Burke County Public Schools
Helpful Resources from Human Resources - October 2020
HR Staff Changes
Listed below is the contact information for important services that Mrs. Smith provided:
Retirement
Rocky Epley 439-4301
FMLA (including maternity leave)
Tammy Huffman 439-4322
Worker's Comp
Corona Caldwell-Kanipe 439-4325
Open Enrollment ends October 31st. Click here to begin completing your Open Enrollment.
All active members will be moved to the 70/30 Plan for the 2021 benefit year. Members will need to take action during Open Enrollment if they want to enroll in the 80/20 Plan or reduce their monthly premium. Click here for a Plan Comparison.
Tobacco users who want to reduce their subscriber-only premium by $60 will need to visit a CVS MinuteClinic or a Primary Care Provider who offers the service for at least one face-to-face tobacco cessation counseling session by November 30, 2020. Click here for details!
Click here to view a video that walks you step-by-step through the online enrollment process.
Click here to view the Decision Guide for more information on benefit changes and premium rates.
Feel free to call Tammy Huffman at 439-4322 if you have questions about Open Enrollment.
Need face-to-face assistance with Open Enrollment? Stop by the HR Department at 700 East Parker Road between 7:30 - 4:00 on Wednesday, October 21st.
There are still several clinics offered at Burke County School facilities. If an employee misses the clinic at their worksite, they are welcome to attend one of the other locations.
A remote learning day is both a teacher workday and a remote learning day...on the same day. Remote instructional material must be prepared and provided for students to use during the remote instruction day. Staff has the option of reporting to the building to work or taking a vacation/annual leave day.
Screening for COVID-19
Attached is the COVID Flowchart we are using for students and staff. Listed below is a summary of the flowchart.
If a student or staff member has been exposed but has not tested positive, then they must quarantine for 14 days (even if the student or staff member gets tested and it is negative). Remember, exposure is defined as being within 6 feet of someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer.
If a student or staff member has been diagnosed with COVID-19 but does not show symptoms, then they must quarantine for 10 days since their first positive test.
If a student or staff member is displaying one of the Big 5 symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, chills, shortness of breath, new cough, or new loss of smell/taste), then they can not come to school.
If the student or staff member tests negative (rapid antigen test): home until follow-up negative PCR test, no fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine), AND they have felt well for 24 hours.
If the student or staff member tests negative (PCR COVID-19 test): home until no fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine), AND they have felt well for 24 hours.
If confirmed positive, students and staff members must quarantine until 10 days since first symptoms started AND no fever for 24 hours (without medicine), AND symptom improvement (including coughing and shortness of breath).
Daily Attestation Statements
Anyone on a BCPS campus must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth. Also, please socially distance and practice good hygiene. Don't forget, you acknowledge with a daily attestation by entering on campus that you:
- Have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the last time worked.
- Have not had close contact (within 6 feet for over 15 minutes) in the last 14 days with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
- The health department or a health care provider has not been in contact with you and advised you to quarantine.
- You do not have any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, new cough, or new loss of taste or smell.
- You have had your temperature checked upon arriving at work and your temperature was less than 100.0.
Emergency Paid Sick Leave
In order to help protect the public health and safeguard the well-being of public school employees, the federal government has authorized the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) in response to the pandemic.
Federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave is available to employees in Burke County Public Schools until December 31, 2020, and may be extended by the federal government.
Up to 80 hours of paid Federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave may be granted by employers for the following:
- Employees who are sick due to symptoms consistent with COVID-19, who are caring for a dependent with COVID-19 symptoms, or a healthcare provider has advised the employee to self-quarantine.
- Employees are unable to work because they are caring for a son or daughter whose childcare is unavailable due to COVID-19.
Please check with your immediate supervisor if you need more information about Emergency Paid Sick Leave.
Interested in becoming National Board Certified? The process is more flexible than ever!
Click here for a great resource on getting started on National Board Certification in North Carolina!
Teachers can check their CEU's by logging into their TimeKeeper account.
Attached below are the CEU requirements for the 2020-2021 school year.
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Do you have a certificate that needs to be added to your CEU report? Click here for the step by step directions on how to submit your certificate.
When entering information in TimeKeeper, if the professional development activity was in the area of technology, please make sure you choose "Digital Learning". Technology is no longer required. The new term DPI uses for this credit is "Digital Learning".
Have you entered a professional development activity into TimeKeeper and it was rejected? If so, you can click on the activity and find out the reason it was rejected.
An appointment is required for any employee that needs to change their legal name. After an employee receives their new driver's license and social security card, they can contact Tammy Huffman at 439-4322 to schedule an appointment to officially change their name with Burke County Public Schools.
Human Resources Directory
Rocky Epley - Licensure and NCEES 439-4301
Tammy Huffman - Benefits (Health Insurance), Frontline (AESOP), and Substitutes 439-4322
Penny Smith - FMLA (includes maternity leaves), Retirement and Worker's Comp 439-4300
When emailing, please use - pmsmith@burke.k12.nc.us.
There are two Penny Smith's employed with Burke County Public Schools.
Debbie Story - Transcripts, Volunteers and CEU's 439-4323
Department of Human Resources
Website: www.burke.k12.nc.us
Location: 700 East Parker Road, Morganton, NC, USA
Phone: 828-439-4323
Twitter: @BCPS_HR