BILL REQ. #: H-0994.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/26/11. Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to school employee workforce reductions and assignments; amending RCW 28A.405.210 and 28A.405.300; adding new sections to chapter 28A.405 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that in order for
Washington schools to be great places to teach and learn - where all
kids and educators succeed - schools must build cultures where all
students thrive. The legislature intends to respect teachers and
principals first by empowering them to create that culture together,
and then by helping them retain the teachers who are crucial to that
culture. In particular, these policies support practices with a track
record of closing the achievement gap. This is done by:
(1) Ensuring that teachers who do the best work are the ones who
keep their jobs when budgets need to be cut, by basing reduction in
force policies on the evaluations the legislature has outlined for
measuring teacher performance. Since the loss of teachers through
layoffs already impacts student learning, there is an urgent need to
conduct layoffs in a way that retains the most effective teachers.
Educators deserve to be recognized for their ability to help students
learn and children deserve the very best and brightest teachers;
(2) Empowering principals and teachers with autonomy in school
placement decisions to ensure the creation of school cultures that both
promote the ongoing improvement of teaching and learning and are
committed to closing the achievement gap. The strongest, most
successful school cultures are those in which teachers and principals
work toward shared goals for improving student learning. In order to
create shared cultures, principals and teachers must be able to agree
that a school placement is the best fit for them; and
(3) Recognizing that for the fair evaluation of a principal based
on the criteria outlined by the legislature, specifically that
principals should be evaluated on creating a school culture that
promotes the ongoing improvement of learning and teaching and managing
both staff and fiscal resources to support student achievement and
legal responsibilities for students and staff, a principal needs the
ability to select teachers who have demonstrated effectiveness and have
demonstrated qualifications and teaching experience that support the
instructional practices of his or her school.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 101 A new section is added to chapter 28A.405
RCW to read as follows:
(1) When reductions in the workforce occur due to enrollment
decline or revenue loss, the employment contracts of any certificated
classroom teacher and educational staff associate must be nonrenewed in
the following manner within each particular certification or
endorsement area. Certificated classroom teachers and educational
staff associates who received the lowest evaluation rating, as
described in RCW 28A.405.100, when averaging their two most recent
evaluations in accordance with the method in subsection (2) of this
section, must have their contracts nonrenewed first, with nonrenewals
continuing to proceed upward through the two-year average ratings in
such a manner. Any determination that must be made between teachers
who received the same averaged rating, must provide a preference for
teachers who have the greatest number of years teaching in the school
district and any additional criteria established in the policy of the
board or locally bargained agreement; except that any such additional
criteria may be established only if the contract or policy is in the
best interest of the students.
(2) For the purposes of calculating two-year averages as provided
in subsection (1) of this section, the average must weigh the teacher's
most recent evaluation by sixty percent and his or her prior year's
rating by forty percent. The numbers to be used in calculating these
averages are as follows, the lowest evaluation rating is worth zero
points, and the highest evaluation rating is worth 4.25 points. If a
four-tiered evaluation system is being used, then the second highest
evaluation rating is worth 2.75 points and the third highest evaluation
rating is worth four points. The weighted two-year average shall be
multiplied by a factor of 1.05 to ensure that the averaging of ratings
for teachers with reasonable variation in their evaluations does not
result in lowering their rating below teachers with similar ratings
based on only one year's evaluation rating. The final two-year
weighted average shall be rounded to the hundredth place before being
used for the decisions made under subsection (1) of this section.
Teachers with only one year of evaluation ratings must use this
evaluation rating in place of a two-year average.
(3) For the purposes in subsection (1) of this section, any
certificated classroom teacher or educational staff associate for whom
no evaluation data is available must have his or her employment
contract nonrenewed before any other certificated classroom teacher or
educational staff associate within his or her certification or
endorsement area. If data collection allows, school leaders should
make an effort to complete evaluations before the district is required
to make contract renewal decisions.
