Floyd County school board takes aim at teacher attendance

♦ The system is considering adding incentive pay and tracking software.

Floyd County Schools could be reinstating attendance incentives for teachers with money from their COVID relief funds.

The question remains who will qualify for the incentives, board member Melinda Strickland asked, speaking specifically about paraprofessionals. Some are only in the classroom part-time and some are working with students all day.

Superintendent Glenn White explained that it’ll be for the teachers who are in the classroom full time, whether they’re working with one student or a whole class.

“If we’re doing this, we need to clarify the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots,’” board member Chip Hood said.

The way it would work is, teachers who use no more than two days of sick leave per semester would receive a $500 supplement. They would be able to get an additional $1,000 per school year.

White and several school board members said they feel that teachers are taking too many sick days.

While the teachers do have an attendance incentive upon retirement, the superintendent believes it’s not enough.

I’m going to hold principals, every“one, accountable to be at work on time. And if you can’t do that, I’ll find someone who can.” Superintendent Glenn White

FCS had this incentive a few years back, but they terminated the program because of funding.

By using money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security fund and the American Rescue Plan Act, they could fund these incentives for the next few years and make budget adjustments going forward.

To help track faculty attendance, the school system is looking into instituting a special check-in and check-out software. It tracks how much employees are working and where they’re working when they’re clocked in.

“I want to know when you’re in school, when you’re late, all these things that will help track accountability,” White said. “As superintendent, I will do the same and use the software myself ... but we need accountability for not being at work.”

Technology Director Craig Ellison said they’re looking at Frontline software, which would be used through apps on the teachers’ phones.

Faculty and staff could also use RFID — radio frequency identification — cards to check in and out at the front office.

“I’m going to hold principals, everyone, accountable to be at work on time. And if you can’t do that, I’ll find someone who can,” White said.