General Tips for A Successful Welcome Session •
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Plan Ahead. Keep in mind that official transcripts, letters of outside service, and getting a fingerprinting appointment can take a while to receive. Make sure you plan ahead to have your materials ready for your welcome session Be Prepared. Bring all the required documents listed on the new employee checklist to your welcome session. To ensure a successful session, only sign up for a welcome session when you have everything complete and ready to go. Use Your Full Legal Name. Use your full legal name exactly as it written on your social security card consistently on all forms. Email Whenever Possible. If necessary, email documents to [email protected] whenever possible, rather than mailing them. Follow the specific instructions below under “Salary Adjustments” for any pay changes you need to make after your welcome session. Frequently Asked Questions Welcome Session •
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Pay •
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Licensure – Proof of licensure from ELAR is required for teachers. If your licensure is pending, it is your responsibility to supply OHC with documentation of your licensure by August 15th. You will receive email reminders of this requirement if you are not licensed at the time of your hire. Please email [email protected] with your name, position number (found in your hire email), and a pdf/screenshot of your DESE ELAR page as soon as possible. Change of address – If you are moving, please be aware that your contract, and sometimes your first paycheck, will be sent to the address you list in your new hire paperwork. You can update your address and other information on The Hub. Please see below for more information on The Hub. Employee ID – Some forms ask for your employee ID. If you are a new employee, you can leave those blank. If you are a former BPS employee, please fill in your former employee ID number if known. Please see “Employee ID and Email Address” below for more information on your employee ID. Preventing Harassment and Discrimination training -‐ you will be contacted at your application email with a login and more information in order to complete this mandatory training. For questions, please contact [email protected] Salary Determination – Please refer to http://www.btu.org/contract-‐highlights/for-‐teachers for helpful information regarding your salary. Be sure to reference the appropriate date on the salary schedule. Salaries for teachers working in an Expanded Learning Time (ELT), Level 5, or a turnaround school, or who will receive an open posting stipend may differ from the standard BTU salaries. In order to place you on the correct grade and step, we need your official undergraduate and graduate transcripts and letter(s) of outside service; in the absence of these documents, you will be placed on a grade 1, step 1. A Masters degree is 30 credits, and any credits above that will count towards the next grade (Masters +15, etc.) Keep track of your credits to take full advantage of your salary benefits. Teachers who previously worked as BPS substitutes are entitled to advance a step for each 120 days worked per school year (up to three years). Salary Adjustments – More information about submitting undergraduate/graduate transcripts or letter(s) of outside service after your welcome session is outlined in this circular. Please fill out a PS03 and mail it along with your documents to: Chris Amoroso, Boston Public Schools, Office of Human Capital, 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119. Transcripts must be official and hard copy, not electronic versions, copies, or faxes. Graduate coursework on a Bachelor’s degree transcript is not accepted (a Masters degree must be conferred in order to receive Masters credit). Only in-‐service credits earned through BPS (My Learning Plan) can be used for salary lane changes, not PDPs. PDPs can only be used for renewing your license. Please see p. 111 of the BTU Contract at http://www.btu.org/contract-‐highlights/contract-‐2010-‐2016 for information about career awards. Please allow 30 days (2 pay cycles) for changes to be reflected in your paycheck. Additional documentation must be received by October 1 in order to qualify for retroactive pay. Paychecks – Paychecks are direct deposited and typically take at least 2 pay periods (approximately 4 weeks) to take effect after your hire is completed through OHC. The first check may arrive in hard copy, so please make sure your address is correct on your paperwork. Emergency inquires about paychecks can be directed to Payroll at 617-‐635-‐9106. Tax withholding – You can always change or update this information on The Hub. Only a tax professional can offer advice on the W4 or M4 tax forms. Benefits •
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Logistics •
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Health insurance – If you choose to enroll, please visit http://www.cityofboston.gov/ohr/benefits/group.asp for the enrollment forms and plan comparison chart. You will need your employee ID before signing up for health insurance. Once you have received your ID from BPS, please bring your health insurance enrollment form directly to Boston City Hall or fax it to 617-‐635-‐3932. For family coverage, you will need to send/bring your marriage and/or birth certificates as well. New employees and rehires that wish to enroll in group insurance coverage must enroll within 60 days of hire. If you do not wish to enroll within 60 days of hire, you must then wait for the annual open enrollment period. Your insurance will take effect as of your hire date, even if you enroll up to 60 days after that point. You do not need an employer signature on the form. Please note that your first paychecks will have double the deduction because payment for health insurance is deducted a month ahead of time. For questions, please refer to the Health Benefits Office at Boston City Hall: 617-‐635-‐4570. Dental Insurance – BTU members’ dental insurance is managed through the BTU Health and Welfare Fund. Please see https://ecommerce.issisystems.com/isite340/eremit.dll/34001/cm.asp?name=hwfund or call (617) 288-‐0500 for more information. Managerial employees receive free dental insurance. Once you have your employee ID, managerial employees should bring their dental insurance enrollment form directly to Boston City Hall or fax it to 617-‐635-‐3932 within 60 days of your hire date, along with your health insurance (if applicable). Retirement – Information is available at http://www.cityofboston.gov/retirement/faqs.asp and http://www.btu.org/member-‐resources/planning-‐for-‐retirement or by calling 617-‐635-‐4305. New employees must set up their retirement within the first twelve months of employment. Please note that you must choose one or more beneficiaries and, a date of birth and social security number is required for each. (Additional information at http://www.btu.org/contract-‐highlights/for-‐teachers) The Hub – https://hub.cityofboston.gov is a one-‐stop shop for employee self-‐service. You can check your salary and paycheck, update your address, change beneficiary information, adjust your tax deductions, and more. In order to access The Hub, you will need your employee ID and temporary password (see below). Employee ID and Email Address – Once a new employee has been processed into the system, you will receive an email from BPS with your employee ID number and initial password. With your ID, you will be able to enroll in health insurance. You will not, however, be able to access The Hub, and log into BPS systems until your effective date, which for most teachers is 8/22/15. For security reasons, your email address and password will be sent to you by mail. For questions about your email access, please contact OIIT at (617) 635-‐9199. Laptop (L4L) – New teachers, specialists, and some itinerant employees receive laptops. OIIT enrolls eligible employees in the L4L training on BPS Learns (www.learn.mybps.org); employees must complete this training to access the sign-‐up for slots to receive their computer. Like the employee ID and email address, the turnaround time for this process is approximately one week after you complete the training. For questions, please contact OIIT at (617) 635-‐9199. Contract – Contracts are mailed on a rolling basis once your hire information has been input into our system; please do not worry if you do not receive it immediately, as it is not connected to the status of your hire. The contract will be mailed to the address on file from your new hire paperwork. If you need to update your address, please do so in The Hub. Please return a signed copy to OHC for your file via fax (617-‐635-‐7956), mail to the address on the bottom of the contract, or electronically to [email protected]. Fingerprinting – After scheduling an appointment (instructions at http://bostonpublicschools.org/Page/191), please keep a copy of your receipt and bring the original to your welcome session-‐ please do not mail it. Start date – Please contact your principal or manager directly for information about when and where to report for your first day. 8/22/15 is the official start date for most teachers. Exceptions may include managerial employees and teachers at non-‐traditional schools (ie. Pilot, turn-‐around, or in-‐district charter schools.) New Teacher Institute – Please hold the dates of August 25 and 26 for NTI. You will receive more information mid-‐summer with the location and schedule. Please contact the New Teacher Developers at [email protected] with any specific questions about the New Teacher Institute, New Teacher Developers, or other professional learning opportunities in BPS! If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] Last updated 6/2/15