Recruitment manual 2017 2018

Recruitment Manual 2017-2018 Foreign Hired Staff

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

THE CAROL MORGAN SCHOOL        

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REASONS TO TEACH AT CMS HISTORY OUR CAMPUS SCHOOL GOVERNANCE VISION STATEMENT MISSION STATEMENT PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT CORE BELIEFS

STUDENT AND STAFF LEARNING

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FACILITIES & STUDENT PROFILE

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OUR THREE DIVISIONS

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL

SCHOOL CALENDAR

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SCHOOL HOURS

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DUTIES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR TEACHERS

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PROFESSIONAL GROWTH & EVALUATION PROCESS FOR FACULTY

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WHAT TEACHERS SAY ABOUT WORKING AT CMS

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CMS STAFF AND TECHNOLOGY

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HOUSING

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HOUSING POLICY STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN HIRE APARTMENTS SINGLE STAFF MARRIED STAFF PRINCIPALS HEAD OF SCHOOL APARTMENT INVENTORY INSURANCE FOR PERSONAL BELONGINGS

DRESS CODE FOR TEACHERS

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LEAVES AND ABSENCES

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COMPENSATION

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BENEFITS

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AFTER YOU HAVE DECIDED TO BE A CAROL MORGAN SCHOOL MEMBER

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

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CURRENCY TOURING THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

CMS STAFF GIVES THEIR VIEW OF LIVING IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT US

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Teaching at Carol Morgan School is exciting, challenging and professionally rewarding. Our major goal is to create an environment which challenges and stretches student learning. We accomplish this through a number of key practices.

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CMS has a clear vision for its future.

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CMS has a strong commitment to improvement and innovative practices.

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CMS works towards specific annual improvement goals and long-term goals.

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CMS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and schools (SACS).

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CMS has a diverse and welcoming international faculty.

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CMS offers you the opportunity to earn a Masters Degree on-site.

As a participant in our community of learners, every staff member at CMS has the opportunity to partake of a generous and comprehensive professional development program in the world of international education. Courses leading to a Master’s Degree in Education from the Buffalo State College are offered each year on our campus. A budget is provided for Summer University and workshop training for a significant number of staff.

Carol Morgan School (founded in 1933) is a co-educational day school with an American collegepreparatory curriculum and an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students from over 30 countries.

The school is located on a lush fifteen-acre campus in a residential suburb of Santo Domingo. Facilities include 98 classrooms, a gymnasium, weight room, covered outdoor basketball/volleyball courts, and several athletic fields.

The campus has separate Elementary, Middle and Secondary school wings. Included in these sections are elementary and secondary school libraries, art rooms, science labs and six computer labs.

Elementary school expansion, including an ES library, computer lab, administration area and Optimal Learning area was completed in September of 1998. A two-story administrative wing was completed the summer of 2000. Additional classrooms and a Black Box Theatre were built in the summer of 2001. In September of 2002 construction was completed on the middle school wing which included three general science labs and two computer labs. In 2006, a two story parking lot was completed. In 2007, the Middle and High School Library and Technology Center was built, which has 3 state of the art computer labs, a video conference room with smart boards for seminars, the school's Health Office was relocated, the Bookstore, Copy Room and the school Cafeteria was also built in this year long construction. In 2008 an entire new Maintenance Facility was built, with technician workshops, storage facilities and offices. In 2014, a third floor was added to the Library and Technology Center, in which acoustically insulated band, choir and music rooms were built, as well as the Community Services office and 3 additional social studies classrooms. In June 2015 construction began for the new Shark Center which was completed in August 2016. This multipurpose building houses all indoor Athletic activities, with double full-sized basketball/volleyball courts, a 3

full stage with a catwalk for events and can seat up to 1,800 people. It also has a weight room, cardio room and aerobics rooms, as well as several Health Classrooms for physical education. Once construction was completed in 2016, the old Athletic Facilities were demolished, the field was leveled and a drainage and irrigation system was installed. A professional grade soccer field was also built along with a straight line 100 m track and long jump sandbox. In addition, an open ended Covered Court was built for other sports and activities.

CMS has a twelve-member school board, eight of whom are elected by parents for two-year terms.

The U.S. Ambassador appoints the ninth person, and also included are the PTO President, the Alumni President, and the past Board President. There are three parent assemblies per year. Elections are held in May, with four positions available each year. Parents of all enrolled students are eligible to vote in these elections, but school employees are precluded from membership on the Board of Directors. During each school year, the Board of Directors invites staff members to 2 faculty forums to listen to their concerns and recommendations.

Founded in Integrity, Focused on Learning

Approved May 2009

The Carol Morgan School is a private, secular, non-profit, college-preparatory school that instills a passion for learning, builds character and inspires civic and social responsibility. Incorporating a rigorous, U.S. curriculum and advanced technology, CMS empowers students to become leaders of a multicultural, global society. The Carol Morgan School will maintain its lead as a world-class, comprehensive school.

Revised May 2014 Committed to continuous improvement, the Carol Morgan School provides an excellent standardsbased academic program within the framework of the best research-based educational practices in which students develop character, an awareness of the natural and social environments, and essential skills preparing them to face the challenges of our rapidly changing world.

The philosophy and objectives of this non-profit, community school support a U.S. curriculum in the rich cultural setting of the Dominican Republic where the varied international student body receives an immersion English language program. CMS welcomes families from all countries knowing that this association of students of different backgrounds and religions will help them develop a clear understanding and appreciation of the global world in which they live.

Designed to meet a wide range of individual needs, the CMS experience stresses the worth and dignity of all students and provides them the opportunities to progress intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically to their greatest potential.

