Professional leave is approved leave to participate in professional activities that benefit Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the employee’s professional growth. Professional activities are not part of the employee’s regular job duties and occur outside the workplace.
In addition, if a substitute is required for an employee to participate in an activity, professional leave must be requested and approved. Professional leave requires the identification of a funding source for all expenses including but not limited to substitute hours, conference fees, and travel.
Some examples of professional leave are attendance at a professional conference, AP Scoring/Mid-State Review, or a formal training program. In all cases when a substitute is required, the funding source must be identified.
Activities that are school related and/or part of the employee’s job responsibilities should be reported as regular time (REG). The employee should sign a log or book they are out of the building on school business.
Once approved, professional leave is a paid leave and can be posted as PRO on the employee’s time record in PACS.
No. Professional Improvement Leave is an unpaid study leave that permits an employee to pursue their academic studies while remaining an employee of MCPS. Professional Improvement Leave is for a minimum of one semester; during this time the employee is in leave status. Professional Leave is of a much shorter duration and the employee remains in active status.
No. Paying for substitute teachers by using school improvement allocations is not permitted.
No. This time is to be reported as REG. If, however, an employee attends staff development activities within the building and a substitute is used who is NOT a staff development substitute, a funding source for the substitute must be identified in advance of the activity and the employee would report this time as Professional Leave (PRO).
The Office of Human Resources is the funding source. When the employee is invited to the new employee orientation they will be provided the Form 430-94: Professional Leave.
No. There must be a funding source to cover the cost of the substitute. In some circumstances a school may be able to cover classes without the use of a substitute.
Yes. The new Professional Leave form (430-94) should be used for requests of four or fewer days.
The original is maintained at the location and filed with the timesheet. Copies should be forwarded to the funding office and the employee.
The office initiating the training will provide the funding source information to the participant. If this information is not provided, the participant needs to call the provider of the training. The three major offices within MCPS that provide training are:
- Office of Organizational Development
- Office of the Chief Technology Officer
- Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programming
Yes. This is professional leave and Form 430-94: Professional Leave must be completed.
Because this time is considered as professional leave the time in PACS should be posted as PRO.
No. Meetings like this should be scheduled when a teacher does not require a substitute. If the meeting is being held during a time when a substitute is needed, the sponsoring office should provide the funding source information for the substitute.
Yes. Grade Book training is professional leave. The sponsor of the training (in this case, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer) should provide the account number for the funding of the substitute.
Yes, professional leave is appropriate if funding is provided by the Office of Special Education and Student Services. If there is no funding, a substitute is not to be called and the school must make other arrangements for class room coverage.
No, professional leave is not appropriate and a substitute may not be used. The teacher should schedule the conference(s) before or after the school day or on a day when students are not present.
Funding for both physical education teacher substitutes (to cover physical education teachers conducting patrol attendee activities) or for the sponsors are provided by the central office sponsoring the event. Substitute coverage funding source information should be provided as part of the event notification.
Unless the substitute is funded from the school’s allocation of school improvement substitutes, a substitute should not be called. The teacher should work with the resource teacher one-on-one during planning periods or outside the teaching time.
This is one of the rare cases where attendance at an event scheduled through PDO is not training and no professional leave is to be reported. The Early Ordering Support session is not training but a support activity provided to schools to assist them in accomplishing their early ordering.
No, attendance at a union meeting is Union Business Leave (UBL). The form for union business leave should be provided by the individual union.
Yes, when a substitute is required it is considered professional leave. However, if the coverage for the teacher’s class can be accomplished without substitute coverage there is no leave category required and the time for the teacher would be posted in PACS as REG.
some examples of professional leave?
Professional leave is approved leave to participate in professional activities that benefit Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the employee’s professional growth. Professional activities are not part of the employee’s regular job duties and occur outside the workplace.
In addition, if a substitute is required for an employee to participate in an activity, professional leave must be requested and approved. Professional leave requires the identification of a funding source for all expenses including but not limited to substitute hours, conference fees, and travel.
Some examples of professional leave are attendance at a professional conference, AP Scoring/Mid-State Review, or a formal training program. In all cases when a substitute is required, the funding source must be identified.
Activities that are school related and/or part of the employee’s job responsibilities should be reported as regular time (REG). The employee should sign a log or book they are out of the building on school business.
Once approved, professional leave is a paid leave and can be posted as PRO on the employee’s time record in PACS.
No. Professional Improvement Leave is an unpaid study leave that permits an employee to pursue their academic studies while remaining an employee of MCPS. Professional Improvement Leave is for a minimum of one semester; during this time the employee is in leave status. Professional Leave is of a much shorter duration and the employee remains in active status.
No. Paying for substitute teachers by using school improvement allocations is not permitted.
No. This time is to be reported as REG. If, however, an employee attends staff development activities within the building and a substitute is used who is NOT a staff development substitute, a funding source for the substitute must be identified in advance of the activity and the employee would report this time as Professional Leave (PRO).
The Office of Human Resources is the funding source. When the employee is invited to the new employee orientation they will be provided the Form 430-94: Professional Leave.
No. There must be a funding source to cover the cost of the substitute. In some circumstances a school may be able to cover classes without the use of a substitute.
Yes. The new Professional Leave form (430-94) should be used for requests of four or fewer days.
The original is maintained at the location and filed with the timesheet. Copies should be forwarded to the funding office and the employee.
The office initiating the training will provide the funding source information to the participant. If this information is not provided, the participant needs to call the provider of the training. The three major offices within MCPS that provide training are:
- Office of Organizational Development
- Office of the Chief Technology Officer
- Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programming
Yes. This is professional leave and Form 430-94: Professional Leave must be completed.
Because this time is considered as professional leave the time in PACS should be posted as PRO.
No. Meetings like this should be scheduled when a teacher does not require a substitute. If the meeting is being held during a time when a substitute is needed, the sponsoring office should provide the funding source information for the substitute.
Yes. Grade Book training is professional leave. The sponsor of the training (in this case, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer) should provide the account number for the funding of the substitute.
Yes, professional leave is appropriate if funding is provided by the Office of Special Education and Student Services. If there is no funding, a substitute is not to be called and the school must make other arrangements for class room coverage.
No, professional leave is not appropriate and a substitute may not be used. The teacher should schedule the conference(s) before or after the school day or on a day when students are not present.
Funding for both physical education teacher substitutes (to cover physical education teachers conducting patrol attendee activities) or for the sponsors are provided by the central office sponsoring the event. Substitute coverage funding source information should be provided as part of the event notification.
Unless the substitute is funded from the school’s allocation of school improvement substitutes, a substitute should not be called. The teacher should work with the resource teacher one-on-one during planning periods or outside the teaching time.
This is one of the rare cases where attendance at an event scheduled through PDO is not training and no professional leave is to be reported. The Early Ordering Support session is not training but a support activity provided to schools to assist them in accomplishing their early ordering.
No, attendance at a union meeting is Union Business Leave (UBL). The form for union business leave should be provided by the individual union.
Yes, when a substitute is required it is considered professional leave. However, if the coverage for the teacher’s class can be accomplished without substitute coverage there is no leave category required and the time for the teacher would be posted in PACS as REG.