APPLYING FOR PERMANENT PLACEMENT IN DOMESTIC DEPENDENT ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS (DDESS) CONUS POSITIONS

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1 FACT SHEET FOR EXCESS PERMANENT DoDDS EDUCATORS APPLYING FOR PERMANENT PLACEMENT IN DOMESTIC DEPENDENT ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS (DDESS) CONUS POSITIONS DDESS CONUS Locations The 61 DDESS schools in CONUS are organized into 5 school districts: Georgia/Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina/Fort Stewart, and New York/Virginia. Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam are NOT part of this placement program. For individual locations and additional information, you may view our link at: How to Apply: If you are interested in being considered for a position in DDESS through this placement program, you must complete the application form on our web page at Applications will be accepted through close of business January 30, Selections will be made by February 13, 2006 for SY 2006/2007. CERTIFICATION All teachers must be certified at the time of application. DDESS accepts DoDEA certification. DDESS also accepts valid state certificates in the subject area and state for which applying. PAY - The pay for DDESS employees is set in accordance with the Master Labor Agreement between DDESS and the Federal Education Association-Stateside Region and may vary by location. Teachers are paid based on academic salary lanes which reflect degrees and graduate coursework completed after each degree. Service increments or steps are provided to recognize years of verified experience up to the allowed maximum. There will be no saved pay. The current DDESS educator salary schedules can be viewed at the following link: PCS ALLOWANCES - In connection with your PCS move to a DDESS location, you will be entitled to relocation allowances from your current permanent duty station to your new permanent duty station. For a complete description of your PCS entitlements, please refer to pages 6 and 7. LEAVE - Educator leave is front-loaded at the beginning of the pay year. Employees must be in a pay status to accrue leave. Leave is earned/credited as follows: Sick Leave Full-time employees earn 12 days of sick leave per school year. Personal Leave Full-time employees earn 3 days of personal leave per school year. Personal leave can be used for any purpose and accumulates from year to year up to a maximum of 6 days. Emergency Leave Bank An Emergency Leave Bank is established at each installation and leave is available for use by eligible employees in case of a medical emergency, catastrophic illness, or injury. Employees may join by contributing at least one sick or personal leave day during the first 30 days of employment or during open season. Page 1

2 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Q1: Does DDESS have a teachers union? A: Yes - DDESS educators in CONUS are represented by the Federal Education Association- Stateside Region (FEA-SR) and are covered under the FEA-SR Master Labor Agreement. Q2: Does DDESS have a Transfer Program? A: There is no Transfer Program within DDESS. Q3: Will I qualify for a DDESS teaching position based on my DoDEA certificate? A: Yes - DoDEA certificates are accepted. Q4: How many duty days are in the school year? A: DDESS teachers have 190 duty days (1520 hours). DDESS teachers are paid based on an hourly rate. Q5: Do all DDESS schools have the same school year calendar? A: No - DDESS schools begin at different times based on location. Q6: What is creditable service for pay setting purposes? A: For DoDDS educators selected under this Excess Placement Program, all DoDDS and DDESS teaching experience as well as up to ten years of non-federal teaching experience is creditable for pay setting purposes. Q7: What is the DDESS Pay Year? A: The DDESS pay year for SY will begin on June 25, All bargaining unit employees receive their pay spread over 26 pay periods. Q8: What is spread pay? A: All permanent DDESS bargaining unit members will have their annual salary spread over 26 pay periods. This salary is referred to as paid hourly rate. Q9: What do the three columns on the DDESS Pay Schedules represent? A: Annual salary, paid hourly rate (spread pay rate based on 2087 hours or a calculated number of hours), and earned hourly rate (based on 190 days/1520 hours). Q10: What is pay reconciliation and when is it completed? A: At a minimum, pay reconciliation is completed at the end of each pay year. The pay reconciliation is processed to ensure the employee received all monies due based on actual days worked and annual salary projected. Q11: What is the first step of the DDESS Pay Schedules? A: DDESS Pay Schedules start at step 0. Page 2

