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SECTIONS I AND II OF CPS POLICY ARE IDENTICAL TO CABE; SECTION III IS IN ADDITION.
A LEGAL REFERENCE UPDATE IS INCLUDED
4115.3P
PERSONNEL - CERTIFIED
ATHLETIC COACHES
It is the policy of the Colchester Board of Education that an athletic coach employed by the
Board shall:
1. adhere to all Board of Education, state and Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic
Conference (CIAC) Board policies, rules and regulations;
2. conduct himself or herself in a professional manner;
3. serve as a role model for students; and
4. demonstrate competence and proficiency in his or her role as an athletic coach of a
particular sport defined in the job description.
For purposes of this policy, the term “athletic coach” means any person holding a coaching
permit who is hired by a local or regional board of education to act as a coach for a sport
season. This term “coach” under this policy shall include all coaches who have direct
responsibility for one or more teams including head coaches, assistant coaches and volunteer
coaches who serve as coach to a team (e.g., JV).
I. Evaluations
Pursuant to state law, there shall be an annual evaluation of all athletic coaches, to be
conducted by the coach’s immediate supervisor. Each coach shall receive a written copy of the
evaluation.
The purposes of evaluation are:
1. To provide a systematic process whereby coaches may increase the effectiveness of
their services to the athletic program utilizing the available professional resources.
ATHLETIC COACHES Page 1 of 4
2. To provide an opportunity for coaches to analyze their strengths and weaknesses,
and to discuss objectively the contributions they have made to the athletic program.
3. To provide an opportunity to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of individual
coaches, and to utilize this knowledge to develop supervisory service to assist
individuals in developing their competence.
4. To provide an effective means by which administrators may make recommendations
concerning the continued employment of personnel, and/or other
recommendations to the Board of Education.
It is the responsibility of all administrators, coaches and other professional staff members to
recognize that the district schools intend to seek and maintain the best qualified staff to
provide quality coaching for student athletes. In keeping with this goal, all coaching personnel
are expected to participate fully in the appraisal process.
An integral part of this process is self-appraisal. The self and administrative appraisals include:
knowledge of sports area, coaching skills and techniques, attitudes, behavior patterns, values
and ethics.
II. Employment of an Athletic Coach
It is the responsibility of school administrators and athletic directors to recognize that the
Colchester Board of Education athletic coaches serve at the discretion of the Superintendent,
and their employment in their specific coaching positions (e.g., basketball, golf) may be
non-renewed or terminated at any time except as follows.
If the athletic coach has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive
school years, the following procedures shall apply. The Superintendent may non-renew the
employment of any such athletic coach by providing written notification of that action within
ninety (90) calendar days of the end of the season. The Superintendent may terminate the
employment of any such athletic coach at any time for 1) for reasons of moral misconduct,
insubordination, failure to comply with the Board’s CIAC policies, rules and regulations; or 2)
because the sport has been canceled. If a decision to terminate a coach’s employment is made
during the athletic season, the Superintendent shall remove the coach from duty during the
pendency of any hearing conducted pursuant to this policy.
Any coach that has held the same coaching position for three or more years, for which the
Board terminates or non-renews the contract shall be informed of the Board’s decision within
ninety (90) days of the completion of the sport season covered by the contract. The coach may
request a written statement from the Board specifying the reason(s) for the Board’s action. The
statement shall be provided within thirty (30) days of the request. The decision to terminate or
ATHLETIC COACHES Page 2 of 4
non-renew the coach’s contract may be appealed by the coach in a manner prescribed by the
Board.
The Superintendent of Schools may terminate the contract of any coach at any time for reasons
of moral misconduct, insubordination or a violation of the rules of the Board or because a sport
has been cancelled by the Board.
III. Hearing Procedures
An athletic coach who has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive
years may appeal any such non-renewal or termination decision (except if such decision was
due to cancellation of the sport) to the Board of Education in accordance with the following
procedures:
A. The athletic coach must file a written appeal with the Board within ten (10) calendar days
f non-renewal or termination. Such appeal
of the Superintendent’s written notification o
shall set forth the basis on which the athletic coach seeks review of that decision, and a
copy of said appeal shall be sent to the Superintendent. Failure to submit a timely written
appeal shall constitute a waiver of said appeal opportunity.
B. Within a reasonable period of time of its receipt of a written appeal of the
Superintendent’s decision, the Board or a committee of the Board as designated by the
Chairperson shall conduct a hearing to consider such appeal. Reasonable notice of the
time and place for such hearing shall be issued to the athletic coach prior to the
commencement of the hearing.
C. At the hearing, the athletic coach shall have an opportunity to present facts and evidence
in support of renewal and/or reinstatement, and the Superintendent shall have the
opportunity (but shall not be obligated) to present facts and evidence in support of the
decision of non-renewal and/or termination. For good cause shown, the athletic coach
may call a limited number of witnesses to testify if there is a clear need for witnesses to
present factual information (rather than simply expressing an opinion on the skill or
competence of the athletic coach). In any event, cumulative or redundant testimony shall
not be allowed.
D. The decision of non-renewal or termination shall be affirmed unless the Board
determines that the decision is arbitrary and capricious. The coach shall bear the burden
of proof on this point.
E. Within a reasonable period of time following the hearing, the Board shall determine
whether the Superintendent acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in making
his/her decision not to renew and/or to terminate, and shall provide a written decision to
the coach. The decision of the Board shall be final.
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Legal References: CT General Statutes
10-151b Evaluation by superintendent of certain educational personnel
10-220a In-service training
10-222e Policy on evaluation and termination of athletic coaches
Public Act 04-243
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-149 Qualifications for coaches of intramural and interscholastic
athletic coaches (as amended by P.A. 13-41)
10-151b Evaluation by superintendent of certain educational personnel
10-220a In-service training
10-222e Policy on evaluation and termination of athletic coaches (as
amended by P.A. 13-41)
P.A. 13-41 An Act Concerning Hiring Standards for Athletic Directors
P.A. 02-243 An Act Concerning Notification in Cases of Termination of
Coaches
Policy adopted: April 13, 2011
Policy revised: May 11, 2021
COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Colchester, Connecticut
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