Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb1006%20intr.htm&yr=2009&sesstype=1X&i=1006
Timestamp: 2018-01-24 12:08:41
Document Index: 91456002

Matched Legal Cases: ['§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18']

Introduced Version Senate Bill 1006 History
sb1006 intr
[Introduced May 31, 2009; referred to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §18A-1-1 of said code; to amend and reenact §18A-2-2, §18A-2-6, §18A-2-7 and §18A-2-8a of said code; and to amend and reenact §18A-3-1 and §18A-3-2a of said code, all relating to the hiring, termination, transfer and reassignment of teachers and school personnel; revising definition of "long-term substitute"; revising certain dates upon which action must be taken with respect to the hiring, termination, resignation or transfer of teachers and school personnel; clarifying probationary professional employee contract; providing conditional contract of prospective and recent graduates and prospective employable professional personnel; revising dates regarding the early notification of retirement; providing for nonrevocation of early notification; providing an economic hardship exception; and authorizing certification of noncitizen teachers.
That §18-5-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that §18A-1-1 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18A-2-2, §18A-2-6, §18A-2-7 and §18A-2-8a of said code be amended and reenacted; and that §18A-3-1 and §18A-3-2a of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
(a) The county board shall meet on the first Monday in July, and upon the dates provided by law for the laying of levies, and at any other times the county board fixes upon its records. Subject to adequate public notice, nothing herein shall prohibit in this section prohibits the county board from conducting regular meetings in facilities within the county other than the county board office. At any meeting as authorized in this section and in compliance with the provisions of article four of this chapter eighteen-a of this code, the county board may employ qualified teachers, or those who will qualify by the time they enter upon their duties, necessary to fill existing or anticipated vacancies for the current or next ensuing school year. At a meeting of the county board, on or before the first Monday in May, the county superintendent shall furnish in writing to the county board a list of those teachers to be considered for transfer and subsequent assignment for the next ensuing school year. All other teachers not listed are considered as reassigned to the positions held at the time of this meeting. The list of those recommended for transfer shall be included in the minute record and the teachers listed shall be notified in writing. The notice shall be delivered in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the teachers' last known addresses within ten days following the board meeting, of their having been recommended for transfer and subsequent assignment. Meetings of the county board shall be held in compliance with the provisions of chapter eighteen-a of this code for purposes relating to the assignment, transfer, termination and dismissal of teachers and other school employees.
(e) "Service person" or "service personnel", whether singular or plural, means a non-teaching school employee who is not included in the meaning of "teacher" as defined in section one, article one, chapter eighteen of this code, and who serves the school or schools as a whole, in a nonprofessional capacity, including such areas as secretarial, custodial, maintenance, transportation, school lunch and aides. Any reference to "service employee" or "service employees" in this chapter or chapter eighteen of this code means service person or service personnel as defined in this section;
(i) "Prospective employable professional person" whether singular or plural, means a certified professional educator who:
(3) Has not obtained regular employee status through the job posting process provided for in section seven-a, article four of this chapter; and
(j) "Dangerous student" means a student who is substantially likely to cause serious bodily injury to himself, herself or another individual within that student's educational environment, which may include any alternative education environment, as evidenced by a pattern or series of violent behavior exhibited by the student, and documented in writing by the school, with the documentation provided to the student and parent or guardian at the time of any offense; and
That the county superintendent expects to extend for at least ninety thirty consecutive days, and is either:
(A) Listed in the job posting as a long term substitute position of over ninety thirty days; or
(b) A Each teacher's contract, under this section, shall be designated as a probationary or continuing contract. A probationary teacher's contract shall be for a term of not less than one nor more than three years, one of which shall be for completion of a beginning teacher internship pursuant to the provisions of section two-b, article three of this chapter, if applicable. If, after three years of such employment, the teacher who holds a professional certificate, based on at least a bachelor's degree, has met the qualifications for a bachelor's degree and the county board enter into a new contract of employment, it shall be a continuing contract, subject to the following:
(A) By a majority vote of the full membership of the county board on or before the first Monday of April February 1 of the then current year, after written notice, served upon the teacher, return receipt requested, stating cause or causes and an opportunity to be heard at a meeting of the board prior to the board's action on the termination issue; or
(B) By written resignation of the teacher on or before that date February 1, to initiate termination of a continuing contract;
(6) A continuing contract shall does not operate to prevent a teacher's dismissal based upon the lack of need for the teacher's services pursuant to the provisions of law relating to the allocation to teachers and pupil-teacher ratios. The written notification of teachers being considered for dismissal for lack of need shall be limited to only those teachers whose consideration for dismissal is based upon known or expected circumstances which will require dismissal for lack of need. An employee who was not provided notice and an opportunity for a hearing pursuant to this subsection may not be included on the list. In case of dismissal for lack of need, a dismissed teacher shall be placed upon a preferred list in the order of their length of service with that board. No teacher shall may be employed by the board until each qualified teacher upon the preferred list, in order, has been offered the opportunity for reemployment in a position for which he or she is qualified, not including a teacher who has accepted a teaching position elsewhere. The reemployment shall be upon a teacher's preexisting continuing contract and has the same effect as though the contract had been suspended during the time the teacher was not employed.