Revised May 2014

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CORE BELIEFS  We believe that a safe, supportive learning community will foster achievement of potential and

expand personal and collective excellence.  We believe in educating the whole child.  We believe that on our planet all things are interrelated requiring a commitment to informed, conscientious decision-making.  We believe that bilingualism, appreciation and respect of diversity, and international mindedness are essential for ethical leadership in a multicultural, global society.

Approved September 2014

On behalf of the Deputy Head's Office of Learning at Carol Morgan School, we welcome you! As CMS’ purpose is to provide students skills and learning experiences to help them succeed in later schooling and, most importantly, life, our work is based upon the following question: What is best for our students and their learning? CMS takes great pride in creating an environment that engages all community members—students, parents and our entire staff—as lifelong learners through opportunities that allow us to be “founded in integrity, focused on learning.” Driven by CMS’ strategic learning compass The Shark Sphere, our commitment to this vision is quite clear through our foundational beliefs found within our mission, philosophy, and graduate profile for students which includes our core beliefs of learning.

We believe in a safe, supportive learning community in which challenges are met with respect, compassion and enthusiasm to foster achievement of potential and expand personal and collective excellence. CMS students acquire an academic foundation of required skills, knowledge and achievement that leads them to:           

Be lifelong learners with global perspectives Possess bilingual skills within the English and Spanish languages Be aware and reflective of their varied intellectual strengths, demonstrating confidence, motivation, and self‐discipline Be inquisitive, demonstrating critical and analytical thinking Demonstrate multicultural sensitivity and respect for differences Be “fit for life” demonstrating physical, emotional, and social well‐being Demonstrate respect for our natural world and conservation of our global resources Be innovative producers and informed consumers Adapt to emerging technologies, ethically applying them to new and future settings Demonstrate responsibility and sound judgment, making informed choices for personal balance and community improvement Listen, lead, and work collaboratively to solve problems locally and globally

CMS offers students a challenging, standards-based United States style curriculum combined with researched-based, best practices, to include Advanced Placement offerings. The CMS experience stresses the worth and dignity of all students and provides them the opportunities to progress intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically to their greatest potential. An integrated, balanced approach including academic, social, emotional, and physical learning is incorporated through a 5

blended technological environment where community service, experiential, problem based, and project based learning opportunities are incorporated into units of study. A standards-based unit planning framework with elements incorporated from Understanding by Design (Mr. Jay McTighe and Dr. Grant Wiggins) is utilized as is the GANAG (Dr. Jane E. Pollock) lesson-planning schema for student learning. Feedback and data inform instructional decisions and a variety of assessment strategies are utilized, to include curriculum-based, formative, and summative methodologies. Instruction is differentiated within the classroom in regards to students’ unique learning profiles and CMS’ student support service program, the Optimal Learning Center, is available for specialized learning needs. In alignment with our recent change to the Middle States Accreditation association, CMS participates in a continuous improvement process where curriculum, instruction, assessment, and feedback practices are regularly reviewed, revised, and renewed.

With the goal of inspiring faculty to embrace innovative practices that engage students actively in the process of learning, CMS values and supports opportunities for educators to enrich their pedagogical knowledge, strategies, and skills, particularly as they align with schoolwide initiatives and goals. The CMS Professional Growth and Evaluation process based upon Dr. James H. Stronge’s research on teacher efficacy is one of the ways in which faculty are supported in their professional growth. In addition, a variety of embedded and collegial professional learning options are purposefully built into regularly scheduled times, structures, and formats in an ongoing basis throughout the year. CMS seeks educators who want to engage in an environment where they can shape how students directly benefit from researched, best practices, such as Dr. Thomas R. Guskey’s assessment philosophy and approach, operationalizing proven theory into practice for the benefit of students and their learning.

The 15 acre campus presently encompasses the Main Building as well as several annexes and serves 1,193 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12 grade (ages 4-18 years old). The CMS student body represents over 38 countries. Roughly 25% of the students are U.S. citizens. The school is comprised of three divisions: elementary (PK-5 grade), middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12), each with its own principal and guidance counselor(s). th

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The Elementary School includes Pre-Kindergarten through grade 5 with a maximum capacity of 557 students and a maximum class size of 22 students. The elementary faculty consists of 55 teachers, 2 counselors, 31 instructional assistants, and a principal and one assistant principal.

MIDDLE SCHOOL The Middle School includes grades 6-8, with a maximum capacity of 264 students. The maximum class size is 21 students per classroom. The middle school faculty consists of 27 teachers, one aide, one guidance counselor, one assistant principal and one principal. The centerpiece of work in the Middle School is the grade level team and the Homebase program.

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HIGH SCHOOL The High School consists of grades 9 through 12 with a maximum capacity of 336 students and an average class size of 20 students. There are 77 students in the senior class. The high school faculty consists of 40 teachers, 5 aides, 2 counselors, 1 assistant principal, and 1 principal. The strong and varied AP program is offered in grades 10 through 12. College placement included 100% of graduates being accepted to an excellent range of competitive colleges and universities.

Faculty are expected to work within a range of 185 to 190 days each school year, inclusive of student instruction days, and as denoted on approval of the school calendar as student and teacher days. The year is divided into two semesters For Middle and High School and each has two quarters. For Elementary School the year is divided into trimesters. Major holidays include: 2 days on American Thanksgiving, winter break generally from mid-December through the first week of January, 1 week of spring break to coincide with “Semana Santa� (Easter Week). Each calendar year includes some additional Dominican holidays.

Arrival time for all faculty members and support staff is 7:15 AM. Departure time in the afternoon is 2:45PM except Mondays when teachers stay until 4:00P M Members of the faculty and staff are expected to be on campus each working day between these hours. If a faculty member must leave campus during the school day for any reason, he or she must check out/in through his or her building principal or immediate supervisor.

Daily instructional time with students for Staff will be determined by the division schedule.

