HF 1144

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing for consecutive
teaching experience for a teacher whose probationary
employment is interrupted by military service;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 122A.40,
subdivision 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 122A.40,
subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Probationary period.

(a) The first three
consecutive years of a teacher's first teaching experience in
Minnesota in a single district is deemed to be a probationary
period of employment, and after completion thereof, the
probationary period in each district in which the teacher is
thereafter employed shall be one year. The school board must
adopt a plan for written evaluation of teachers during the
probationary period. Evaluation must occur at least three times
each year for a teacher performing services on 120 or more
school days, at least two times each year for a teacher
performing services on 60 to 119 school days, and at least one
time each year for a teacher performing services on fewer than
60 school days. Days devoted to parent-teacher conferences,
teachers' workshops, and other staff development opportunities
and days on which a teacher is absent from school must not be
included in determining the number of school days on which a
teacher performs services. Except as otherwise provided in
paragraph (b), during the probationary period any annual
contract with any teacher may or may not be renewed as the
school board shall see fit. However, the board must give any
such teacher whose contract it declines to renew for the
following school year written notice to that effect before July
1. If the teacher requests reasons for any nonrenewal of a
teaching contract, the board must give the teacher its reason in
writing, including a statement that appropriate supervision was
furnished describing the nature and the extent of such
supervision furnished the teacher during the employment by the
board, within ten days after receiving such request. The school
board may, after a hearing held upon due notice, discharge a
teacher during the probationary period for cause, effective
immediately, under section 122A.44.

(b) A board must discharge a probationary teacher,
effective immediately, upon receipt of notice under section
122A.20, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), that the teacher's
license has been revoked due to a conviction for child abuse or
sexual abuse.

new text begin (c) A teacher whose probationary period of employment is
interrupted for active military service and who resumes teaching
at a later date shall be considered to have a consecutive
teaching experience for the period of time the teacher is
performing services for purposes of this subdivision.
new text end