2012 -- S 2531

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LC01455

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

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A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - TEACHER TENURE

     Introduced By: Senators Nesselbush, DiPalma, Moura, Lombardo, and Walaska

     Date Introduced: February 16, 2012

     Referred To: Senate Labor

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 16-13-1, 16-13-2, 16-13-3, 16-13-4, 16-13-6 and 16-13-8 of the

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General Laws in Chapter 16-13 entitled "Teachers' Tenure" are hereby amended to read as

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follows:

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     16-13-1. "Teacher" defined. – (a) The term "teacher" as used in this chapter means

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every person for whose position a certificate issued by the department of elementary and

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secondary education is required by law.

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     (b) The term “district evaluation system”, as used in this chapter, means an approved

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system as outlined in the department of elementary and secondary education regulations

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“Educational Evaluation System Standards”.

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     16-13-2. Annual contract basis -- Automatic continuation. -- (a) Teaching service

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shall be on the basis of an annual contract, except as hereinafter provided, and the contract shall

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be deemed to be continuous provided that the teacher receives ratings of effective or higher under

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the district evaluation system for three (3) years in a continuous five (5) year period. If a contract

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is not renewed unless the governing body of the schools shall notify the teacher in writing on or

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before March 1 June 1 that the contract for the ensuing year will not be renewed; provided,

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however, that a teacher, upon request, shall be furnished a statement of cause for dismissal or

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nonrenewal of his or her contract by the school committee; provided further, that whenever any

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contract is not renewed or the teacher is dismissed, the teacher shall be entitled to a hearing and

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appeal pursuant to the procedure set forth in section 16-13-4.

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      (b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit or at any time to have

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prohibited a school committee from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the

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arbitration of disputes arising out of a dismissal or nonrenewal of a nontenured teacher pursuant

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to subsection (a) of this section.

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     16-13-3. Probationary period -- Tenure after probation. -- (a) Three (3) annual

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contracts ratings of effective or higher under the district evaluation system within five (5)

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successive school years shall be considered evidence of satisfactory teaching and shall constitute

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a probationary period. Teachers who complete the probationary period shall be considered in

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continuous service and shall not be subject to annual renewal or nonrenewal of their contracts.

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Teachers who receive three (3) consecutive ratings of effective or higher under the district

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evaluation system may receive tenure through a fast-tracked probationary period. No tenured

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teacher in continuous service shall be dismissed except for good and just cause. Whenever a

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tenured teacher in continuous service is to be dismissed, the notice of the dismissal shall be given

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to the teacher, in writing, on or before March 1st June 1st of the school year immediately

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preceding the school year in which the dismissal is to become effective. The teacher shall be

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furnished with a complete statement of the cause(s) for the dismissal by the governing body of the

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school and shall be entitled to a hearing and appeal pursuant to the procedure set forth in section

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16-13-4.

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      (b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit or at any time to have

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prohibited a school committee from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the

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arbitration of disputes arising out of the dismissal of a tenured teacher pursuant to subsection (a)

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of this section.

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      (c) Any teacher appointed to a position of principal, assistant principal, or vice principal

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within the school system in which the teacher has attained tenure shall, upon termination or

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resignation of the administrative position, be allowed to return to his or her former status as a

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tenured teacher within the system.

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     16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal -- Hearing -- Appeals -- Arbitration. -- (a)

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The statement of cause for dismissal shall be given to the teacher, in writing, by the governing

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body of the schools at least one month prior to the close of the school year. The teacher may,

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within fifteen (15) days of the notification, request, in writing, a hearing before the full board.

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The hearing shall be public or private, in the discretion of the teacher. Both teacher and school

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board shall be entitled to be represented by counsel and to present witnesses. The board shall

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keep a complete record of the hearing and shall furnish the teacher with a copy. Any teacher

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aggrieved by the decision of the school board shall have the right of appeal to the department of

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elementary and secondary education and shall have the right of further appeal to the superior

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court.

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      (b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit or at any time to have

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prohibited a school committee in a municipality or regional school district with an elected school

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committee, or the chief executive officer in a municipality with an appointed school committee

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from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the arbitration of disputes arising out of

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the nonrenewal, dismissal, and/or suspension of a teacher pursuant to sections 16-13-2, 16-13-3,

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and/or 16-13-5.

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     (c) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a tenured teacher who is

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returned to probationary status does not retain the rights afforded to tenured teachers under this

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section.

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     16-13-6. Suspension because of decrease in school population -- Seniority --

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Reinstatement. -- (a) A school board may, by reason of a substantial decrease of pupil

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population within its school system, suspend teachers in numbers necessitated by the decrease in

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pupil population; provided, however, that suspension of teachers shall be in the inverse order of

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their employment conducted utilizing the district’s evaluation system to rank teachers within

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certification areas for retention by level of effectiveness then by inverse order of employment

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unless it is necessary to retain certain teachers of technical subjects whose places cannot be filled

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by teachers of earlier appointment; and, provided, further, that teachers that are suspended shall

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be reinstated in the inverse order of their suspension. No new appointments shall be made while

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there are available teachers so suspended.

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      (b) Notice of suspension under this section and section 16-13-5 shall be given, in

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writing, by the governing body of schools on or before March 1 June 1 notifying the teacher that

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his or her employment for the ensuing year shall be suspended, provided however, notice by that

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date need not be provided in the instance of an emergency performance related cause.

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     16-13-8. Continuity of tenure upon transfer. -- Any teacher in continuing service who

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voluntarily resigns and transfers to another community in Rhode Island without interrupting his

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or her professional career, shall be considered to remain under tenure unless the teacher is

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notified to the contrary, in writing, prior to March 1 June 1 of the second school year in which the

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teacher transfers.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.

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LC01455

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - TEACHER TENURE

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     This act provides for a system of teacher tenure based on effective performance. It also

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changes the date of notification for notice of non-renewal from March 1 to June 1.

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     This act would take effect beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.

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LC01455

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