Welcome to Human Resources

As a diverse and visionary learning community, we want individuals who are ready to prepare students to become critical thinkers with an emphasis on being ethical and productive citizens. Are you looking to start a career with an unwavering commitment to provide multiple life and learning experiences and be a dedicated professional that uses innovative teaching techniques to engage? Then, you have found your home!

Required Application Information

The online application will ask for the following:

• Certification or licenses
• Cover letter and resume
• Letters of recommendation
• Transcripts

Job Postings

Substitute Information

Supporting Documentation

We strongly recommend that your supporting documentation be scanned and attached electronically with your application for a complete packet. Documents delivered separately could cause a delay in the screening process through Human Resources as well as the release of your application to the campus/department hiring official.

All supporting attachments within your application must be in a .pdf, .rtf, .html, or .txt format. (The .pdf and .rft formats use the most memory). The software will not accept a Word or .jpg document. Instructions on formatting your documents are included in the Supporting Documents page of the application.

Additional Notes

Before applying for positions at Stafford MSD, please read the following information carefully:

• Completed applications will be kept active for one year.
• Please be sure all contact data is accurate.
• An automated email will be sent to the email address you provide confirming the completion of your online application. (Please do not contact the HR department or campuses for additional confirmation). If you have a spam blocker, please allow it to receive email from the District.
• Please do not send originals through the mail as HR will dispose of the documents after they have been separately scanned.

We are so glad you have chosen to be a part of the Stafford Municipal School District community.  Part of the onboarding process includes completing the necessary paperwork as well as attending New Employee Orientation.

You will be notified by a Talent Acquisition/Human Resources staff member to schedule your New Employee Orientation. If your position requires you to get fingerprinted, you must have that done before attending New Employee Orientation. Please note: a member of the Talent Acquisition/Human Resources Department will contact you to provide you with the steps required to obtain your fingerprints. Each individual is responsible for the cost of fingerprinting. Additionally, SMSD will not reimburse individuals for the fingerprinting process. 

It is required that you complete the New Employee Packet before attending New Employee Orientation.

Your direct supervisor will provide you details regarding the Mandatory Training after you have completed the New Employee Orientation.

Here at Stafford MSD we value you as an employee and as a person. Our goal is to ensure that your needs are met in every aspect of your employment with us.

Use the links below to access the most commonly used forms and resources:

At our schools, substitute employees are considered an important part of the educational process, and we thank you for being here. The standards are high for employees in this district, and in their absence our substitute employees are expected to adhere to these same standards of excellence. We ask that while you are with us, you assume the same responsibilities and privileges as the regular members of the faculty. The role of a substitute employee is a great challenge - we appreciate your willingness to be a part of the team!

To access the forms and resources you need to get started on your journey, use the following links:

Substitute Requirements

Substitute Pay Plan

Substitute/Teacher Online Resources

Employees and administrators can access AESOP at www.aesoponline.com and all questions should be directed to Tera Bressler.

Employee FAQs

1. How far in advance can I post a leave of absence?
   An employee can enter an absence up to 120 days in advance.
2. Do I have to report school business absences in addition to other leaves of absences such as personal, sick, jury duty, and bereavement leave?
   All leave types, including school business, must be recorded online as soon as they occur or are anticipated to take place (no more than 6 days past date of absence).
3. Can I assign a substitute when I enter my absence?
   You can but we strongly encourage you to first verify the substitute is available that day and wants to accept the job.

Administrator FAQs

1. How many days from the date of an absence do I have to enter an absence if an employee has not done so?
   You have 6 days from the date of the absence but we strongly encourage you to work with the employee on posting the absence as soon as possible.
2. Can I use my 10-digit employee ID and PIN to perform administrator approvals and reconciliations?
   Administrators can only utilize the administrator ID and PIN to access employees under their supervision.
3. Do I need to reconcile absences even though I have already approved them?
   Reconciling is a critical step to the reporting process. Reconciling an absence allows for the payroll office to see that you have "signed off" on the absence taking place and the substitute, when applicable, worked as assigned.

The tuition reimbursement program has been dissolved for the 2023-24 school year, and will be evaluated annually for projected sustainability.

Use of Leave

An employee does not need to use this leave entitlement in one block. Leave can be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule when medically necessary. Employees must make reasonable efforts to schedule leave for planned medical treatment so as not to unduly disrupt the employer’s operations. Leave due to qualifying exigencies may also be taken on an intermittent basis.

