2015 -- H 6049 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC002373/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - TEACHERS' TENURE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Ruggiero, Hearn, McNamara, Shekarchi, and Hull

     Date Introduced: April 08, 2015

     Referred To: House Labor

     (by request)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-13-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-13 entitled "Teachers'

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Tenure" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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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. The teacher may, within fifteen (15) days of the notification, request, in

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writing, a hearing before the full school committee or school board. The hearing shall be public or

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private, in the discretion of the teacher. Both teacher and school board shall be entitled to be

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represented by counsel and to present witnesses. The board shall keep a complete record of the

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hearing and shall furnish the teacher with a copy. Any teacher aggrieved by the decision of the

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school board shall have the right of appeal to the department of elementary and secondary

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education and shall have the right of further appeal to the superior court. Any decisions rendered

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must be approved by a majority of the full board. Members voting on a decision must have been

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in attendance at the hearing.

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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 ยงยง 16-13-2, 16-13-3, and/or

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16-13-5.

 

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - TEACHERS' TENURE

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     This act would provide any teacher who has received a statement of cause for dismissal

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could request a hearing before the school committee or school board. This hearing would not

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have to be before the full committee or board, but any decisions rendered would have to be

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approved by a majority of the full board. Members voting on such a decision would need to have

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been present at the original hearing.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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