The Florida Senate

1012.27  Public school personnel; powers and duties of district school superintendent.--The district school superintendent is responsible for directing the work of the personnel, subject to the requirements of this chapter, and in addition the district school superintendent shall perform the following:

(1)  POSITIONS, QUALIFICATIONS, AND NOMINATIONS.--

(a)  Recommend to the district school board duties and responsibilities which need to be performed and positions which need to be filled to make possible the development of an adequate school program in the district.

(b)  Recommend minimum qualifications of personnel for these various positions, and nominate in writing persons to fill such positions.

The district school superintendent's recommendations for filling instructional positions at the school level must consider nominations received from school principals of the respective schools. Before transferring a teacher who holds a professional teaching certificate from one school to another, the district school superintendent shall consult with the principal of the receiving school and allow the principal to review the teacher's records and interview the teacher. If, in the judgment of the principal, students would not benefit from the placement, an alternative placement may be sought.

(2)  COMPENSATION AND SALARY SCHEDULES.--Prepare and recommend to the district school board for adoption a salary schedule or salary schedules. The district school superintendent must recommend a salary schedule for instructional personnel which bases a portion of each employee's compensation on performance demonstrated under s. 1012.34 In developing the recommended salary schedule, the district school superintendent shall include input from parents, teachers, and representatives of the business community. Beginning with the 2007-2008 academic year, the recommended salary schedule for classroom teachers shall be consistent with the district's differentiated-pay policy based upon s. 1012.22

(3)  CONTRACTS AND TERMS OF SERVICE.--Recommend to the district school board terms for contracting with employees and prepare such contracts as are approved.

(4)  TRANSFER.--Recommend employees for transfer and transfer any employee during any emergency and report the transfer to the district school board at its next regular meeting.

(5)  SUSPENSION AND DISMISSAL.--Suspend members of the instructional staff and other school employees during emergencies for a period extending to and including the day of the next regular or special meeting of the district school board and notify the district school board immediately of such suspension. When authorized to do so, serve notice on the suspended member of the instructional staff of charges made against him or her and of the date of hearing. Recommend employees for dismissal under the terms prescribed herein.

(6)  EMPLOYMENT HISTORY CHECKS.--Before employing instructional personnel and school administrators, as defined in s. 1012.01, in any position that requires direct contact with students, conduct employment history checks of each of the personnel's or administrators' previous employers, screen the personnel or administrators through use of the educator screening tools described in s. 1001.10(5), and document the findings. If unable to contact a previous employer, the district school superintendent shall document efforts to contact the employer.

(7)  DIRECT WORK OF EMPLOYEES AND SUPERVISE INSTRUCTION.--Direct or arrange for the proper direction and improvement, under rules of the district school board, of the work of all members of the instructional staff and other employees of the district school system, supervise or arrange under rules of the district school board for the supervision of instruction in the district, and take such steps as are necessary to bring about continuous improvement.

History.--s. 702, ch. 2002-387; s. 42, ch. 2003-391; s. 58, ch. 2006-74; s. 25, ch. 2008-108.