Educational meetings

A county board of education may approve the attendance of any or all teachers at educational conventions, conferences, or other professional meetings of teachers on school days when in the judgment of the superintendent it is necessary or desirable. Attendance at such meetings may be substituted for an equal amount of teaching or employment and teachers attending shall not suffer loss of pay. Further, the board is authorized to pay all or any part of expenses of any personnel whom it may designate to represent the board at any such professional or educational meetings or in visitation to another school system. Every county board of education shall adopt a policy under which professional educators serving as mentor teachers, serving on state and county professional staff development councils, serving on school curriculum teams, and serving on professional support teams will be granted professional time if required for performance of their duties during the instructional day or extra duty compensation if required at other times and for reimbursement for necessary expenses actually incurred in attending meetings of the bodies upon which they serve upon. Such policy shall provide for the coverage of the professional personnel's regular duties during such release times through the use of paraprofessional aides, substitutes and other methods if necessary to avoid the interruption of instruction.