ARTICLE I:  Definitions:

A.   The School District or School System:  Arkansas City Unified School District #470, Cowley County, Kansas.

B.   The Board:  The Arkansas City Unified School District #470 Board of Education.

C.   The Superintendent:  The Arkansas City Unified School District #470 Superintendent of Schools.

D.   Administrative Employees:  Any certified employee who is employed by the Board in an administrative capacity.

E.   Immediate Supervisor:  The immediate supervisor of a teacher is the building principal, or a person designated by the Superintendent.

F.   Teacher:  All certified personnel employed by the board on the teachers' salary schedule.  This definition includes classroom teachers, counselors, librarians, music teachers as well as other teachers of special subjects, and nurses.  Special considerations may apply for Pre-Kindergarten and other grant program teachers.

G.   The Association:  The Arkansas City Teachers' Association

H.   Contract Year:  The fiscal year during which a given number of contract days are normally worked, usually falling between July 1 and June 30.

I.    Contract Day:  Any day on which a teacher is required to be on duty as per the number of contract days and for which a teacher is paid for services rendered.

J.    School Year:  That period of time when school is in session as set forth in the school calendar as developed and approved by the Board subject to change due to weather or emergency conditions.

K.   Teachers Individual Contract:  The contract form signed by the Board and teacher which incorporates the terms of assigned services and a designated number of contract days.

L.   Supplemental Salary:  Compensation for extended time or extra duty beyond the base salary.

M.  Daily Rate:  Annual salary divided by the number of contracted days.

N.   In-service Days:  Those contract days for assigned services during which school is not in session.

O.   Non-working days:  Those days, interspersed during the contract year, on which the teacher is not required to be on duty.

P. Grievance:  A complaint by a teacher, group of teachers, or the Association based upon an alleged violation, misinterpretation or misapplication of the negotiated agreement.

Q.   Master Agreement:  An instrument which lists all the items that have been negotiated between the Board and the Arkansas City Teachers' Association committees upon which agreement has been reached.  All such items have been ratified by the Arkansas City USD #470 Board of Education and the Arkansas City Teacher's Association effective for the time stipulated.

ARTICLE II:      Duration Clause

This contract is effective for the 2007-2008 school year, beginning July 1, 2007 and expiring

June 30, 2008.

ARTICLE III:  Savings Clause

Any paragraph of this agreement or any action pursuant thereof which is contrary to law shall be null and void, but the remainder of the agreement or contract shall remain in full force and effect.

Any previously adopted policies, practices, procedures, customs, rules, regulations or writings of the Board which are in conflict with this agreement shall be superseded by the terms set forth herein.

ARTICLE IV:  Copies of Master Agreement

The Board agrees to provide a copy of all negotiated terms and conditions of employment, annually, to each teacher and post the same on the district’s web site.

ARTICLE V: Intra-District Communications

The purpose of intra-district communications is to provide open communications in areas of concern among the Board of Education, district-wide administration, building administration, and teachers in the spirit of improvement of the school climate.

Section A: Board/Teacher Panel

1. The Board of Education of USD #470 and the Arkansas City Teachers Association will each select four individuals to serve on the panel.

2. This panel will meet monthly beginning in September through April of each year. Meetings will be held outside of the normal student school day.

3. The goal of the panel is the discussion and possible resolution of concerns/problems (real or perceived) that have been addressed but not resolved at the building level, as well as improving communication between the Board and Teachers. Complaints by a teacher, group of teachers or the Association based upon a non-contractual practice in which one or more teachers believe they have allegedly been treated unfairly will be heard by the Board/Teacher Panel by an anonymous written statement. In the event the non-contractual complaint is not satisfactorily resolved at the Board/Teacher Panel, the complaint may be referred by the complainant and the Board/Teacher Panel to the Board of Education.

4. Any member of the panel may submit items for the monthly agenda.

5. Deliberations and recommendations of the panel shall not abridge the rights of an individual teacher. The obligation of the panel is to work with all parties to resolve problems and/or differences.

Section B: Teacher Advisory Committees

The Board of Education will encourage building principals to establish Teacher Advisory Committees in each building to facilitate communications between teachers and administrators.