to include a desk, chair and testing tables; a computer; a locking file cabinet with a key; direct access to working copiers, printers and telephones for follow up calls; testing environments that are heated and well ventilated; and necessary supplies, including file folders, paper clips and envelopes to store professional protocols. The Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services shall inform principals annually at the beginning of the year about clinician work space needs in writing. A copy of this written transmission shall be submitted to the City-Wide Professional Problems Committee at the first meeting. The Principal shall provide clinicians access to a designated space within the school building that is confidential and private for the provision of therapeutic services and testing to students. The Principal or designee will provide clinicians a weekly schedule of the designated space. Work space allocated to clinicians shall provide appropriate privacy for the administration of tests (in accordance with CPS-allocated test requirements and state and national standards) and confidential discussions and shall be as free from noise and interruption as the educational program and the school facility permits. The Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services shall conduct a survey to be distributed to clinicians before the end of September each school year to ascertain whether the work space conditions are adequate as defined in this article. A process to remediate the situation shall be determined by the Clinician Professional Problems Committee with the Office of Labor Relations and the administrators of Office of Diverse Learners Services and Supports.
20-1.8. Filling Vacancies.
Vacancies in clinician positions shall be filled based upon city-wide needs. First consideration for such vacancies shall be given to those clinicians who have expressed a desire to transfer. Experience shall be a consideration. The final decision as to the transfer shall be made by the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services, unless the duties of the position are performed at a single attendance center, in which case the final decision as to transfer shall be made by the receiving school principal.
20-1.9. Travel Time.
Clinicians who travel from one school to another during the noon hour shall be allowed seventy-five minutes including lunch for travel time A clinician who must travel during the afternoon shall be given a daily uninterrupted lunch period of forty-five minutes with no work responsibilities exclusive of travel time.
20-1.10. Meetings Among Related Services Personnel.
Related services personnel (e.g., school psychologists, school social workers, speech language pathologists, school nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and/or other district resource personnel) shall be provided time to meet periodically with special education teachers during the school day during their preparation periods to discuss matters of professional interest. Related services personnel shall arrange conferences periodically with the teachers of students with disabilities during the school day at times, if possible, when students are not scheduled for their classrooms.
20-1.11. Caseloads for City-Wide Itinerant Teachers and Service Providers.
Caseloads for city-wide itinerant teachers and service providers shall be established by the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services on a yearly basis taking into consideration the suggestions of the City-Wide Professional Problems Committee. The suggestions may include the number of schools per teacher, the number of students per teacher, travel times, direct and consultative minutes, the nature of cases and other relevant matters. Caseloads for city-wide itinerant teachers and service providers shall be assigned on as equitable a basis as possible.
20-1.12. Licensure Compliance.
The Board and the Union recognize that clinicians are licensed by the state and must abide by state and federal laws and regulations. The Board will not take any action to jeopardize the professional licensure of clinicians.
20-1.13. Elimination of Subcontracting and Privatization of Clinicians, Teacher Assistants, Librarians, and Nurses.
Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, the BOARD will not contract out or otherwise privatize teacher clinician positions (as defined in Article 20-1.1(a)), PSRP clinician positions (as defined in Article 20-1.1(b)), teacher assistants or librarians. Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, the BOARD will implement a program to reduce the number of contract or agency nurses that it currently utilizes with the goal of eliminating all contract or agency nurses by the end of the term of this Agreement, except for short-term substitute and/or supplemental nursing services.