Faculty will be available on Tuesday through Thursday in Elementary and Middle School and Monday through Thursday in High School, in their classrooms or some other designated place from 2:15 PM to 2:45 PM in order to be of assistance to students for extra help, enrichment or make-up work as well as being available to parents who wish to meet with them. Faculty are encouraged to use this time to seek meetings with parents and students.

1. Teachers and aides are expected to be at school from 7:15 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. except Mondays until 4:00 p.m. Unless otherwise advised, teachers may leave when students are dismissed on Fridays and the day before a holiday.

2. Teachers are expected to be in their instructional area or at their assigned location at 7:30 am. Before the start of classes. Teachers are responsible for monitoring student activities in areas to which they have been assigned.

3. It is the responsibility of each teacher and aide to read daily announcements, memos placed in his/her mailbox, weekly Staff Bulletin, the Newsflash and other written communication to keep informed of current school activities and issues.

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4. Teachers must make time available after school until 2:45 p.m. for students who need individual help, for parent or student conferences, or to attend meetings. Any exceptions must be approved by the building principal.

5. Staff and Curriculum meetings occur with regularity on Mondays after school. All teachers are expected to participate as needed through to conclusion whenever possible.

6. Teachers are responsible for discipline in their classrooms as well as for maintaining discipline in school and at school sponsored events.

7. Teachers are responsible for keeping accurate and up-to-date records for grades and attendance for all students in their classes.

8. Teachers must maintain a professional relationship with students, and as such, not permit impugning the motives, methods or character of other teachers, administrators, or members of the Board.

9. Teachers are expected to attend at least two evening activities per semester and occasional meetings that will exceed the 30 minute post-instructional time periods listed above (#4).

10. Professional ethics demand professional conduct at all times. Each teacher owes loyalty to his/her fellow teacher, the administration, the school, and the Board. Personal differences of opinion should only be discussed with the members of the staff in a professional way and in an appropriate place.

11. Teachers will be responsible for at least one extracurricular organization such as a club, class sponsor, team leader or committee member without additional compensation as a part of their normal contractual obligation. Teachers shall also attend and participate from time to time as requested by their immediate supervisor, Head of School or the Board of Directors, in extracurricular activities such as report card delivery, Spring Fair and other PTO activities, Pep Rally (bonfire) and school fund raising activities whether they are during or outside the normal school day. All staff are expected to follow school character education programs and will also be trained in TRIBES , a democratic group process, and as such will be expected to follow the goals outlined for a TRIBES school.

12. Carol Morgan School does not wish to invade the private lives of its teachers or be the arbiter of what is considered correct behavior for teachers outside of school. However, actions of a staff member that reflect negatively on the school may be considered in the employee’s evaluation and be grounds for non-renewal or termination. The school will provide an alert whenever possible to the employee involved. Extreme cases which exhibit insubordination or a violation of law may result in immediate termination of contract.

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updated 8 August 2014 The primary purpose of the professional growth and evaluation process at Carol Morgan School is to improve the quality of instruction by members of the faculty (teachers and educational specialists). The Head of School, Deputy Head, and division Principals at Carol Morgan School are responsible for supervision and evaluation of the faculty. This process is also used to make recommendations and decisions about continued employment.

Faculty at Carol Morgan School will be supervised and evaluated by administrators as follows.

These guidelines serve as a minimum; components may be added at the discretion of the supervisor or request of the faculty member.

PROCEDURE Cycle 1 All new faculty to CMS, faculty changing positions within CMS, and faculty who have completed Cycle 3 will: Meet with the supervisor to collaboratively set professional goals; Have at least two formal observations, to include an announced and unannounced; Have at least one informal observation (at least 10 minutes); Complete a self-reflection; Participate, no later than the last week of school, in an end-of-year conference with the supervisor to review the final evaluation and the self-reflection.

Cycle 2 Faculty who has successfully completed Cycle 1 the previous year will: Meet with the supervisor to collaboratively set professional goals; Have at least one formal observation; Have at least two informal observations (at least 10 minutes each); Complete a self-reflection; Participate, no later than the last week of school, in an end-of-year conference with the supervisor to review the final evaluation and the self-reflection.

Cycle 3 Faculty who has successfully completed Cycle 2 will: Meet with the supervisor to collaboratively set professional goals; Have at least three informal observations (at least 10 minutes each); Complete a self-reflection; Participate, no later than the last week of school, in an end-of-year conference with the supervisor to review the final evaluation and the self-reflection.

PROTOCOL Formal Observation Protocol Announced formal observations consist of all three steps below; unannounced formal observations consist of steps 2 and 3.

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Pre-observation Conference – The faculty member will bring a completed preobservation form to the conference. The conference provides the faculty member and supervisor with an opportunity to discuss the lesson plan. At this time, the faculty member can ask the supervisor to watch for specific behaviors or strategies during the lesson or for feedback pertaining to specific instructional areas.

Observation - The observation can take place over one or more classroom visits. A total observation time of at least 40 minutes is required within a span of several days.

Post-observation Conference - The post-observation conference should take place as soon as possible after the classroom observation has been completed.

Formal observations can either be announced or unannounced. Announced formal observations include a pre-conference, observation and post-conference. Unannounced formal observations include an observation and post-conference. Both observations include written feedback for the faculty member.

The required informal (drop-in) observations are unannounced and followed up with written feedback. At the request of the faculty member or the supervisor, a follow-up meeting may be scheduled.

Faculty rated highly effective, partially effective or ineffective on any of the teaching standards at the end of a cycle year will receive written comments on that particular standard(s) on the final evaluation.

Faculty may remain on Cycle 3 for a maximum of three years at the discretion of the supervisor. Upon completion of Cycle 3, a faculty member returns to Cycle 1.

In lieu of a final evaluation, faculty leaving CMS at the end of a school year will complete a selfreflection, an exit questionnaire and meet with the supervisor for an exit interview.