(4) Any school district whose board policies or locally bargained
agreement outlines recall rights for certificated classroom teachers
and educational staff associates must recall staff in the reverse order
contracts were nonrenewed as provided for in subsection (1) of this
section. These recall rights may only guarantee a right to interview
and do not supersede the provisions of section 201 of this act that a
certificated classroom teacher or educational staff associate may be
assigned to a particular school only with the consent of the hiring
principal. No school district policy may offer recall rights for more
than three years.
(5) All collective bargaining agreements and other contracts
entered into between a school district and an employee bargaining unit
or an employee after the effective date of this section must be
consistent with this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 102 A new section is added to chapter 28A.405
RCW to read as follows:
(1) In the event that the determination that the employment
contract of a certificated classroom teacher or educational staff
associate will not be renewed by the district in accordance with
section 101 of this act, the employee must be notified in writing on or
before May 15th or if the omnibus appropriations act has not passed the
legislature by May 15th, then notification must be no later than June
15th. The notification must state the reason or reasons for the
determination. The notice must be served upon the employee personally,
or by certified or registered mail, or by leaving a copy of the notice
at the place of his or her usual abode with some person of suitable age
and discretion then resident therein.
(2) Every employee who receives notification under this section, at
his or her request made in writing and filed with the superintendent of
the district within ten days after receiving the notice, must be given
the opportunity to meet informally with the superintendent for the
purpose of requesting the superintendent to reconsider the decision.
The meeting must be held no later than ten days following the receipt
of the request, and the employee must be given written notice of the
date, time, and place of meeting at least three days prior thereto. At
the meeting, the employee must be given the opportunity to refute any
facts upon which the superintendent's determination was based and to
make any argument in support of his or her request for reconsideration.
(3) Within ten days following the meeting with the employee, the
superintendent must either reinstate the employee or submit to the
school district board of directors for consideration at its next
regular meeting a written report recommending that the employment
contract of the employee be nonrenewed and stating the reason or
reasons for nonrenewal. A copy of the report must be delivered to the
employee at least three days before the scheduled meeting of the board
of directors. In taking action upon the recommendation of the
superintendent, the board of directors must consider any written
communication that the employee files with the secretary of the board
at any time before that meeting.
(4) The board of directors must notify the employee in writing of
its final decision within ten days following the meeting at which the
recommendation for nonrenewal was considered. The decision of the
board of directors to not renew the contract of an employee may be
appealed in accordance with RCW 28A.405.320 through 28A.405.360 to the
superior court in the county in which the school district is located.
(5) This section applies to any person employed by a school
district in a certificated classroom teaching or education staff
associate position after June 25, 2010. This section provides the
exclusive means for nonrenewing the employment contract due to
enrollment decline or revenue loss of any such employee and no other
provision of law is applicable, including, RCW 28A.405.210,
28A.405.300, and 28A.405.310.
Sec. 103 RCW 28A.405.210 and 2010 c 235 s 303 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) No teacher, principal, supervisor, superintendent, or other
certificated employee, holding a position as such with a school
district, hereinafter referred to as "employee", shall be employed
except by written order of a majority of the directors of the district
at a regular or special meeting thereof, nor unless he or she is the
holder of an effective teacher's certificate or other certificate
required by law or the Washington professional educator standards board
for the position for which the employee is employed.
(2) The board shall make with each employee employed by it a
written contract, which shall be in conformity with the laws of this
state, and except as otherwise provided by law, limited to a term of
not more than one year. Every such contract shall be made in
duplicate, one copy to be retained by the school district
superintendent or secretary and one copy to be delivered to the
employee. No contract shall be offered by any board for the employment
of any employee who has previously signed an employment contract for
that same term in another school district of the state of Washington
unless such employee shall have been released from his or her
obligations under such previous contract by the board of directors of
the school district to which he or she was obligated. Any contract
signed in violation of this provision shall be void.
