Tenure under attack in MO

[proud2BlibKansan]

From an email alert. Sorry no link.

HB 628 -- Teacher Continuing Contract
Act

Sponsor: Dieckhaus

This bill changes the laws regarding teacher contracts and
establishes the Teacher Continuing Contract Act which will apply
to teachers in all school districts, including St. Louis City,
beginning July 1, 2012. In its main provisions, the bill:

(1) Bases 50% of a teacher's evaluation on teaching standards
under the professional continuum developed by the State Board of
Education within the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education;

(2) Eliminates the minimum teacher salary for holders of a
master's degree;

(3) Specifies that the current Teacher Tenure Act and the St.
Louis City Tenure Act will remain in effect until June 30, 2012;

(4) Requires an annual evaluation of each school administrator
and bases 50% of his or her score on the professional continuum
for administrators developed by the state board and adds a
component, also to be weighted at 50%, that evaluates an
administrator on his or her instructional
leadership by assessing
the performance of the instructional personnel for whom he or she
has supervisory capacity;

(5) Specifies that a contract between a school district and a
teacher will be known as a continuing contract and will continue
in effect for up to two or more years, while probationary
contracts last one year;

(6) Establishes transition provisions for the interim placement
of teachers on probationary contracts until salary schedules are
developed based on student performance data and data is
available;

(7) Allows for novice and transfer probationary teachers'
contract lengths in specified situations;

(8) Establishes contract lengths in accordance with scores on
teacher evaluations in four tiers;

(9) Allows elements other than years of service and highest
degree held to be added to salary schedules including, but not
limited to, additional certification areas, certification in
high-need subjects, mentoring, and demonstrated ability to
improve student performance;

(10) Establishes a salary schedule effective July 1, 2013, based
on performance, with teachers above the thirty-third to sixty-
sixth percentile receiving a performance pay increment of no less
than 10% over the base pay of the bottom 33% of teachers; the
next 17% will receive a pay increment that is no less than 25%
over the base of the third tier of teachers; and the top tier
will receive an increment no less than 60% of the second tier;

(11) Adds unsatisfactory performance to the list of reasons for
which a permanent teacher may be terminated and requires teacher
evaluations to be considered in determining professional
competence; and

(12) Requires teachers to be evaluated at least annually and
twice in the final year of a continuing contract, places equal
weight on student performance and achievement of teaching
standards, and limits teaching standard scores in the top 33% to
no more than 40% of a building's teachers.

Several current provisions regarding teacher tenure will remain
unchanged
including, but not limited to:

(1) Modifications of continuing contracts;

(2) Leaves of absence, except that a leave of absence due to
teacher reduction may be granted for two years rather than three
years and seniority are removed from consideration when rehiring
after a reduction in force;

(3) Board member civil liability for charges against teachers;
and

(4) Prohibition on teacher participation in school board
election
campaigns.