IMPROVEMENT PLAN At the discretion of the supervisor, a faculty member can be placed on an improvement plan at any time based upon concerns about conduct or performance.

An improvement plan and placement on Cycle 1 will be required if any of the following ratings are given on a final evaluation: a rating of partially effective on two or more performance standards, a rating of ineffective on one or more performance standards, or Termination of employment may result if the conditions of an improvement plan are not met or the faculty member is placed on an improvement plan more than once.

APPEAL An appeal of a faculty member's end of year evaluation can be initiated with a written appeal to the supervisor if the faculty member feels the evaluation is not accurate. If the faculty member is not satisfied with the supervisor's response, he/she may then appeal the evaluation to the Head of School. If after a reasonable time the faculty member is not satisfied with the response from the Head of School, the faculty member may appeal the evaluation to the Board of Directors, whose decision is final.

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Working at CMS is an opportunity to grow as a person and a professional. It encourages you to do your best and everything gets done in a very planned structured way. It's also a great opportunity to share and implement your ideas and be creative in every aspect of your work.

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Nice teaching staff to work with good schedule (for most teachers), helpful staff to help pay your bills, good facilities.

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Teaching at CMS is full of sunny days, smiles and laughter. The work is hard but fulfilling.

The school is always helping us to be better teachers and offers many opportunities for professional growth.

Teaching at the Carol Morgan School has been special for me. As a non-Dominican and speaker of English it was quite comforting to know that I could have found work where language was not a problem. I consider this school my own having been here for so many years. This has been the institution where I watched myself grow professionally because I have been given the opportunity to do so.  CMS has been an excellent place to work for the last three years. CMS allows teachers to grow professionally by providing professional development and leadership opportunities.

My administrators have been supportive, fair and open to new ideas. I feel like I have grown as a teacher during the last three years in part because I have had the time to do so.

I also feel like I have been "taken care of by CMS." The business office, human resources and maintenance departments have supported by home life, so that I can focus on school.

I am extremely thankful that I came to CMS when I started my career overseas. 

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For me CMS has been my life. I came to this school in kinder and graduated in 1980. Since then I have been working as an assistant and later on as a teacher. I love CMS and actually two of my children come to CMS. CMS has grown and is always seeking to commit to offer the very best.

The Carol Morgan School of Santo Domingo strives to provide for its community of life-long learners the most advanced and effective level of academic technology possible. With a dedicated full-time staff made up of directors, technicians, technology teachers and technology facilitators, we are continuously working towards this goal. CMS is committed to and invested in providing students and teachers with quality educational technology tools and training. Carol Morgan has a robust campus-wide wired and wireless network. In 2009 a multi-million dollar Library/Technology Center was opened. This center includes a fully equipped video conferencing room with seating for ninety-two participants. In 2016, a state-of-the art Innovation Lab became available to our staff and students. This lab is equipped with 3-D Printers, robotics equipment, and other Maker materials. The lab has a dedicated technician who helps students and staff design and create innovative projects and helps coach Team Drift, our award-award winning robotics team. Our staff members are encouraged, supported, and trained in an intelligent and systematic way – focused on professional growth and educational relevance.

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The faculty at the Carol Morgan School uses a variety of technologies for communication and collaboration with students, parents, colleagues, and outside organizations. The faculty, staff, and administrators use PowerSchool, a centralized online student information system (SIS), for efficient data management across our schools and departments. PowerTeacher is the grade book component of this SIS and includes parent, student, and teacher portals for real-time grading, attendance, data collection, and communication. Our Moodle site is called iLearn@CMS. Moodle is an online learning management system which hosts blended learning activities, assignments, and calendars for every subject and every grade level. Teachers and students collaborate and create using a wide variety of online tools, including Google and IOS Apps, eBooks, Nearpod, iMovie, TurnItIn, IXL, Classcraft, BrainPop and many other services.

CMS has a successful Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program for grades 6 through 12. Teachers and students leverage this program to improve learning and help our students become agile digital creators, consumers, and problem solvers. The elementary grade 1-5 classrooms are setup with mini-labs containing laptops, or iPads for group work. The early childhood has a similar program using classroom sets of iPads ensuring that all CMS students and teachers have access to technology when and where they need it.

Infusion of technology has been designed and implemented in all areas of the school. Each school has both technology teachers who teach technology courses as well as technology integration facilitators who help classroom teachers infuse our wealth of technology tools into the curriculum. CMS classrooms are equipped with mounted LCD projectors and document cameras. Interactive whiteboards are also located in most classrooms. Teachers and students have access to mobiles labs, traditional computers labs (two ES, two HS), innovation and robotics labs in the MS, an advanced robotics/innovation lab in the HS, and a dedicated fine arts Mac Lab with still photography and video capabilities.

CMS provides foreign hire teachers with housing in Santo Domingo. New foreign hire teachers will receive a school selected, furnished apartment. Schools apartments are adequately, but not luxuriously furnished.

The Head of School assigns Foreign-Hire Faculty members furnished apartments. First year single Faculty members will generally be required to share a two bedroom housing unit with another single Teacher Faculty members can request singly accommodations for their second or subsequent year(s) of employment at Carol Morgan School. Single housing will be assigned by the School on a year-to-year basis as determined by the Head of School based on the needs of the Faculty member, seniority, and the availability of single apartment units.

Foreign-Hire Faculty who choose to live in housing other than that provided by the School will not be eligible for reimbursement.

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STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN HIRE APARTMENTS Requirements for each apartment include a water tank (either a “tinaco” or a “cisterna”), electricity (either a generator or an inverter), main entrance with an extra iron door, screens on windows, location in safe, security 24 hours or alarm system in the house, clean neighborhood, second floor or above preferable, building with few apartments preferable, proximity to grocery shopping and other staff.

