2025 -- S 0633

========

LC000607

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' TENURE

     Introduced By: Senators Valverde, DiMario, Thompson, Ujifusa, Gallo, and Murray

     Date Introduced: March 07, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-13 of the General Laws entitled "Teachers’ Tenure" is hereby

amended by adding thereto the following section:

     16-13-10. Termination for cause -- Noncredentialled employees -- List maintained.

     (a) Whenever a noncredentialled employee’s employment with a school is terminated for

good and just cause by a principal, superintendent, school committee or other governing body of a

public school, a private school, a school district, a charter public school, or a mayoral academy

(hereinafter collectively referred to as a “school”), the school’s governing body shall, within sixty

(60) days of the termination, or in cases where the termination is appealed, within sixty (60) days

after the conclusion of the appeal filed by the terminated noncredentialled employee, and the

termination is upheld, furnish the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education

(the “department”) with the identity of the terminated noncredentialled employee and the good and

just cause for the termination. Provided, this section shall not apply to:

     (1) The nonrenewal of a contract of a noncredentialled employee pursuant to § 16-13-2; or

     (2) The termination of a noncredentialled employee due to fiscal exigency or program

reorganization.

     (b) The department shall maintain a list of those noncredentialled employees who have

been terminated for good and just cause as well as the good and just cause for the termination (the

“list”), and shall update the list monthly to include any additional names and cause submitted

pursuant to the provisions of this section. The department shall establish a tracking system for

reporting these names and causes, as well as to provide access to these names and causes, to hiring

authorities. This list shall be accessible only to the hiring authority of any private, parochial, charter,

or public school or school district.

     (c) The list shall not be a public record pursuant to chapter 2 of title 38 ("access to public

records"). This section shall not abrogate or modify any existing statutory or common law

privileges or immunities.

     (d) As used herein, the term “noncredentialled employee” means any person working

within or for a school whose employment with the school does not require an educational license

or certificate issued by the department. The following persons are excluded from the definition of

a “noncredentialled employee” if those persons are working within or for a school using any of the

licenses listed herein:

     (1) A teacher as defined in §16-13-1;

     (2) An athletic coach as described in chapter 11.1 of title 16 (“athletic coaches”);

     (3) A teaching assistant as defined in §16-11.2-1;

     (4) A superintendent, assistant superintendent, or equivalent similar position, as defined in

§16-2-10;

     (5) An administrator including, but not limited to, a principal, vice principal, or similar

building-level administrator as defined in §16-12.1-2; and

     (6) Any other person who is employed in or for a school in a position that requires

possession of a certificate or license issued by the department.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC000607

========

LC000607 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' TENURE

***

     This act would require that the names of any noncredentialled school employees who are

terminated for good and just cause, be furnished to the Rhode Island department of elementary and

secondary education. The department would maintain a list of the names and the good cause for

the termination. This list would not be a public document, but would be available to hiring

authorities of schools and school districts.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC000607

========

LC000607 - Page 3 of 3