SENATE BILL No. 638

 

 

June 11, 2009, Introduced by Senator BIRKHOLZ and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1937 (Ex Sess) PA 4, entitled

 

"An act relative to continuing tenure of office of certificated

teachers in public educational institutions; to provide for

probationary periods; to regulate discharges or demotions; to

provide for resignations and leaves of absence; to create a state

tenure commission and to prescribe the powers and duties thereof;

and to prescribe penalties for violation of the provisions of this

act,"

 

by amending section 1 of article I and section 1 of article III

 

(MCL 38.71 and 38.91), as amended by 1996 PA 282.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

ARTICLE I

 

     Sec. 1. (1) The term "teacher" as used in this act means a

 

certificated individual employed for a full school year by any

 

board of education or controlling board.

 

     (2) An individual who is not certificated but is employed for

 


a full school year pursuant to section 1233b of the revised school

 

code, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1976, being section

 

380.1233b of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1233b,

 

or is employed pursuant to an annual vocational authorization or a

 

temporary approval, as defined in state board rule, is considered

 

to be a teacher for the purpose of serving the probationary period

 

under article II, but such an individual is not considered a

 

teacher for the purpose of continuing tenure under article III

 

until he or she becomes certificated.

 

     (3) An individual employed as a teacher in a public school

 

academy established under Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1976,

 

being sections 380.1 to 380.1852 of the Michigan Compiled Laws the

 

revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1 to 380.1852, or an

 

individual employed as a teacher in a neighborhood public school

 

established under part 6D of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451,

 

is not considered a teacher during that employment for the purpose

 

of continuing tenure under article III. However, an individual

 

described in section 1(4) of article III is a teacher for the

 

purpose of retaining continuing tenure as described in that

 

section.

 

     (4) Teacher does not include an individual whose teaching

 

certificate has expired or has been suspended or revoked.

 

ARTICLE III

 

     Sec. 1. (1) After the satisfactory completion of the

 

probationary period, a teacher shall be employed continuously by

 

the controlling board under which the probationary period has been

 

completed, and shall not be dismissed or demoted except as

 


specified in this act.

 

     (2) If a teacher employed in a program operated by a

 

consortium of school districts was previously on continuing tenure

 

in a school district that participates in the consortium, the

 

teacher shall be considered to be on continuing tenure only in that

 

school district.

 

     (3) If a teacher employed in a program operated by a

 

consortium of school districts was not previously on continuing

 

tenure in a school district that participates in the consortium and

 

satisfactorily completes the probationary period, the teacher shall

 

be considered to be on continuing tenure only in the school

 

district that is the fiscal agent for the consortium. However, if

 

there is a written agreement between the teacher and another

 

participating school district that provides that the teacher will

 

have continuing tenure in that school district, the teacher shall

 

be considered to be on continuing tenure only in that school

 

district and shall not be considered to be on continuing tenure in

 

the school district that is the fiscal agent for the consortium.

 

     (4) If an individual employed as a teacher employed in a

 

public school academy established under the revised school code,

 

Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1976, being sections 380.1 to

 

380.1852 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1 to

 

380.1852, or an individual employed as a teacher in a neighborhood

 

public school established under part 6D of the revised school code,

 

1976 PA 451, is on leave of absence from a school district and was

 

on continuing tenure in the school district at the time he or she

 

began the leave of absence, the teacher retains continuing tenure

 


in that school district during the period he or she is employed in

 

the public school academy or neighborhood public school.

 

     (5) If a teacher satisfactorily completes the probationary

 

period as an adult education teacher, the teacher shall be

 

considered to be on continuing tenure in the school district only

 

for adult education and shall not by virtue of completing the

 

probationary period as an adult education teacher be considered to

 

be on continuing tenure in the school district for elementary and

 

secondary education.

 

     (6) If a teacher satisfactorily completes the probationary

 

period as an elementary or secondary education teacher, the teacher

 

shall be considered to be on continuing tenure in the school

 

district only for elementary and secondary education and shall not

 

by virtue of completing the probationary period as an elementary or

 

secondary education teacher be considered to be on continuing

 

tenure in the school district for adult education.

 

     (7) If the controlling board provides in a contract of

 

employment of a teacher employed other than as a classroom teacher,

 

including but not limited to, a superintendent, assistant

 

superintendent, principal, department head or director of

 

curriculum, made with the teacher after the completion of the

 

probationary period, that the teacher shall not be considered to be

 

granted continuing tenure in that other capacity by virtue of the

 

contract of employment, then the teacher shall not be granted

 

tenure in that other capacity, but shall be considered to have been

 

granted continuing tenure as an active classroom teacher in the

 

school district. Upon the termination of such a contract of

 


employment, if the controlling board does not reemploy the teacher

 

under contract in the capacity covered by the contract, the teacher

 

shall be continuously employed by the controlling board as an

 

active classroom teacher. Failure of a controlling board to

 

reemploy a teacher in any such capacity upon the termination of any

 

such contract of employment described in this subsection shall not

 

be considered to be a demotion under this act. The salary in the

 

position to which the teacher is assigned shall be the same as if

 

the teacher had been continuously employed in the newly assigned

 

position. Failure of a controlling board to so provide in any such

 

contract of employment of a teacher in a capacity other than a

 

classroom teacher shall be considered to constitute the employment

 

of the teacher on continuing contract in the other capacity and

 

subject to this act.

 

     (8) Continuing tenure does not apply to an annual assignment

 

of extra duty for extra pay.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. 636                                    

 

          of the 95th Legislature is enacted into law.