Human Resources - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Associate Superintendent,
Karen Sakata
925.942.3407
General
Hiring
New Employees/Benefits
Substitute Teachers
Credentials
Fingerprinting
Q. Does
CCCOE facilitate the hiring process for all school districts in Contra
Costa County?
A. Each school district in Contra Costa County has its own hiring process
and procedure. The Contra Costa County Office of Education is not involved
in the hiring process and procedures for the districts.
Q. Do
all the school districts pay the same?
A. The pay rates for employees varies from district to district. You
must call the school district office to discuss their current rate of
pay.
Q. Where
are job postings located?
A. Job postings may be located in the Human Resources lobby of the CCCOE
and are also available online. You may also
call the Human Resources Department directly at 925.942.3387 to inquire
about openings.
Q. What
is the difference between Certificated and Classified Employees?
A. Certificated
employees are required to have a Credential from the California Commission
on Teacher Credentialing. Classified Employees are not required to have
a teaching credential.
-
Certificated employees belong to the California Teachers Association (CTA) and include, teachers, speech therapists, school psychologists, nurses, and similar classifications.
-
Classified employees belong to the Local 1 Union and include clerical staff, instructional assistants, custodians, accounting personnel and similar classifications.
-
We also have management, confidential and professional administrative employees. Some of these positions are Certificated and some are Classified. These employees do not belong to a union. They include Principals, Managers, Directors, Coordinators, Specialists, etc.
New
Employees/Benefits Questions
Q. How
long is the probationary period for new employees?
A. The probationary
period for classified staff is six months, and fully credentialed, certificated
staff have a probationary period of two years.
Q. What
benefits does CCCOE offer? What is the medical cap?
A. Benefits, include health, dental, vacation, and sick leave. Employer conributions vary between bargaining units. Please see our Benefits page for more information.
Q: What is your certificated salary schedule and how many years of service do you give credit for?
A: Please see our certificated salary schedule. We give up to 12 years credit for service in a certificated position. Credit for education is as specified in the column headers of the salary schedule. Addition compensation is given for a Masters and/or a Doctorate as indicated on the Salary Schedule.
Q. What
retirement system is in effect for the Office of Education and other
certificated staff?
A. State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) is available to teachers and Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) is available to classified staff. Please see our Benefits page for contribution amounts.
Q. How
do I get my name onto a Substitute Teacher’s List?
A. Each district in Contra Costa County has its own Substitute List. The requirements and procedures will vary. You will need to contact them individually to apply.
Q. How
much does a substitute teacher make?
A. The pay
rate for substitute teachers in Contra Costa County varies from district
to district. You must call the school district office to discuss their
current rate of pay.
CCCOE pays
$105 per day to start, with an increase to $120 when you have completed
29 assignments. Substitute teachers who choose to work for CCCOE will
be assigned to Special Education classes, Court or Community Schools
or Career Education (ROP) classes.
Q. I don’t
have a teaching credential, but I want to do some substitute teaching.
What do I need to do?
A. You need to apply for a credential or permit through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). The commission will mail you all the necessary forms along with instructions detailing the required documentation you must gather in order to apply for your credential or permit. At the very least, you will need to have your original transcripts from the college or university you attended where you received a Bachelors Degree or higher; and an original CBEST card which was issued to you after you passed the CBEST. At this point you can apply for positions with the school districts. They can help you with the forms and fingerprinting requirements.
Questions may also be directed to our credentials department.
Q. How
long does it take to get my Emergency 30-day Permit?
A. After
the California Commission
on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) receives your application, it takes
approximately 1-4 months to receive your credential or permit in the
mail.
Your district will process a “Temporary County Certificate”
(TCC) while you are waiting for the credential or permit to be issued.
The TCC allows you to begin substitute teaching as soon as the district
has received fingerprint clearance from the Department of Justice. The
TCC is valid for one year.
Q. I have
a credential issued from another state (other than California) what
do I need to do?
A. Most out
of state credentials qualify an applicant under AB 877 to receive a
California Preliminary Credential. For further information on what is
required for this process, you may contact our office or the California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC).
Q. I have
a credential or permit that is about to expire. What do I do?
A. If your
credential or permit is about to expire, you will need to fill out a
“renewal & reissuance” form. Our Credentials
Unit has the form and will mail it to you if you are unable to come
by the office to pick one up. Your credential will list any renewal
requirements from CCTC.
If your credential
has been expired for many years, it is advisable for you to call the
California Commission
on Teacher Credentialing to discuss the possible requirements of
continuing education or other requirements before you can successfully
renew your credential.
Q. I’m
enrolled in a credentialing program to get my single-subject credential,
but I’m not finished yet. Can I get hired by a district?
A. It is possible to be hired by a district prior to obtaining a single-subject credential. The applicant would be required to obtain a Pre-Intern/Intern Certificate or an Emergency Long-Term permit. These are acquired through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The applicant and the employer must both meet the general and specific requirements as stated by the commission. To obtain a list of specific requirements you may contact the Credentials Unit at the Contra Costa County Office of Education or the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC)
Q: Does the County Office of Education offer the US Constitution exam?
A: Yes, more
information can be found on the Credentials
page or by calling 925.942.5388.
Q. How
do I make an appointment to be Livescanned (fingerprinted)?
A. Livescan
services are open to the public on an appointment-only basis. You will
need a “Request for Livescan” form from the agency that is
requiring you to be fingerprinted. If you have that form, call 925.942.3398
for an appointment. There may be fees involved, be sure to ask.
Q. How
long does it take to get fingerprint clearance?
A. Fingerprint
clearance varies. Approximate time frame is one to two weeks. However,
it can take as long as several months to clear.
Q. I’ve
been fingerprinted before; do I still need to do it again?
A. It is against the law for different agencies to share confidential fingerprint results with each other. Therefore, you must be “Livescanned” (fingerprinted) any time you change employers when you work in the public school system.
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77 Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523