TEACHER PERSONNEL DECISIONS; MODIFY                                           H.B. 4820 (H-1):

                                                                                 SUMMARY OF DISCHARGED BILL

House Bill 4820 (Substitute H-1 as discharged)

Sponsor:  Representative Phil Skaggs

House Committee:  Education

Senate Committee:  Education (discharged)

CONTENT

The bill would amend current factors that may be used to inform personnel decisions prescribed in the Revised School Code. Under the bill, the following would apply to a collective bargaining agreement entered into by a public school employer and a representative of a bargaining unit:

-- Seniority could not be used as the sole factor when deciding how to fill a vacancy, place a teacher in a classroom, or conduct a staffing or program reduction or any other personnel determination resulting in the elimination of a position.

-- Seniority could be used as a tiebreaker if two or more employees considered as part of a personnel decision were equal in all other factors.

-- Clear and transparent procedures would have to be used for all personnel decisions.

-- Effectiveness, the teacher's length of service in a grade level or subject area, and other relevant factors could be used for personnel decisions but would not be required.

The bill would delete provisions related to the current requirement that teacher effectiveness be considered when making certain personnel decisions, which the bill would make permissive instead of mandatory. This would include deleting current measures of individual teacher performance (such as evidence of student growth and knowledge of subject area).

The bill would take effect July 1, 2024.

MCL 380.1248                                                         Legislative Analyst:  Abby Schneider

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State and an indeterminate fiscal impact on local intermediate school districts, school districts, and public school academies. The bill would allow other factors that determine personnel placement to be included in a collective bargaining agreement. The fiscal impact on an intermediate school district, school district, and public school academy would depend on any changes to collective bargaining agreement that would otherwise not have been allowed. 

Date Completed:  6-28-23                                             Fiscal Analyst:  Cory Savino, PhD

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.