(3)(a) In the event it is determined that there is probable cause
or causes that the employment contract of an employee should not be
renewed by the district for the next ensuing term such employee shall
be notified in writing on or before May 15th preceding the commencement
of such term of that determination, or if the omnibus appropriations
act has not passed the legislature by May 15th, then notification shall
be no later than June 15th, which notification shall specify the cause
or causes for nonrenewal of contract. ((Such))
(b) The determination of probable cause for certificated employees,
other than the superintendent, shall be made by the superintendent.
((Such))
(c) Notice shall be served upon the employee personally, or by
certified or registered mail, or by leaving a copy of the notice at the
house of his or her usual abode with some person of suitable age and
discretion then resident therein.
(d) Every ((such)) employee ((so)) notified in accordance with this
section, at his or her request made in writing and filed with the
president, chair, or secretary of the board of directors of the
district within ten days after receiving such notice, shall be granted
opportunity for hearing pursuant to RCW 28A.405.310 to determine
whether there is sufficient cause or causes for nonrenewal of
contract((: PROVIDED, That any employee receiving notice of nonrenewal
of contract due to an enrollment decline or loss of revenue may, in his
or her request for a hearing, stipulate that initiation of the
arrangements for a hearing officer as provided for by RCW
28A.405.310(4) shall occur within ten days following July 15 rather
than the day that the employee submits the request for a hearing)).
(e) If any ((such)) notification or opportunity for hearing is not
timely given under this section, then the employee entitled thereto
shall be conclusively presumed to have been reemployed by the district
for the next ensuing term upon contractual terms identical with those
which would have prevailed if his or her employment had actually been
renewed by the board of directors for such ensuing term.
(f) This section shall not be applicable to "provisional employees"
as so designated in RCW 28A.405.220((;)) or to reductions in workforce
due to enrollment decline or revenue loss in accordance with sections
101 and 102 of this act.
(g) Transfer to a subordinate certificated position as that
procedure is set forth in RCW 28A.405.230 or 28A.405.245 shall not be
construed as a nonrenewal of contract for the purposes of this section.
Sec. 104 RCW 28A.405.300 and 2010 c 235 s 305 are each amended to
read as follows:
Except as provided in sections 101 and 102 of this act, in the
event it is determined that there is probable cause or causes for a
teacher, principal, supervisor, superintendent, or other certificated
employee, holding a position as such with the school district,
hereinafter referred to as "employee", to be discharged or otherwise
adversely affected in his or her contract status, such employee shall
be notified in writing of that decision, which notification shall
specify the probable cause or causes for such action. Such
determinations of probable cause for certificated employees, other than
the superintendent, shall be made by the superintendent. Such notices
shall be served upon that employee personally, or by certified or
registered mail, or by leaving a copy of the notice at the house of his
or her usual abode with some person of suitable age and discretion then
resident therein. Every such employee so notified, at his or her
request made in writing and filed with the president, chair of the
board or secretary of the board of directors of the district within ten
days after receiving such notice, shall be granted opportunity for a
hearing pursuant to RCW 28A.405.310 to determine whether or not there
is sufficient cause or causes for his or her discharge or other adverse
action against his or her contract status.
In the event any such notice or opportunity for hearing is not
timely given, or in the event cause for discharge or other adverse
action is not established by a preponderance of the evidence at the
hearing, such employee shall not be discharged or otherwise adversely
affected in his or her contract status for the causes stated in the
original notice for the duration of his or her contract.
If such employee does not request a hearing as provided herein,
such employee may be discharged or otherwise adversely affected as
provided in the notice served upon the employee.