The school will loan a ‘Welcome Kit’ to all apartments receiving new teachers. Within one and a half months from the teacher’s arrival, the Welcome Kit should be returned to the school. The teacher is responsible for returning all the items in good condition. The Welcome Kit includes: a dish set, glass set, cutlery set, cooking knives, garbage pail, 2 pots, and 1 frying pan.

SINGLE STAFF First year single teachers share an apartment with two bedrooms and two-bathroom minimum. The apartment furniture includes a refrigerator, stove, dining room set (4 chairs), living room set (covered sofa and coffee table), washer, modest porch or balcony set (two chairs and small table) if the apartment has a balcony, bookshelf, and desk if the space allows it. Each occupied bedroom by teacher or school dependent will have a fan and air conditioning, queen bed, dresser, and one night table. There is also a water bottle and water bottle stand, telephone equipment (not cellular) and a fire extinguisher. The dining room and the living room will have a ceiling fan.

MARRIED STAFF Families with children have a minimum of two bedrooms or more depending on the size of the family. The apartment furniture includes a refrigerator, stove, dining room set (4 chairs), living room set (covert sofa and coffee table), washer, modest porch or balcony set (two chairs and small table) if the apartment has a balcony, bookshelf, and desk if the space allows it. Each occupied bedroom by teacher or school dependent will have a fan and air conditioning, queen bed, dresser, and one night table. There is also a water bottle and water bottle stand, telephone equipment (not cellular) and a fire extinguisher. The dining room and the living room will have a ceiling fan.

PRINCIPALS Minimum two or three bedrooms (children), family room or porch preferable, parking space.

The apartment furniture includes a refrigerator, stove, dining room set (4 chairs), living room set (covered sofa and coffee table), modest porch or balcony set (four chairs and small table) if the apartment has a balcony or porch, bookshelf, desk if the space allows it, washing and drying machine, microwave, television. Each occupied bedroom by teacher or school dependent will have a fan and air conditioning, queen bed, dresser, and one night table. There is also a water bottle and water bottle stand, telephone equipment (not cellular) and a fire extinguisher. The dining room and the living room will have a ceiling fan.

HEAD OF SCHOOL Nice apartments, penthouse or independent house. Three bedrooms, family room or porch, preferable parking space. The apartment furniture includes refrigerator, stove, dining room set (4 chairs), living room set (covered sofa and coffee table), modest porch or balcony set (four chairs and small table) if the apartment has a balcony or porch, bookshelf, desk if the space allows it, washing and drying machine, microwave, television. Each occupied bedroom by teacher or school dependent will have a fan and air conditioning, queen bed, dresser, and one night table. There is also a water 13

bottle and water bottle stand, telephone equipment (not cellular) and a fire extinguisher. The dining room and the living room will have a ceiling fan.

APARTMENT INVENTORY In the beginning of the year when the apartment is given to the teachers and/or staff there will be an inventory made of the apartment, at the end of the contract or when the apartment is given up for any reason (moving to new one, etc.) there will be another inventory made. The teachers are responsible for the apartment (windows, doors etc.), the furniture and appliances in the inventory.

INSURANCE IN THE APARTMENTS FOR PERSONAL BELONGINGS

Some apartments have insurance for their furniture. However, none of them cover the loss or damage to your personal items, since they only include furniture. You can issue an additional coverage for your personal belongings. Usually teachers have used International companies for those purposes. Some teachers have used Clements or Geico for personal home insurance.

FACULTY AND STAFF DRESS CODE

Faculty and staff at Carol Morgan School are expected to set an example for the students and families in their dress and general appearance. Faculty and staff should take into consideration the local culture, customs, and attitude of the community.

For school, it is expected that the dress of teachers will be professionally appropriate. This normally means no jeans, or clothing that could be seen as controversial. The culture in Santo Domingo is more formal and conservative than in the USA. Thong sandals are not considered appropriate in most public places. Pants for women can be worn to school and elsewhere. Comfortable shoes are needed for work, as floors are all hard surfaces and the campus is spread out. However, shoe style should be in keeping with professionally appropriate dress that is required for all teachers. Students wear uniforms of solid blue tops and khaki bottoms. Good shoes with adequate support and cushioning are important.

Teachers and staff at CMS are expected to set an example for the students and families in their dress and general appearance. The following dress code takes into consideration the local culture, customs and attitude of the community. The Board of Directors approved it in May 1996.

Examples of appropriate wear:

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Men

Women

Shirt with collar Shirt and tie Dress Slacks Guayaberas (Panama Shirt) Loafer type shoes with socks

Blouse Skirt Slacks Dress Earrings and necklace

Examples of inappropriate wear Men

Women

Earrings on any part of the body Sandals or open buck shoes Shorts (including Bermuda type shorts) T-Shirts or shirts without a collar

Tight fitting skirts or pants, Jeans Casual sandals and/or Birkenstocks not in keeping with professional dress T-Shirts or shirts without a collar

Shorts/Pants: Walking Shorts or Pants (Shades of Kaki)

ALL PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS WILL WEAR THE STANDARD CMS PE UNIFORMS: Options During PE Instruction: Shirts: CMS PHE T-Shirt, CMS PHE Golf/Polo Shirt Shorts/Pants: Walking Shorts or Pants (Shades of Kaki) Shoes/ Socks: Athletic

(Promotional Clothing)

CAISSA, Athletic Council, Family Fun Day, Coaching Shirts will be allowed during PE or Health classes as the shirt type permits. This type of clothing is a symbol of commitment to the PE/Athletic program, creates some variety for teacher dress and is a team building tool within the department.

(Sun Protection)

Teachers and students are encouraged to wear hats and sunglasses for sun and heat protection during outdoor PE class time only.

Options During Health Instruction: CMS Classroom teacher dress code will be the standard for health teaching days.