(e) Any teacher who fails to fulfill his or her contract with the board, unless prevented from doing so by personal illness or other just cause or unless released from his or her contract by the board, or who violates any lawful provision of the contract, shall be is disqualified to teach in any other public school in the state for a period of the next ensuing school year and the State Department of Education or board may hold all papers and credentials of the teacher on file for a period of one year for the violation: Provided, That marriage of a teacher shall is not be considered a failure to fulfill, or violation of, the contract.
(g) Any (1) A classroom teacher who gives written notice to the county board on or before the first day of February December 1 of the school year of their his or her retirement from employment with the board at the conclusion of the school year shall be paid $500 from the Early Notification of Retirement line item established for the Department of Education for this purpose, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. If the appropriations to the Department of Education for this purpose are insufficient to compensate all applicable teachers, the Department of Education shall request a supplemental appropriation in an amount sufficient to compensate all such teachers. Additionally, if funds are still insufficient to compensate all applicable teachers, the priority of payment is for teachers who give written notice the earliest. This payment shall not be counted as part of the final average salary for the purpose of calculating retirement.
After three years of acceptable employment, each service personnel employee who enters into a new contract of employment with the board shall be granted continuing contract status: Provided, That a service personnel employee holding continuing contract status with one county shall be granted continuing contract status with any other county upon completion of one year of acceptable employment if such employment is during the next succeeding school year or immediately following an approved leave of absence extending no more than one year. The continuing contract of any such employee shall remain in full force and effect except as modified by mutual consent of the school board and the employee, unless and until terminated with written notice, stating cause or causes, to the employee, by a majority vote of the full membership of the board before the first day of April February 1 of the then current year, or by written resignation of the employee on or before that date. except that for the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-eight--eighty-nine only, the board shall have until the fourth Monday of April, one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine, to initiate termination of a continuing contract The affected employee shall have has the right of a hearing before the board, if requested, before final action is taken by the board upon the termination of such employment.
(a) The superintendent, subject only to approval of the board, shall have authority to may assign, transfer, promote, demote or suspend school personnel and to recommend their dismissal pursuant to provisions of this chapter. However, an employee shall be notified in writing by the superintendent on or before the first Monday in April February 1 if he or she is being considered for transfer or to be transferred. Only those employees whose consideration for transfer or intended transfer is based upon known or expected circumstances which will require the transfer of employees shall be considered for transfer or intended for transfer and the notification shall be limited to only those employees. Any teacher or employee who desires to protest such the proposed transfer may request in writing a statement of the reasons for the proposed transfer. Such The statement of reasons shall be delivered to the teacher or employee within ten days of the receipt of the request. Within ten days of the receipt of the statement of the reasons, the teacher or employee may make written demand upon the superintendent for a hearing on the proposed transfer before the county board of education. The hearing on the proposed transfer shall be held on or before the first Monday in May March 15. At the hearing, the reasons for the proposed transfer must be shown.
(b) The superintendent at a meeting of the board on or before the first Monday in May March 15 shall furnish in writing to the board a list of teachers and other employees to be considered for transfer and subsequent assignment for the next ensuing school year. An employee who was not provided notice and an opportunity for a hearing pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may not be included on the list. All other teachers and employees not so listed shall be considered as reassigned to the positions or jobs held at the time of this meeting. The list of those recommended for transfer shall be included in the minute record of such the meeting and all those so listed shall be notified in writing, which notice shall be delivered in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to such the persons' last known addresses within ten days following said the board meeting, of their having been so recommended for transfer and subsequent assignment and the reasons therefor.
(c) The superintendent's authority to suspend school personnel shall be temporary only pending a hearing upon charges filed by the superintendent with the board of education and such the period of suspension shall may not exceed thirty days unless extended by order of the board.
(d) The provisions of this section respecting hearing upon notice of transfer shall is not be applicable in emergency situations where the school building becomes damaged or destroyed through an unforeseeable act and which act necessitates a transfer of such the school personnel because of the aforementioned condition of the building.
The superintendent at a meeting of the board on or before the first Monday in May March 15 of each year shall provide in writing to the board a list of all probationary teachers that he or she recommends to be rehired for the next ensuing school year. The board shall act upon the superintendent's recommendations at that meeting in accordance with section one of this article. The board at this same meeting shall also act upon the retention of other probationary employees as provided in sections four two and five of this article. Any such probationary teacher or other probationary employee who is not rehired by the board at that meeting shall be notified in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to such persons' last-known addresses within ten days following said board meeting, of their not having been rehired or not having been recommended for rehiring.
Any probationary teacher who receives notice that he or she has not been recommended for rehiring or other probationary employee who has not been reemployed may within ten days after receiving the written notice request a statement of the reasons for not having been rehired and may request a hearing before the board. Such The hearing shall be held at the next regularly scheduled board of education meeting or a special meeting of the board called within thirty days of the request for hearing. At the hearing, the reasons for the nonrehiring must be shown.
