Application
The superintendent is responsible for the establishment and implementation of procedures for the recruitment, the evaluation, and the selection of applicants. An individual desiring a position with Shelby County Board of Education shall make application to the Superintendent on a Shelby County Board of Education approved application.

In a continuing effort to further ensure the safety and welfare of students and staff, the district shall require criminal history records checks and fingerprinting of all applicants for teaching and non-teaching positions upon an offer of employment. Substitute teachers and substitute non-teaching employees shall not be reimbursed. The Board shall reimburse applicants if the applicant accepts a position offered by the system and the background check is satisfactory.

The Board assigns to the superintendent the duty to conduct thorough background checks and to advise all applicants that all hiring decisions and reimbursements for the background checks are contingent upon satisfactory background check results.

Knowingly falsifying information shall be sufficient grounds for termination of employment and shall also constitute a Class A misdemeanor, which must be reported to the District Attorney General for prosecution.

Any person seeking employment as a director of schools, principal, professor, teacher, tutor, instructor or any other person having any responsibility over the custody and care of students is required to make a full disclosure of any prior criminal record and any prior dismissals from employment for cause. A person who fails to make such disclosures commits a Class A misdemeanor. If it is discovered that such person has failed to make such disclosures, he/she shall not be hired or if he/she has been hired, said employee shall forfeit his/her employment.

Professional Employees
The applicant must include a transcript of credits earned at the college or universities attended and references from persons such as previous employers, college professors and supervisors of student teachers. Other information shall include whether such applicant has been dismissed for cause from a school system. If previously employed by a local board of education, the applicant shall provide evidence of acceptable resignation.


Employment
It is the policy of Shelby County Schools to employ the strongest candidates available. Shelby County Schools will not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of age, gender, creed, race, national origin or disability in compliance with state/federal law.

No person shall be employed as a teacher or in a non-teaching position who does not comply with provisions of Tennessee Code Annotated regarding employment by a school district.

Upon initial employment of a teacher, the Superintendent shall notify such person, in writing, of the offer and conditions of employment. Upon written notification, the person shall have fourteen (14) days to accept or reject, in writing, the offer of employment. From the date of the written acceptance, such person is considered to be employed and is subject to all rights, privileges and duties of T.C.A. Title 49. Each support employee shall be advised of the required probationary period.