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Per Article 15.E. of the HCPSS/HCEA Master Agreement, "Any unit member who retires or resigns effective July 1 of any year and who files the necessary documents committing to such intent no later than March 1 of that year will receive termination pay matching the greater of the following two options:

1. $500 or
2. Pay equal to two percent (2%) of accumulated unused sick leave as of the date of retirement or resignation, up to a maximum of $1200.”

As such, certificated instructional staff (teachers, counselors, etc.) should complete the Intent to Retire form by March 1 in order to receive the additional pay listed above upon their retirement or resignation.

The HCPSS Intent to Retire form can be found on the Staff Hub > Services > Employee Resources > Retirement and requires Active Directory login.

Please note! This notification bonus is for certificated staff only and does not apply to non-certificated staff (paraeducators, secretaries, student assistants, custodians, etc.), or supervisory staff (principals, assistant principals, directors, coordinators, etc.).
 

The HCPSS Get To Know series was created to help staff learn more about system leaders in schools and offices with whom they may not typically interact. HCPSS leaders answer a mix of personal and professional questions in an effort to let all employees get to know them better. Please use this form to nominate an HCPSS leader to be featured in the series.

Dr. Jeffries recently was named the HCPSS executive director of Special Education. He previously served as the Special Education administrator for the Edmonds School District in Washington state.

Why did you choose to work in education?
I believe in the transformative power of learning and teaching.

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
Do not rush into making decisions.

What is on your bucket list?
The Old Course [golf course] at St Andrews, Scotland.

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever been?
Cuba

Workday is the official employee system of record for all HCPSS staff. All employees should ensure both their personal and professional contact information is up to date by logging in to Workday and making any necessary edits.

Keeping your personal contact information current ensures that when employees retire or leave the system, they can still review pay stubs, W-2 forms, etc., by using their personal email address.

Central Offices staff please take note that the public CO Staff Directory automatically pulls its information from Workday so it's crucial to have your work contact information correct there.

Directions on viewing and/or modifying contact information can be found in the Workday Canvas Community.

In addition to being eligible to join the Howard County Education Federal Credit Union, HCPSS staff now have the option to join the Educational Systems Federal Credit Union. Both offer savings and checking options along with a variety of loan options. 

Details on both credit unions are available online.

Howard County Council Bill 14-2023 established the Student Loan Assistance Program for HCPSS teachers. The program provides $225,000 per year for five years to help eligible certificated HCPSS staff repay their student loans.

To be eligible for funding through the Student Loan Assistance Program, an HCPSS employee must meet the following the criteria: 

• Be a current, full-time, permanent HCPSS employee
• Be a member of the Howard County Education Association (HCEA) certificated bargaining unit.  
• Have received a graduate, professional, or undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university
• Have been employed with the HCPSS full-time for 5 school years
• Possesses one of the following certifications:
  • Professional Eligibility Certificate (PEC)
  • Standard Professional Certificate I (SPC I)
  • Standard Professional Certificate II (SPC II)
  • Advanced Professional Certificate (APC)
• Not currently in default on any of their student loans
• Have incurred at least $20K in student loan debt for any education loan used for undergraduate or graduate study obtained for tuition, educational expenses, or living expenses.
• Have a remaining balance of $5K or more on their student loan

Applications for the Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program will be accepted between February 3 and March 31, 2025. The application will be posted on the Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program website.

The amount of money awarded to each applicant will be determined by the Howard County government. Applicants will receive an email no later than May 31, 2025, outlining the amount of their award. 

More information about the Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program is available in these FAQs and on the HCPSS website.

Should you require assistance, please email TeachersLoanAssistance@hcpss.org with your inquiry.

The HCPSS Get To Know series was created to help staff learn more about system leaders in schools and offices with whom they may not typically interact. HCPSS leaders answer a mix of personal and professional questions in an effort to let all employees get to know them better. Please use this form to nominate an HCPSS leader to be featured in the series.

Why did you choose to work in education?  
To help students reach their full potential.

What is your role within HCPSS?
[One of two Directors who] supervise and support elementary schools.

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
Treat others how you want to be treated.

What is something you like a lot that would surprise people?
Taking long walks with my goldendoodle Bentley.

What is on your bucket list?
A European vacation.

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever been?
Turks & Caicos

Reminder! HCPSS recently transitioned its application system from Frontline to Workday Recruiting. Current HCPSS employees, including temporary employees, should visit the Jobs Hub in Workday. Answers to frequently asked questions about employment with HCPSS can be found here.

HCPSS hiring managers should join the Human Resources course in Canvas to access information and training resources for Workday Recruiting. 

External applicants may view and apply for current openings via the HCPSS external career site. 

For those staff who elected to receive electronic copies of year-end tax documents, 2024 W-2s are now available in Workday. Detailed instructions on how to view/print the W-2 are available online.

For staff who elected  to receive both electronic and paper copies of tax documents, electronic W-2s will be available January 30. (This information was shared in the Opt Out Alert on Dec. 9.) Paper copies of the W-2s will be mailed via USPS and postmarked no later than Jan. 31.  

If you would like immediate access to your 2024 electronic copy sooner, please make the electronic only election in Workday. Once this selection is made, you will have access. 

New for 2025, the HCPSS Instructional Support Center (ISC) will be open each week on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-7 p.m. Please note, if HCPSS schools are closed due to inclement weather, the ISC also will be closed.

More information on the ISC can be found online. If you haven't yet been, come to the ISC to explore resources and create instructional support materials that will engage students.

! IMPORTANT ! It is the responsibility of each staff member to check one of the HCPSS notification sources for closing information.

In emergency situations (including inclement weather), information will be shared with the community through a number of platforms.

The HCPSS emergency notification sources are:

• HCPSS Status website
• HCPSS homepage
• HCPSS community email/text alert
• X / Twitter
• HCPSS Information Hotline (410-313-6666)

HCPSS does not use schools-out.com, e-schoolnews.com or local news stations for any notifications. Only the sources listed above should be used to confirm emergency information.

Staff who have not already done so, or who are not parents in the system are strongly encouraged to sign up for HCPSS email/text notifications. Otherwise, it is the staff member’s responsibility to check one of the above notification sources for closing information. Staff reporting details during an emergency can be found online.

Please Note: 

• Staff who are parents in the system do not need to sign up, as you already receive these notices.
• If you believe you are signed up to receive messages and are not receiving them, please do not create a new account. Email webmaster@hcpss.org with any issues.  
• If you are unsure if you have already opted in to text messaging, text the word “YES” to 67587.
• Unsubscribing from any school or district email or text will unsubscribe a user from all messaging, including emergency notifications.

To subscribe or edit your subscription:

• Staff email/text sign up
• Manage your subscription (non-HCPSS parents/guardians)