(b) The state board, after consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Arts and the Chancellor for Higher Education, shall adopt standards for the education of professional educators in the state and for awarding certificates valid in the public schools of this state. The standards shall include, but are not be limited to the following:
(e) Beginning the fall 2006-2007 academic term, in lieu of the student teaching experience in a public school setting required by this section, an institution of higher education may provide an alternate student teaching experience in a nonpublic school setting if the institution of higher education:
(B) Is (A) Of good moral character;
(C) (B) Physically, mentally and emotionally qualified to perform the duties of a teacher; and
(D) (C) At least eighteen years on or before October 1 of the year in which his or her certificate is issued.
(a) In accordance with State Board of Education rules for the education of professional educators adopted after consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Arts, the State Superintendent of Schools may issue certificates valid in the public schools of the state. Provided, That
(1) A certificate shall may not be issued to any person who is not a citizen of the United States is not of good moral character, and is not physically, mentally and emotionally qualified to perform the duties for which the certification would be is granted and who has not attained the age of eighteen years on or before October 1 of the year in which the certificate is issued.
(2) An exchange teacher from a foreign country or an alien person who meets the requirements to teach may be granted a permit to teach within the public schools of the state.
(b) Certificates authorized to be issued. include
(A) Regular professional preparation. --
(i) Has The applicant holds at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in this state;
(ii) The applicant has completed a program for the education of teachers which meets the requirements approved by the state board of education or has met equivalent standards at institutions in other states; and
(iii) The applicant has passed appropriate state board approved basic skills and subject matter tests or has completed three years of successful experience within the last seven years in the area for which licensure is being sought; or
(i) Has The applicant holds at least a bachelor's degree in a discipline taught in the public schools from an accredited institution of higher education;
(ii) The applicant has passed appropriate state board approved basic skills and subject matter tests or has completed three years of successful experience within the last seven years in the area for which licensure is being sought;
(iii) The applicant has completed an alternative program for teacher education approved by the state board; and
(iv) The applicant is recommended for a certificate by the chairperson of the professional support team of the person's alternative program or the state superintendent based on documentation submitted;
(C) The certificate shall be is endorsed to indicate the grade level or levels or areas of specialization in which the person is certified to teach or to serve in the public schools;
(2) Professional administrative certificate. -- A professional administrative certificate, endorsed for serving in the public schools, with specific endorsement as a principal, vocational administrator, supervisor of instructions or superintendent, may be issued to a person who has completed the following requirements all to be approved by the state board: as follows
(A) For A master's degree from an institution of higher education accredited to offer a master's degree;
(B) has successfully completed Successful completion of an approved program for administrative certification, developed by the state board of education in cooperation with the governing boards of the university of West Virginia system and the state college system Higher Education Policy Commission;
(C) has successfully completed Successful completion of education and training in evaluation skills through the Center for Professional Development, or equivalent education and training in evaluation skills; and
(D) Three years of management level experience; Provided, That anyone having received a certificate during the period from the thirtieth day of August, one thousand nine hundred ninety, until the effective date of this bill without having met the above requirements shall complete those requirements within five years after the effective date of this bill: Provided, however, That any
(E) A person who was serving in the position of dean of students on the effective date of this section shall June 4, 1992, is not be required to hold a professional administrative certificate; Beginning the first day of September, one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, and
(F) The initial professional administrative certificate shall be is issued provisionally for a period of five years. This certificate may be converted to a professional administrative certificate valid for five years or renewed, subject to the regulations of the state board.
(A) Has completed thirty-six semester hours of post-secondary education or its equivalent in subjects directly related to performance of the job, all approved by the state board; and
can (B) Is able to demonstrate the proficiencies to perform duties as required of a paraprofessional as defined in section eight, article four of this chapter.
(4) Other certificates; permits. -- Other certificates and permits may be issued, subject to the approval of the state board, to persons who do not qualify for the professional or paraprofessional certificate. Such The certificates or permits shall may not be given permanent status and persons holding such these certificates or permits shall meet renewal requirements provided by law and by regulation rule, unless the state board declares certain of these certificates to be the equivalent of the professional certificate.
Within the category of other certificates and permits, the state superintendent may issue certificates for persons to serve in the public schools as athletic coaches or other extracurricular activities coaches whose duties may include the supervision of students, subject to the following limitations:
(A) Such The person shall be employed under a contract with the county board of education which specifies the duties to be performed, which specifies a rate of pay equivalent to the rate of pay for professional educators in the district who accept similar duties as extra duty assignments and which provides for liability insurance associated with the activity: Provided, That such the persons shall are not be considered employees of the board for salary and benefit purposes other than as specified in the contract;
(B) A currently employed certified professional educator has not applied for the position; and
(C) such The person completes an orientation program designed and approved in accordance with state board rules. which shall be adopted no later than the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-one
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to revise dates for action with respect to hiring, termination, resignation or transfer of teachers and school personnel so that hiring determinations may be made earlier in the year to better allow county boards to recruit new teachers. This bill also allows people who are not United States citizens to receive teaching certificates.