New FMLA Employee Guide - English

New FMLA Employee Guide - Spanish

Please use the following forms for all FMLA related correspondence:

• Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee's Serious Health Condition
• Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member's Serious Health Condition
• Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave
• Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of Covered Servicemember (Military Family Leave)
• Designation Notice
• Notice of Eligibility and Rights & Responsibilities
   

Basic Leave Entitlement

FMLA requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for the following reasons:

• For incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care or child birth;
• To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care;
• To care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition; or
• For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job.

Benefits & Protections

During FMLA leave, the employer must maintain the employee’s health coverage under any “group health plan” on the same terms as if the employee had continued to work. Upon return from FMLA leave, most employees must be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms.

Use of FMLA leave cannot result in the loss of any employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of an employee’s leave.

Definition of Serious Health Condition

A serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves either an overnight stay in a medical care facility, or continuing treatment by a health care provider for a condition that either prevents the employee from performing the functions of the employee’s job, or prevents the qualified family member from participating in school or other daily activities.

Subject to certain conditions, the continuing treatment requirement may be met by a period of incapacity of more than three consecutive calendar days combined with at least two visits to a health care provider or one visit and a regimen of continuing treatment, or incapacity due to pregnancy, or incapacity due to a chronic condition. Other conditions may meet the definition of continuing treatment.

Eligibility Requirements

Employees are eligible if they have worked for a covered employer for at least one year, for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and if at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles.

Employee Responsibilities

Employees must provide 30 days advance notice of the need to take FMLA leave when the need is foreseeable. When 30 days notice is not possible, the employee must provide notice as soon as practicable and generally must comply with an employer’s normal call-in procedures.

Employees must provide sufficient information for the employer to determine if the leave may qualify for FMLA protection and the anticipated timing and duration of the leave. Sufficient information may include that the employee is unable to perform job functions, the family member is unable to perform daily activities, the need for hospitalization or continuing treatment by a health care provider, or circumstances supporting the need for military family leave. Employees also must inform the employer if the requested leave is for a reason for which FMLA leave was previously taken or certified. Employees also may be required to provide a certification and periodic recertification supporting the need for leave.

Employer Responsibilities

Covered employers must inform employees requesting leave whether they are eligible under FMLA. If they are, the notice must specify any additional information required as well as the employees’ rights and responsibilities. If they are not eligible, the employer must provide a reason for the ineligibility.

Covered employers must inform employees if leave will be designated as FMLA-protected and the amount of leave counted against the employee’s leave entitlement. If the employer determines that the leave is not FMLA-protected, the employer must notify the employee.

Military Family Leave Entitlement

Eligible employees with a spouse, son, daughter, or parent on active duty or call to active duty status in the National Guard or Reserves in support of a contingency operation may use their 12-week leave entitlement to address certain qualifying exigencies. Qualifying exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions, and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings.

FMLA also includes a special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees to take up to 26 weeks of leave to care for a covered servicemember during a single 12-month period. A covered servicemember is a current member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who has a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty on active duty that may render the servicemember medically unfit to perform his or her duties for which the servicemember is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy; or is in outpatient status; or is on the temporary disability retired list.

Substitution of Paid Leave for Unpaid Leave

Employees may choose or employers may require use of accrued paid leave while taking FMLA leave. In order to use paid leave for FMLA leave, employees must comply with the employer’s normal paid leave policies.

Please direct questions or inquiries regarding service records from Stafford MSD to Talent Acquisition/Human Resources at tahr@staffordmsd.org or 281-261-9250.  Service record requests are processed in the order they are received and sent to you no more than 30 days from the initial request. 

New Employees

An original, official service record is required if an individual has previous experience in an accredited public or private school.  Salary credit for experience earned in out-of-state institutions will not be granted until the original service records are received and verified.  You will need to contact your previous district to obtain an official service record.  Click on the following to download the appropriate request form:

Out of State Service
Out of Country Service
Private School Service
Texas School Service

We aren’t responsible for any discrepancy from a previous district.  If you have worked at more than one school, please submit all service records at one time.

The amount of time it will take to obtain your service records is unpredictable, and often there is a delay.  If service records are not received before the first pay date in September, your salary will be calculated based on zero years of experience. It will be updated (retroactively) once all service records are received.

Once you have received your service records and verified the information is accurate, please forward your records to:

Talent Acquisition/Human Resources
1633 Staffordshire Rd.
Stafford, Texas  77477

Certification Plan

The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) is a Texas state program designed to recognize and reward highly effective teachers by providing additional funding to school districts. The program aims to attract and retain top educators, especially in high-need areas, by offering financial incentives based on a combination of teacher performance and student growth. TIA encourages continuous professional development and excellence in teaching, ultimately benefiting student achievement and the overall quality of education across the state.

Visit our TIA Information Hub for all the latest information, news, and updates concerning TIA.

TIA Information Hub