Transfer to a subordinate certificated position as that procedure
is set forth in RCW 28A.405.230 or 28A.405.245 shall not be construed
as a discharge or other adverse action against contract status for the
purposes of this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 201 A new section is added to chapter 28A.405
RCW to read as follows:
(1) Any policy adopted by a school district board of directors
after the effective date of this section under RCW 28A.150.230 or in a
locally bargained agreement must contain a provision stating that a
certificated classroom teacher and educational staff associate may be
assigned to a particular school only with the mutual consent of the
hiring principal and teacher, and, if applicable to local policy, the
school-based entity charged with hiring decisions. Before consenting,
the principal and, if applicable, the school-based entity charged with
hiring, must review the certificated classroom teacher's or educational
staff associate's demonstrated effectiveness and qualifications to
determine that the qualifications and teaching experience support the
instructional practices of the school. The policy of mutual consent
hiring shall be referred to as school-based hiring. In making
decisions pursuant to this section, a school district must work with
the local teachers' association to develop policies for the local
school board of directors to adopt. If no association exists in the
school district, the school district must create an eight person
committee consisting of four school district members and four teachers
that must develop the policies. Every school district must adopt a
school-based hiring policy no later than when the existing locally
bargained agreements are renegotiated upon expiration.
(2) Beginning the effective date of this section, any active
nonprovisional certificated classroom teacher or educational staff
associate whose evaluation rating level during the prior school year
was in the top level of a two-level rating system or in the top two
levels of a four-level rating system as described in RCW 28A.405.100
who has not secured a position through school-based hiring shall be a
member of a priority hiring pool. The priority hiring pool must ensure
the teacher a right to interview for available positions for which he
or she is qualified in a school district.
(3)(a) Beginning the effective date of this section, when a
determination is made that the services of a certificated classroom
teacher or educational staff associate are no longer required for the
reasons stated in subsection (6) of this section and the employee is
therefore displaced from a particular school but not discharged by the
school district, the employee must receive written notification of his
or her removal from the school. The notice must be served upon the
employee personally or by certified or registered mail, or by leaving
a copy of the notice at the house of his or her usual abode with some
person of suitable aged and discretion who is a resident at the abode.
(b) Within ten days of receiving notice, the employee may file a
written request with the president, chair, or secretary of the board of
directors of the school district for an opportunity for a hearing on
the sufficiency of the determination. The school district board of
directors must provide an opportunity for a hearing within ten days
after the employee submits the request.
(c) Upon notice to the teacher, the department of human resources
for the school district must immediately provide the employee with a
list of all vacant positions for which he or she is qualified, as well
as a list of vacancies in any area identified by the school district to
be an area of critical need. A list of vacancies within the district
must be kept up-to-date and available online. If a displaced employee
applies for a vacancy on the list of vacancies then the employee's
application must be made to the principal of a listed school and the
employee must provide a copy of the application to the school district.
When a principal recommends appointment of an applicant to a vacant
position, the employee shall be transferred to that position.
(4) If a nonprovisional certificated classroom teacher or
educational staff associate has been displaced in accordance with this
section and is unable to secure a mutual consent assignment at a school
in the school district within six months of receiving notification of
his or her displacement as provided in subsection (3)(a) of this
section or for one summer hiring cycle, whichever is longer, then the
school district may not renew the teacher's contract in accordance with
RCW 28A.405.210, as lacking an official assignment shall be considered
probable cause for the nonrenewal of a contract. If the teacher
secures an assignment at a school in the school district at a later
date, the school district must reinstate the teacher's salary and
benefits at the level they were when the teacher's contract was
nonrenewed.
(5) Nothing in this section limits the ability of a school district
to place a teacher in a six-month or other limited term assignment,
including, but not limited to, a substitute assignment, or
instructional support role during the period in which the teacher is
attempting to secure a classroom assignment through school-based
hiring. Such a limited term assignment does not constitute an
assignment through school-based hiring and may not be deemed to
interrupt the period in which the teacher is required to secure an
assignment through school-based hiring before the district does not
renew the teacher's contract.
(6) This section applies to any teacher who is displaced as a
result of, but not limited to, a transfer request; drop in enrollment;
phase-out; reduction in program; reduction in building; or
implementation of a federal or state accountability intervention model
such as turnaround, school closure, or transformation model.
(7) Nothing in this section may be interpreted as nullifying the
right of a school district board of directors or superintendent to
involuntarily transfer a teacher if the right is expressed in board
policy or a locally bargained agreement. However, any such assignment
resulting from this transfer must be mutually consented to by the
teacher and principal in order to comply with the school-based hiring
policy in this section.