3 Q12: Will I get a step increase each year I work for DDESS? A: Full-time employees must complete at least 120 or more workdays to be eligible for a step increase. There are 30 steps (0-29) with no longevity steps. Q13: How does DDESS process Academic Salary Lane (ASL) changes? A: Upon completion of a higher level degree or additional graduate or under graduate hours, the employee must submit official transcripts and an ASL application to the HR office at the DDESS Area Service Center. DoDDS Educators who accept employment with DDESS under the Excess Placement Program will retain their current DoDDS ASL. Credit for undergraduate course work completed after their appointment with DDESS may be applied toward the next ASL. Up to a maximum of 6 undergraduate credit hours for the current recertification cycle can be accepted toward your next ASL. Q14: Will I be eligible to receive a Living Quarters Allowance (LQA) and Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)? A: No - LQA and COLA are not paid in the United States. Q15: Will I be eligible to receive Advance Pay? A: No - Advance Pay is not authorized for a PCS move to the United States. Q16: If I currently have household goods (HHG) in nontemporary storage at Government expense, will my authorization continue while I am employed with DDESS? A: No - Nontemporary storage of HHG is not authorized when you are assigned to a position in CONUS. Your eligibility for nontemporary storage terminates at the beginning of the 2 nd month after your last day of work at your DoDDS duty station. Any costs for nontemporary storage of HHG after your eligibility terminates are your financial responsibility. Q17: If I accept a position with DDESS and am eligible for RAT this summer, will I be eligible to exercise renewal agreement travel (RAT) and then PCS to my new DDESS location? A: No you will not be eligible to perform RAT. You will be authorized a PCS move from your current DoDDS permanent duty station to your new DDESS permanent duty station. Q18: Am I authorized RAT travel while assigned to a position with DDESS? A: No Rat travel is not authorized while assigned to a position in CONUS. Q19: When I separate (i.e. resign or retire) from my position with DDESS, will I be eligible to have my household goods shipped at Government expense to another location? A: No - Separation travel and transportation entitlements are not authorized at Government expense when you separate from a position in CONUS. Q20: If I reapply and get selected for a position back with DoDDS at some time in the future, will my actual residence (home of record) for travel and transportation purposes be the same as the one that I previously established with DoDDS? A: No - Your actual residence (home of record) will be reestablished based on your residence at the time of your selection. Your actual residence is normally the place from which reassigned and where your household goods and dependents are maintained at the time of reassignment. Therefore, in almost all cases, the actual residence will be established as your residence at the DDESS location to which you are assigned at the time of reemployment overseas. Page 3

4 Q21: May my child attend the DDESS School where I teach? A: No - Only children living in base housing are eligible to attend the DDESS schools. Q22: Will I be eligible for base housing? A: No - There is no base housing available for civilian employees. Q23: Will my life insurance, health insurance, TSP and Retirement benefits transfer from DoDDS to DDESS? A: All benefits (health, life, TSP and Retirement) will transfer from DoDDS to DDESS without interruption as long as there is no break in service. However, for health benefits, employees may enroll or change enrollment beginning 31 days before leaving the old post of duty or within 60 days after arriving at new post. Q24: What happens to my DoDDS educator leave when I am permanently placed in DDESS? A: Your educator leave converts to sick leave and is credited to your DDESS sick leave account. Q25: Will I serve a probationary period in DDESS? A. If you have completed a trial period in DoDDS, you will not be required to serve a probationary period in DDESS. Q26: Can I be placed in teaching categories that I have on my certificate but did not include as part of my application? A: You will only be considered for those categories listed on your application. However, as in DoDDS, you could be reassigned to another position later based on DDESS needs. Q27: How will applicants be selected? A: Selection will be made by the DDESS selecting official. Q28: Will SCD determine who will be selected? A: No. Q29: If I am offered a permanent placement to DDESS under this program, must I accept? A: Yes. Q30: If I am offered a permanent placement to DDESS and accept, may I request reconsideration for any positions that open in my current district? A: No - Reconsideration will not be approved. Q31: I have an approved compassionate reassignment request. May I apply for this program? A: No - This program is for excess employees only. Q32: Will married couples be allowed to apply for joint consideration? A: Yes - But there is no guarantee that you both will receive offers. Married couples who do not receive offers within the same commuting area will have the option to decline the position or to have one of the spouses elect leave without pay (LWOP). Page 4

