Summary of the Perfected Version of the Bill

HCS HB 1526 -- SCHOOL PERSONNEL (Dieckhaus)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Committee on Elementary and Secondary

Education

This substitute changes the laws regarding school personnel.

ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS EXCEPT ST. LOUIS CITY

The last-in, first-out provisions governing reductions in the

teacher force are revised to remove the requirement that

untenured teachers must be laid off before any tenured teacher is

laid off. The decision cannot be based on seniority, years of

service, or the amount of a teacher’s salary. Individual

performance of a teacher must count for at least 70%, and

significant schoolwide contributions, creation and implementation

of a tutoring program, creation of school enrichment programs,

and relevant training are positive factors, while misconduct,

criminal conduct, or excessive unexcused absences are negative.

Each teacher and principal contract and collective bargaining

agreement must authorize the use of evaluation results for

decisions made under these provisions.

ST. LOUIS CITY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

The substitute changes the laws regarding the St. Louis school

district as follows:

(1) Adds incompetency to the causes for which a teacher can be

dismissed;

(2) Repeals a provision which specifies that a notification

regarding removal for specified causes received by an employee

during a vacation period will be considered as received on the

first day of the following school term;

(3) Changes the time period for the notice of pending charges of

incompetency or inefficiency from at least one semester to at

least 30 days;

(4) Requires the teacher and the superintendent, or his or her

representative, to meet and confer to resolve a notification of

incompetency or inefficiency;

(5) Repeals the provision prohibiting a new teacher appointment

after a reduction in force while teachers 70 years of age or

younger and who are qualified and on leave of absence are

available;

(6) Limits a leave of absence to not more than three years unless extended by the board and specifies that a leave cannot

impair the tenure of a teacher; and

(7) Repeals the “last in, first out” policy for laying off noncertificated employees.

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