Or Shirt: CMS PE Golf/Polo Shirt Shorts/Pants: Walking Shorts or Pants (Shades of Kaki) PE / Health Combination Days: If combination day takes place (teaching both PE classes and Health classes) and a teacher feels it necessary to wear a t -shirt/walking shorts for their PE instruction; that teacher should make every effort to change back into regular classroom attire before their next health period.

Providing Uniforms: First year of employment, CMS provides: 2 dri-fit shirts 0 T-shirts Each consecutive year, CMS provides 2 dri-fit shirts 0 T-shirt

Sick Leave The School shall grant all Staff (except maintenance workers and technicians) of the School ten (10) days sick leave annually. Unused sick leave may be accumulated on a year to year basis up to a total of seventy-five (75) days.

The School may require a signed statement from a physician for those absences in excess of three 15

consecutive days. If sick leave benefits are exhausted, the Board may grant leave without pay for the balance of the year upon the recommendation of the Head of School.

At the conclusion of his/her employment by the School, each Staff member may qualify for reimbursement of a specified number of unused sick days. This benefit does not apply to maintenance workers and technicians, who instead are eligible for an annual perfect attendance bonus.

Leave Provisions: Reimbursement for unused sick days will be paid at the rate of substitute pay (the category used is “Teachers with less than 3 years of experience”) according to the following schedule: Up to 40 days for Staff who have worked for less than 5 years Up to 50 days for Staff who have worked from 5 – 9 years Up to 60 days for Staff who have worked from 10 – 14 years Up to 75 days for Staff who have worked 15 years or more Personal Leave Two (2) days personal leave without reduction of pay may be taken any school year. Unused Personal Leave days shall be credited as accumulated Sick Leave.

Two days of personal leave may be taken in any school year for staff members to conduct business which cannot be done outside regular school hours or during weekends of holiday periods.

Prior approval for personal days must be obtained from Division Principal or the Staff Member’s immediate supervisor.

Personal leave cannot be taken the day preceding or following a holiday.

Personal days may not be used to extend holidays.

Personal days may be taken in conjunction with a weekend so long as there are available adequate subs, that adequate notice has been given, that no more than two are granted per school (MS, HS, ES) on any one weekend and that only one personal day can be attached to any one weekend.

Personal Leaves will NOT be granted for requests falling within the first and last two weeks of the contract year Staff members with negative balance cannot use their personal days until they have a positive balance.

Bereavement Leave Five (5) days Bereavement Leave without reduction of pay may be taken, during any school year, following the death of any Family Member when it is necessary to travel outside the Dominican Republic. Three (3) Bereavement Leave days are allowed when travel outside of the Dominican Republic is not necessary.

Emergency Leave The Head of School may grant up to five (5) days emergency leave without reduction of pay during any school year. The cost of a substitute shall be deducted from the Staff member’s salary. Should a member of the Staff require emergency leave for medical reasons related to a Family Member, these days be counted as sick leave rather than emergency leave if the Staff member has accrued the maximum number of sick days for which reimbursement is paid.

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Paternity Leave Five (5) working days may be taken during any school year without a reduction in pay. Fathers who adopt a child up to one (1) year old are entitled to receive this Paternity Leave with appropriate notice of at least 6 months.

Maternity Leave Twelve (12) weeks may be taken during any school year for maternity leave without a reduction in pay. Mothers who adopt a child up to one (1) year old are entitled to receive this Maternity Leave with appropriate notice of at least 6 months.

Marriage Leave Five (5) working days leave without reduction of pay are provided for any Staff member who requests leave to get married during the school year.

Leave of Absence Leaves of absences are not granted to School Staff. The Head of School may, when he/she feels it would be in the best interest of the School, issue a letter which expresses the following points when a Teacher requests a Leave of Absence: If a vacancy exists in the Teacher’s area of certification when the Teacher wishes to return to the professional Staff, the Staff member will be given preferential consideration. . If the Teacher returns to the Staff, he/she will be placed on the same step of the salary schedule to which he/she would have been assigned if he/she had remained under employment during the first year of absence.

The Teacher must notify the Head of School of his/her request to return by November 30 of the academic year immediately prior to the year in which the Teacher wishes to return to the Carol Morgan School Staff. Leave without Pay Under special circumstances, the Head of School may authorize a Leave without Pay. The terms of such Leave without Pay will be governed by Dominican Law. Recruiting Leave Faculty Members are eligible to receive a one-time leave of three days for the purpose of attending Faculty -recruiting fairs outside the Dominican Republic without reduction of pay. This leave is available only once during the Faculty Member’s employment with CMS. The three days of recruiting leave can be used only during the second or subsequent years of the Faculty Member’s employment with the School and could be attached to the Faculty Member’s two days of personal leave (if available) to give the Faculty Member a maximum of five days of paid leave.

Graduation Leave Staff are eligible to receive up to three (3) days of paid leave without reduction of pay to attend high school, university or graduate school graduation ceremonies of their children occurring outside of the Dominican Republic. The cost of a substitute shall be deducted from the Staff salary.

Sick Bank Each Staff member is eligible to participate in the CMS Sick Bank, contributing one sick day per year. Each member may use up to 25 days per incident from the bank should his/her accumulated sick days be exhausted, and assuming such days are available in the bank. Should a Sick Bank member need more than 25 days per incident from the bank, and assuming such sick days are available in the bank, then this may be granted if 2/3 of the Sick Bank members approve. Personal Leave

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Two (2) days personal leave without reduction of pay may be taken any school year. Unused Personal Leave days shall be credited as accumulated Sick Leave. Bereavement Leave Five (5) days Bereavement Leave without reduction of pay may be taken, during any school year, following the death of any Family Member when it is necessary to travel outside the Dominican Republic. Three (3) Bereavement Leave days are allowed when travel outside of the Dominican Republic is not necessary.

The details of your compensation are include in your Carol Morgan School (CMS) Letter of Intent (LOI) including the allocation of payments between pesos and US$.

