Instructor Guidelines and Responsibilities
1. Instructors will complete an application with course description, instructor biography, and syllabus. Instructors will agree to provide a criminal background check at their own expense. Instructors will agree to abide by our Vision Statement, the Statement of Faith, and Dress Code.
2. The Crown Administrators will make the decision to approve instructors and classes after checking references, class content and the availability on the Crown schedule.
3. CHC (Crown Homeschool Community) conducts itself in a manner that honors Biblical principles. As such, instructors must abide by Crown’s Statement of Faith and not teach against it.
Tuition and other fees:
4. Once an instructor has committed to teach a class, it is expected that the class will be taught through the remainder of the Crown year. Therefore, no changes in any class, including content, fees, duration, or teaching personnel may be made without the PRIOR approval of the Crown Administrative Team.
5. CHC instructors are self-employed, independent contractors paid by individual families, and they are responsible for keeping their own financial records and reporting to the IRS. No W-2 forms are issued since the Instructors are not employees of Crown, a division of Crown Homeschool Community, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
6. A non-refundable $50.00 deposit will be required for all class participants for each class. We ask that the teacher collect the deposit by June 1st. Supply fees and tuition proposed by instructors will be set following review by the Crown Administrators. Amounts cannot be raised after initial review unless approved by the Crown Administration; therefore, instructors should carefully set supply fees and tuition. Collection of tuition is the responsibility of the individual instructor; the Administrator may assist at the request of the instructor.
7. Instructors agree to pay the required instructor fees as determined by the Crown Administrators in consultation with the CHC Board, of $15.00/student/semester. This excludes any of your own children that are in your class. This fee does apply to any student to whom you have decided to waive tuition or trade out tuition. The Crown Treasurer will calculate semester instructor fees, which should be paid to Crown no later than the 30th of the initial month for the semester: (September 30th, January 30th). Late payment of the semester instructor’s fees will result in a late fee of $10.00, payable to “Crown Homeschool Community.” Check or Paypal are accepted forms of payment.
Explanation of the Semester Instructor Fees:
The reason for charging a semester instructor fee is fairly simple: just as a crafter pays a rental fee for space at a craft fair to sell his crafts, the Instructor fees are essentially “rent” for the classroom space. These fees go directly into the operating budget of CHC Crown and help pay for building usage fees, insurance, building damage repair, and general office supplies among other miscellaneous expenses such as facilities management, advertising of classes, etc.
8. Treasurer will provide an invoice for semester tuition payments and a current roster.
9. Instructors may require common supplies to be brought to their classes, such as paper, pencils, notebooks, pens, etc. The instructor may supply other specialized supplies needed for the classes (i.e.: science supplies purchased in bulk at the beginning of the year – beakers, chemicals, dissection supplies, etc.) and the instructor may charge a Supply Fee to cover the cost of these materials, but the fee must be explained in course proposal.
10. Instructors may require certain textbooks for use in their class(es) to be purchased by the parents. These should be clearly listed in the course description.
Communication:
11. Instructors, in association with Crown, are expected to be loyal to the concept of homeschooling when in the public arena.
12. Instructors should have a love for the subject they teach and a love for teaching students. They must make their class a priority and commit to following through with their goals and expectations set forth for the students and parents. Instructors will communicate these goals and expectations to the parents by submitting a detailed course description for the online Registration page. A syllabus or outline, which should include a preliminary schedule for class assignments and projects, should be given to parents, no later than orientation. Weekly assignment sheets should be given as necessary so that parents can assist students with any homework assigned.
13. Instructors should contact parents in the event a student is not performing according to the standards required by the class, as soon as the instructor is aware of this situation. Direct communication with parents and students should occur by the instructor throughout the year.
14. Instructors will create a parent/student email loop so that good communication will be maintained, especially if time-sensitive announcements arise.
15. Instructors will be given a username and password to have Wi-Fi access.
In class Responsibilities:
16. Minimal assignments, tests, or projects should be assigned during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break. We feel parents, students, and instructors need some vacation time. In giving assignments, remember that students have other classes, both at Crown and at home.
17. Instructors should keep attendance and tardiness records. Instructors are not required to complete transcripts for any student or give grades to students in 8th grade and below. All high school classes are expected to provide grades to the parents. Instructors should evaluate all students at least twice a year so that parents may assign grades as required by their own homeschooling. Any grades given to students (such as on a report or paper) should be made available to parents to help in their grading. You may also post grades on your Crown website classroom homepage.
18. Instructors will follow the discipline procedures as outlined in the CHC Classroom Discipline Policy. No corporal punishment shall be used to discipline students.
19. Instructors may determine their prerequisites for their class and have the final say in their class size but will need to communicate this with Crown Administrators before class approval.
20. Instructors may have assistants in their classes and make provisions for their compensation. In the event of an instructor's absence, the instructor must arrange for an approved substitute, provide instructional materials, and compensate accordingly. Instructors who require a substitute must let the administrative team know of their absence. Substitutes must have a background check and be approved by CHC administrators before teaching. Instructors must supply substitutes with class lists and emergency procedures. Substitutes will notify the administrative team when they arrive and sign in. Study Hall should never be substituted for an instructional class except in an emergency situation. Because instructors should expect to receive compensation for instructional classes only, the instructor should refund tuition for a cancelled class. Instructors are responsible for finding their own substitutes. The Crown Administrators makes no provision for substitute instructors, however they may be able to assist in finding a substitute if necessary. In the event that a qualified substitute is impossible to find, you must refund the students for that class as well as pay for a chaperone to sit with your class.
21. Instructors are expected to be on time and stay with their class at all times. Unforeseen trips to the bathroom or to talk to administration will require another instructor to supervise your classroom. Phone use must be used only in an emergency. No personal phone use during teaching time.
22. The last instructor in each room will ensure that their classrooms are returned to their original condition before leaving. This includes erasing/cleaning the whiteboard, replacing chairs and tables, picking up trash on the floor, vacuuming or sweeping if necessary, closing windows and blinds, replacing all church equipment, and placing trash outside in front of the kitchen. Please feel free to have the students help in the cleanup process. In order to keep rooms clean, NO FOOD OR DRINKS (except water) ARE ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOMS.
23. Crown will be responsible for conducting one fire drill during the school year. Instructors will follow the instructions provided by the Crown Administrators. Instructors will be responsible for having a printed copy of emergency procedures with their class roster(s) and will discuss emergency procedures with their students. Instructors will take attendance at the beginning of every class and take this roster with them in the event of an emergency to account for all students. Crown Administrators keep a record of all students with severe allergies or medical conditions and Instructors will alert them immediately in case of a medical emergency.
24. Visitors must get prior approval from the Crown Administrator and individual instructor. If approved, they must check in with the Crown Administrator and wear a visitor name badge. For security reasons, visitors must be accompanied by a member of the administration team during their visit. No children or students will be allowed to attend/visit/observe any classes unless accompanied by a parent.
25. Instructors will check that students are wearing ID badges on lanyards around their neck. If a student is not wearing a badge, the instructor will alert Crown Administration to get a temporary ID badge.
26. All scheduled activities, rehearsals, extra classes, and field trips need to be submitted to the Crown Administrator for approval. If planning a field trip or class day off campus, instructors need to provide a Parent Permission Slip for parents to turn into the Crown Administrator before the scheduled event.