Travel Guidelines for Remainder of 2009-2010 School Year

This communication is intended to update all staff on the status of out-of-area travel for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year.

Earlier this year all individuals who applied to be considered for agency-directed travel to out-of-state conferences were notified that it was very unlikely there would be any additional travel approved for this year due to budget constraints and the recent 10% across-the-board cut. After consideration of a variety of non-personnel budget cuts, the Agency will significantly reduce out-of-state travel for the remainder of this year. This will also extend to attendance at in-state conferences (professional learning where a fee is required).

Attendance at conferences will be approved under the following conditions:

• An individual must attend professional learning or a conference at an out-of-state location on behalf of the Agency in order to maintain the ability for the Agency to provide an essential service. (For example, a certification is required to deliver a certain kind of professional development.)
• An individual’s attendance is determined to be essential to the Agency in order to provide required services.
• An individual is traveling to recruit staff members to the Agency. (The destination or conference must have a proven record of successful recruitment or must have significant potential as identified by Human Resources.)
• The conference or travel is funded by a grant or other funding stream that cannot be used to cover other agency expenses.
• The conference or travel is in-state and part of a Department of Education or statewide AEA initiative.

Supervisors should submit any requests for out-of-state travel to the appropriate council (District Services or Operations Support) for approval.

Attendance at state-level conferences may be approved by a supervisor if that supervisor has sufficient funds within a budget for which he/she is the budget manager. If not, it must be approved by the Director of Professional Learning and Leadership.

If an individual is willing to spend his/her professional development allotment to pay conference registration, supervisors have discretion to allow attendance without the individual using his/her professional leave allotment.

On December 10 and 11 a group of Heartland Education Association and agency staff participated in a Kaizen event to analyze the Agency’s professional leave and travel procedures. This group will address procedures for the future and will participate in a follow-up to this Kaizen event in January 2010.