Even though the payment is allocated between two currencies, CMS ensures that foreign hire teacher compensation is guaranteed in dollars. A final reconciliation is done at the end of each school year with adjustments to actual US$ being made at that time.

For your first two-year contract with CMS, you will be given credit for completed years of teaching experience up to a maximum of your actual experience or Step 8, whichever is higher. With the completion of each year of experience at CMS, teachers are eligible for a one step promotion. The salary related to experience is in a salary scale that is the same for local and foreign hire teachers.

As noted on your LOI, your compensation is divided into components as noted below:  Base salary in pesos is paid twice a month around the 14th and the 28th of each month divided over twelve months (August through July).  CMS premium in US$ is paid once per month around the 14th and the 28th of each month divided over twelve months (August through July).  Overseas differential in US$ is paid once per month around the 16th of each month divided over eleven months (August through June) The “overseas differential” is based on analysis of the international teaching market and represents an amount that recognizes that foreign hire staff have left their home country for relocation to Carol Morgan School in the Dominican Republic, much like a “post differential” provided to U.S. government employees. This amount is based on years of service at CMS.

LOCAL SALARY DEDUCTIONS As the school pays two times during the month, all salary deductions will be divided between both payments. The deductions are :  Life insurance RD$50.00  Health Insurance (projected value for 2017-2018) Single US$105.00; Single Parent Family US$180.00; Family US$280.00 per month.  Dental Insurance (optional) RD$80.00 each member of the family  Tax deductions- Taxes in Dominican Republic are discounted on a yearly basis. The amount of exemption is revised every year. This is only for the local salary and other benefits paid in pesos. Currently, taxes are discounted according to the following table:

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SCALE (Valid for January 2016)

RATE

Up to RD$409,281.00

Exempt

From RD$409,281.01 to RD$613,921.00

15% up to RD$409,281.01

From RD$613,921.01 to RD$852,667.00

RD$30,696.00 plus 20% over RD$613,921.01

RD$852,667.01 and above.

RD$78,446.00 plus 25% over RD$852,667.01

BENEFITS

CURRENCY

CONDITIONS

Christmas Salary

Pesos (local currency)

Sum of annual ordinary peso salary divided by 12 (from January to December); additional payments are not included.

Settling–in Allowance

Pesos (local currency)

The equivalent of US$1,200.00 dollars will be paid in pesos upon arrival to the Dominican Republic.

Shipping Allowance

Pesos (local currency)

The equivalent of US$500.00 will be paid in pesos upon arrival to Dominican Republic. Also you will receive the same amount when you leave the country.

Health Insurance

Cigna

Worldwide comprehensive medical & hospital with unlimited coverage, US$100 deductible for person per year. The school pays 75% of the premium. The 25% is discounted from the overseas allowance.

Life Insurance

PALIC

Local insurance with RD$150,000 pesos. The school pays 75% of the premium.

Annual Home Leave Ticket

Ticket

The school buys the inbound tickets from your home of record. After completion of the first year, the school has internal procedure with different alternatives. The ticket is provided only during summer time. The school provides a round trip annual ticket to the major airport closest to the teacher’s home of record once per year each spring for the teacher and eligible dependents at the end of the first year of employment.

Contract Renewal

U.S. Dollars

On site master program with Buffalo State University. The school provides economical help.

On site Master Program

The school provides its Foreign teachers with school-selected, furnished apartment in Santo Domingo

Housing

Tuition is free for one child per teacher. A registration fee must be paid (US$400.00 for the 2017-2018 school year) per student, plus a US$200 admission fee and fees for other school special events for the 2017-2018 school year.

Free Tuition for Dependents Car Rental

$1,000 for 3 year renewal; $1,500 for 4 year renewal; $2,000 for 5 and up year renewal. U.S. Dollars. The payment is made at the end of the renewed year.

Pesos

The school provides a subsidy of RD$200 .00 per day for car rental only on weekends.

The school and the employee will contribute a percent of the total annual salary (not including the additional bonus.) Teachers will invest their funds with available consultant. The percent will be according to the scale: 1-2 years at CMS: 3%, 3-4 years : 4%, 5-6 years: 5%, and 7 years and above: 6%.

Foreign Pension Plan

Local Law Pension Plan

The school pays a pension plan according to the local law. You will receive deductions for it. You can ask for them at the age of 65.

Local Law Health Plan

Dominican law sets that all employees working needs to participate in the Law health Plan. In order to include you on this plan, it is requested to have a local identification card or “cédula”. You will receive deductions for it.

Utility Stipend

The school has a utility stipend for Foreign Hired teachers for 2016-2017. This stipend will function the following way: the school will pay any utility bill like electricity, gas, cable, internet and telephone up to the allowance assigned by the following categories:  1 person RD$3,918 per apart per month  2 person RD$6,684 per apart per month  3 person RD$9,888 per apart per month  4 person RD$11,012 per apart per month

Pesos

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The Human Resources Manager will contact you via email and send/inform you of all procedures to follow.

Contract

Original Spanish contracts will be signed at your arrival.

You will receive an unsigned translation of the contract.

Letter of Intent

Most letters of intent will be provided during the time of hiring. If not, you will receive two copies by mail. You should return one to the Human Resources manager.

You will receive a copy of the Orientation Booklet through the Orientation Moodle course. You will also receive a CMS polo shirt through the mail. We need to have your mailing address where we Orientation Booklets can send it, and a phone number. The polo shirt should be used the day of your arrival to Dominican Republic.

Visa procedures and Requirements

The CMS Orientation Moodle course provides the information of required documentation. The Human Resources Manager will contact you for any special requirement for your first arrival.

The Human Resources department will contact you to arrange your trip and send the ticket from Travel Arrangements your point of departure to Dominican Republic. CMS prefers that new teachers arrive the same day.

