Teacher Handbook Review

During the first week, review the Teacher Handbook of your school and write a very
brief one or two sentence description of the contents for each of the topics listed
below. Note the page number for each item.
School Closing

Duties/Supervision

Crisis Response (Be

sure to review the
separate plan if
there is one)
Lesson Planning/
Preparation

Cancellation of school takes place only during extraordinary

circumstances such as extreme weather, equipment failure, or public
crisis (NLA Quick Reference Guide p. 2)
Teachers do not supervise bus or car rider duty. Teachers have lunch
duty daily, and duties may be rotated as long as one teacher is in the
cafeteria.
Each school has created their own crisis response plan. All staff must
be CPR certified. (source 3).

NLA is under a plan of improvement and is required to follow a state

mandated lesson planning format.

Professionalism

Teachers are expected to dress and act professionally in all aspects

of the educational setting.

Parent
Communication

Parent communication is required at least three times a year.

Guests/Visitors

Guests are welcomed at NLA and should make prior plans and obtain
permission before visiting. All school visitors must check in at the
school office and obtain a visitors pass. (Source 1, p. 2)
Physical and mechanical restraint must only be used in consistency
with the county plan. No teacher principal, or employee of Bedford
County shall use corporal punishment. (source 3)
NO student information should be shared in any way- written, verbal,
or electronically. Confidentiality must be maintained after
termination of employment with BCPS. Certain records must be kept
for each student (Source 2, p. 42)
Homework can be graded and counted as up to 10% of the students
formative grade.

Classroom
Management/
Discipline
Records
Management/
Confidentiality
Homework

Grading

Child Abuse /
Neglect
Fire Drill

The purpose of grading student work is to communicate and aid

student achievement. Student behavior and attendance should not
be used to determined student grades (source 3).
Any suspicion of child abuse or neglect must be reported to a
guidance counselor or administration.
Fire drill plans are specific to each class and routes for building exit
are posted in each room. Students are to remain silent and in line
during fire drills. Teachers use walky-talkies to communicate with the
administrator checking for safety and counting students as present.

Computer Use

Teachers should utilize and ensure computers are used for

educational purposes and within safe guidelines. Teachers are
responsible for educating students and parents on safe internet
usage and be sure they understand the privileges and dangers of
using the internet. (source 2, p. 35)

Special Education

Students must be identified in order to receive special education

services. Teachers must adhere to all specific student IEPs or 504s
as well as other accommodations.
Employees shall dress in business casual attire. The attire of the
faculty and staff of the school set examples for students. There are
specific times when dress code can be modified, such as for physical
education teachers. (source 2, p. 20)

Teacher Dress Code

Support Services

Lockdown

Student
Medications

Instructional Time

Differentiation

Teacher Attendance

Referral to Child
Study

Guidance
Counselor/
Psychologist
Services

Each classroom in NLA has a specific lockdown plan. The students

must report to the designated part of the classroom or building and
remain as silent as possible during the drill.
Staff of NLA are allowed to administer prescription medication to
students when the medication has been delivered to the school
nurse or principal by a parent. Non-prescription medications may be
given with specific written parent permission. (source 3)
The state of Virginia requires that each subject receive a certain
amount of instructional time in each content areaReading: 90 minutes
Math: 90 minutes
Science: 45 minutes
History: 45 minutes
Each lesson must be differentiated and grouped by tiers. All
student levels should be addressed and reached in each lesson.
Tier 1: Above grade level
Tier 2: On grade level
Tier 3: Below grade level
All employees are expected to be present during all work hours.
Teachers/staff who are habitually absent or late are considered to be
neglecting duty and disciplinary action (up to and including
dismissal) will be taken. (source 2, p.14)
Teachers or parents are able to make referrals to child study.
Paperwork must be completed and turned in by parent or teacher
requesting child study. From turn in date of paperwork,
parents/teachers have 10 days to schedule the initial child study
meeting.
Classroom guidance is 30 minutes per week (bi-weekly). Individual
students can request to see counselors at any time by filling out a
counselor request form.

Office Referrals for

Discipline

Discipline referral sheet should be filled out by teacher or staff

member and turned in to an administrator.

Teacher Evaluation

There is a three-year cycle for teacher evaluations. On the third year,

there is a full evaluation and three observations are completed within
the school year. If not n the third year of the cycle, one observation is
completed in the year. Teachers must keep document log of parent
contacts, professional development, classroom policies and
procedures, etc.
Cell phones are an example of technology that do not utilize the
BCPS internet/technology usage in the correct way. Cell phones
should not be used in the classroom. (source 2, p. 37).
All materials used on the BCPS computers should be instructional
and for educational purposes. (source 3)

Telephone / Cell
Phone Usage
Video Usage

Student Teacher Name: Kaitlyn Smith

Due: 1/26/15

*There is NO teacher handbook for New London Academy. The handbook

provided for the school is a general handbook for parents, students, and
teachers. In order to complete this assignment, I have used a combination
of the New London Academy Quick Reference Guide (Source 1), the
Bedford County Public School Teacher Handbook (source 2), and the
Bedford County Public School Policy Guide (source 3). Some answers were
provided by teachers and staff of New London Academy.