EAC is a Web based application that allows SCPS employees to view their payroll information, W2s, deductions and other information maintained by SCPS in their employee records.  Certain types of information may be updated, modified or added such as demographic information, direct deposit deductions and emergency contact information.

***EAC password reset requests can be made by clicking the button below- please allow 2-3 business days for your request to be processed.

Somerset County Public Schools and the Somerset Education Association have negotiated the following agreements on behalf of our employees:

Open Enrollment for the 2024-2025 Plan Year will begin Wednesday, May 15, 2024 and end on Saturday, June 15, 2024 . 

This is the one time of year that changes can be made without the need for a qualifying life event change (see below). Here are some benefit options you may want to consider:

• Adding/Removing a spouse or child to your health insurance

• Selecting/Re-enrolling in a Flexible Spending Account – these must be enrolled in each year

• Updating Beneficiaries

If you are not making any changes, you can leave your plan as it is, but you will be required to confirm all data is accurate. However, if you have a Flexible Spending Account, you MUST re-enroll each year,. 

If you are waiving our insurance for the upcoming year, you must submit Proof of Coverage and the Waiver of Coverage form. The Waiver of Coverage form will be available in BSWIFT. We cannot accept photocopies of insurance cards! Current eligible employees MUST submit all Waiver of Coverage documentation in BSWIFT during open enrollment in order to qualify for the waiver incentive.

Instructions for logging into BSWIFT will be emailed to all eligible employees during the open enrollment period:

BSWIFT LOGIN

After open enrollment closes on June 15, 2024, only employees with qualifying life events (QLEs) will be eligible to make changes to their benefits, and only within 31 days of the QLE. The following are QLEs that open the 31-day special enrollment period for employees to make changes:

• Change in marital status (marriage/divorce)

• Birth, adoption, or legal guardianship of a child

• Death of a spouse or dependent

• Termination of a spouse’s employment

• Switch from full-time to part-time employment

• Begin or return from an unpaid leave of absence

• Change in dependent eligibility

• Loss of other medical insurance

All teachers, specialists, and administrators employed by Somerset County Public schools must hold a valid Maryland Educator Certificate. Certificates are issued by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) with either a January or July validity date. No permanent certificates are issued.

While the Human Resources Department is here to assist current educators in processing paperwork and forwarding required proof of coursework to MSDE in order for you to receive a valid Maryland Educator Certificate, it is the responsibility of the educator to ensure compliance with certification requirements. To obtain more information regarding Maryland certification, please refer to the resources found on this page, or visit the MSDE Certification website.

Additionally, all educators have access to view their Maryland Educator Certificate via the MSDE educator portal.

To submit documentation related to your certification/license to Mrs. Russum, please submit the following form and add your documents to your assigned Google Drive folder: Certifications/Licensure Submissions

If you have questions or concerns regarding your certification, please contact, Chantal Russum, email: crussum@somerset.k12.md.us

Certification Information & FAQ

Testing Information

Basic Skills

Praxis Subject Assessments

For those teachers seeking PTE certification the following courses my be helpful:

Masters of Education in Career and Technology Education

Career and Technology Education Certification Pathway at Baltimore Museum of Industry

For the 2024-25 school year, full-time employees are entitled to $4,200 of tuition reimbursement funds. In order to receive funds after completing a course paid for upfront by the employee, employees must submit the following Google Drive Form: Tuition Reimbursement Submissions .

If an employee wishes to take advantage of one of the SCPS Direct Billing Partnerships, the employee should submit the Tuition Reimbursement Submissions Google Form to inform Mrs. Russum of their intent. She will then provide the employee with the necessary forms to complete and place in their assigned Google Drive file folder.

Once the form is submitted, employees should add their documentation to their assigned Google Drive folder. If an employee does not yet have a folder, Mrs. Chantal Russum will send them access to one.

Documentation must include:

• Tuition Reimbursement Form

• Itemized Invoice Showing Each Course

• Proof of Payment (i.e. on itemized invoice, receipt)

• Grade Report

Note - To qualify for reimbursement an employee must receive a passing grade of 70%(C) or better for undergraduate course, or a 80%(B) or better in a graduate course.

Once Masters +30 credits or Masters +60 credits is obtained by an employee, the employee should submit a "Masters+30 Request" or "Masters+60 Request" to have their pay schedule reviewed.

IRS Withholding Form

• IRS Tax Withholding Estimator

Maryland Withholding Form

Somerset County Public Schools evaluate our teachers each year. This evaluation process ensures that our educators continuously improve and gives them feedback that allows for targeted professional development. These evaluations are based on two aspects of performance: Professional Practice and Student Growth.

Professional Practice Measurement:

A classroom observation is a formal or informal observation of instruction while it is taking place in the classroom. Each educator is observed multiple times per year by different evaluators and those observations are recorded on an observation form. During the observation the evaluators asses the teacher’s knowledge of content, student engagement, planning and other key indicators.

Student Growth Measurement:

Each educator sets Student Learning Objectives (SLO’s). These objectives are specific statements that describe what the students will be expected to learn during the term of the objective, as well as the methods used to measure the attainment of the objective. Each educator submits two SLO’s per year; educators teaching core academic subjects must submit at least one SLO based on state assessments.

These two measurements are then used to calculate the educator’s final evaluation rating. Somerset County Public Schools ratings levels are:

• Highly Effective

• Effective

• Developing

• Ineffective