The school buys the ticket directly, there is no reimbursement.

Passport Copy

Before your arrival to the country we will need to have a color copy of the page of the passport which states all your personal information. This will be used for administrative purposes. We prefer a PDF format which

Housing

The Human Resources will inform housing assignments and other information like bed sizes, address and phone number, generally between June and July.

Shipping

We do not recommend to ship to the Dominican Republic because of the cost and bureaucratic procedures at customs. Each teacher should contact their representative if they decide to do so.

Curriculum

The Principal of each school will send the curriculum information. Our Moodle orientation course will provide this information as well.

CMS Partners

Each school assigns a teacher to become “partners� of the newcomers. Your partner will contact you by the end of the school year. They will come back to school after your arrival.

Orientation Agenda

The Orientation agenda will be sent via e-mail before your departure to Dominican Republic.

Settling in and Baggage Allowance

You will have both allowances already deposited at your local bank account upon arrival to Dominican Republic. You can use it the next day of your arrival.

Start Date for New Teachers

August 3, 2017 (Note: Arrival day to the Dominican Republic will be on August 2, 2017.)

Residency Documentation

The school covers the cost of processing your documentation for residency. The government office in charge requests to have several mandatory health tests done, including HIV and drug testing.

Background Check

The school requests a federal (FBI) background check for USA citizens and a background check from the Royal Canadian Mountain Police for Canadian Citizens. For other nationalities, the HR department will determine the type of document to be accepted.

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The Dominican Republic is a developing country of more than 9 million people located on the island of Hispaniola, between Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. The country occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island and is separated from Haiti on the western end by a chain of mountains, some of which are more than 10,000 feet high. Hispaniola is second only in size to Cuba among the islands of the West Indies. In land area, the Dominican Republic is approximately twice the size of the state of Vermont in the USA (48,000 km2). Carol Morgan School is located in the capital city of Santo Domingo. It is a bustling port city with just over 2.7 million people and is the economic and cultural hub of the country.

The Dominican Republic has a rich cultural and ethnic diversity. Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola in 1492. Santo Domingo was founded four years later and is the oldest permanent European settlement in the New World. Dominicans represent a complex racial and ethnic mixture of Spanish and Italians blended with the native Indian population and African slaves. The language of the country is Spanish. Some 90% of the population is Roman Catholic.

The Dominican Republic declared its independence in 1844, establishing its freedom at that time more from Haiti than from Spain.

The climate in the Dominican Republic is subtropical, very comfortable and well suited for tourism and agriculture. The average year-round temperature is between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainy season lasts from May to November. Extreme variations in elevation on the island produce micro-climates ranging from arid savanna to dense tropical rain forests. These in turn produce a wide range of plant and animal life.

The Dominican economy is based largely on tourism and agriculture. There are many excellent tourist resorts on the eastern and northern side of the island which attract tourists from Europe and North America. Agricultural crops are grown mostly on small plots and major export crops include sugar, coffee, cocoa, beans and tobacco. Mineral wealth is also significant and includes gold, silver and ferronickel. Manufacturing has increased dramatically during recent years with the introduction of free industrial zones which process / assemble imported materials for value-added export. Free zone manufacturing includes electrical and electronic items as well as clothing and leather goods.

CURRENCY The national currency is the "Peso". The actual value of the Dominican peso, which fluctuates with the US dollar, is subject to the law of supply and demand. The official rate of exchange is established by the Central Bank according to the foreign exchange market. The Peso is divided into one hundred units.

Currently the rate of exchange is 46 Dominican pesos to the U.S. dollar.

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          

500 kilometers of picture perfect palm beaches.

Close to 40,000 rooms in small inns, world class hotels and all-inclusive resorts complexes Easy access through 42 daily scheduled flights at six major airports Colorful folklore, original crafts, joyful music and magic-filled traditions Five centuries of colonial history Fast paced nightlife and casinos Attractive shopping options Superb native and international cuisine Lush and exuberant landscapes Sun kissed climate blessed with fresh breezes Unending sporting excitement. Cultural attractions.

 Living in the Dominican Republic has been an adventure. Maybe it is different for me than

other teachers because I have made this country my home. Many things that had no logical explanations at the beginning now have...because I have left myself open to understanding the culture. What I cannot change I have grown to accept.

 Living in the DR offers many great beach and mountain getaways. There is so much beauty

here to see. Although traveling at night can be dangerous, it is easy to get around the island on bus, car or plane.  What's not to like about living in a place where you can go the beach every weekend? The

DR is beautiful; the people are great. The city's a little dirty, and you'll get your share of poor kids and skinny dogs, but all in all it's a pretty cool place to live.  Nice cheap beach resort vacations, chance to learn Spanish, grocery stores have American

products.  I am Dominican and of course proud of my country , my culture and my people we are

recognized around the world for being happy and friendly our merengue , Juan Luis Guerra , Oscar de la Renta, Sammy Sosa are just a little representation of who we are . Our country is not perfect as no other country in the world is but our people are indeed beautiful, our beaches and weather are incredible, and as an island we have a lot of beautiful places to visit.

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Rhonda Norris Head of School Email: rnorris@cms.edu.do Laura Tolone Deputy Head Email: ltolone@cms.edu.do Nancy Urbaez Human Resources Manager Email: nurbaez@cms.edu.do Ana Venta Head of School’s Assistant Email: aventa@cms.edu.do Judith Melgarejo Deputy Head’s Assistant Email: jmelgarejo@cms.edu.do Local Tel: (809) 947-1000 Fax: (866) 661-0168 US Tel: (305) 224-1064, (305) 224-1155, (305) 224-1146 Mail: CPS #2246 1733 Northwest 79th Avenue Miami, FL 33126-1101

www.cms.edu.do @cmssharks

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www.cms.edu.do @cmssharks