5 Q33. If I accept employment with DDESS, will I still be eligible to apply for future positions through the DoDDS Transfer Program? A: No - DDESS educators cannot apply through the DoDDS Transfer Program. However, you may apply through the DoDDS CONUS recruitment program. Q34. What are my placement options if I am not selected for a DDESS position? A: If you are not selected, we will attempt to place you in one of your expressed district preference locations. If you cannot be placed in the district or if you opted to forego district placement, you will be considered as an excess employee through the DoDDS Transfer Program. Although your preferences will be considered in the DoDDS Transfer Program, you could be placed at any DoDDS location worldwide. Q35. Will I be eligible for a government ID card? A: Yes. However; the government ID card will only allow you access to the base. You are not authorized access to the commissary, post-exchange, or other privileges normally associated with the government ID card overseas. Page 5

6 PCS ENTITLEMENTS FOR EXCESS DoDDS EDUCATORS MOVING TO DDESS PCS Entitlements If selected, DoDEA will provide relocation allowances from your current DoDDS permanent duty location to your new DDESS permanent duty station. This includes the following relocations expenses: (1) transportation and per diem for you and your immediate family member(s); (2) miscellaneous expense allowance due to relocation of households; (3) transportation and temporary storage of household goods; (4) relocation income tax allowance; (5) shipment of privately owned vehicle; and (6) temporary quarters subsistence expense (TQSE) (actual expense) allowance for a period not to exceed 60 days after arrival at your new duty station if it is necessary for you to occupy temporary quarters. If you are currently eligible for living quarters allowance or free Government housing at your overseas duty location, you will also be able to receive up to 30 days of outgoing temporary quarters subsistence allowance (TQSA) immediately preceding your final departure from the post. Household Goods (HHG) Shipment In conjunction with your PCS move to a DDESS school, your entitlement to HHG shipment is from your current DoDDS permanent duty station to your new DDESS permanent duty station. Transportation of HHG is limited to items associated with your home and all personal effects belonging to you and your dependents on the effective date of your PCS move. Shipment may originate at your last permanent duty station, your actual residence or some other point. The destination for shipment of your HHG may be to your new permanent duty station or another point or the destination for part of the HHG may be to your new duty station and the remainder to one or more points. However, the total amount that may be paid for by the Government must not exceed the cost of transportation of your HHG in one lot from your current permanent duty station to your new duty station. You will be responsible for any additional costs related to split shipments or multiple shipments. The total weight of HHG shipped and stored at Government expense may not exceed 18,000 pounds. You will be financially responsible for any transportation costs exceeding the authorized weight limit. Unaccompanied Baggage In conjunction with the shipment of your HHG to your new DDESS location, you will also be authorized a shipment of unaccompanied baggage. The unaccompanied baggage allowance is 350 lbs. net weight for each adult and dependent age 12 and older and 175 lbs. net weight for each child under 12. However, the total amount of unaccompanied baggage transported by air or any expedited mode must not exceed 1,000 lbs. net weight. Unaccompanied baggage is part of the total authorized weight allowance. Page 6

7 Storage Entitlements Temporary Storage of HHG - The initial period for temporary storage of HHG in conjunction with an authorized shipment will be for 90 days. Upon receiving a written request from you, the initial 90-day period may be extended for an additional period of up to 90 days under certain conditions to include unavailability of housing, completion of residence under construction, serious illness of employee, illness or death of a family member, or other circumstances beyond the control of the employee. There is no authority, however, to extend temporary storage beyond the 180-day period. Any cost for temporary storage incurred beyond the 180-day authorization period will be your responsibility. Nontemporary Storage (NTS) of HHG If you currently have household goods in NTS at Government expense, your eligibility for storage at Government expense will terminate the beginning of the 2 nd month after the month that your eligibility ends. Eligibility ends on your last day of work at your DoDDS permanent duty station. For example, if your last day of work is June 17, 2006, your eligibility for NTS at Government expense will terminate August 1, Any costs for NTS after your eligibility terminates will be your responsibility. There is no authorization for NTS of your HHG while you are assigned to a stateside location. Special note: Separation travel entitlements are not authorized within the United States. Therefore, when you separate (i.e. resign, retire) from Federal employment from a DDESS position in the United States, your travel and the transportation of your household goods and privately owned vehicle to another location will be at your personal expense. Request for Travel Orders DoDEA employees may request travel orders via the online Travel Order Processing System (TOPS) at Page 7