2004 Minnesota Statutes

     124D.29 Career teacher. 

    Subdivision 1.    Status.  A family connections program 
 may include a career teacher, principal-teacher, and counselor 
 teacher component.  The career teacher, principal-teacher, and 
 counselor teacher must not be the exclusive teacher for students 
 assigned to them but shall serve as a primary teacher and 
 perform the function of developing and implementing a student's 
 overall learning and development program.  The career teacher, 
 principal-teacher, and counselor teacher may be responsible for 
 regular assignments as well as learning and development programs 
 for other assigned students.  

    Subd. 2.    Qualifications.  (a) An individual employed 
 as a career teacher must be licensed as a teacher and shall be 
 considered a teacher as defined in section 179A.03, subdivision 
 18, for purposes of chapter 179A.  

    (b) An individual employed as a principal teacher must be 
 licensed as a principal and shall be considered a principal, as 
 defined in section 179A.03, subdivision 12, for purposes of 
 chapter 179A. 

    (c) An individual employed as a counselor teacher must be 
 licensed as a counselor and shall be considered a teacher, as 
 defined in section 179A.03, subdivision 18, for purposes of 
 chapter 179A. 

    Subd. 3.    Staff/student ratio.  (a) Except as provided 
 in paragraph (b), one career teacher, principal-teacher, or 
 counselor teacher shall be assigned for every 125 students.  For 
 each special education student included in the assignment, the 
 1:125 ratio must be reduced by one.  

    (b) One principal-teacher shall be assigned for every 50 
 students when the principal-teacher is also the principal of the 
 school.  

    Subd. 4.    Selection; renewal.  (a) The board must 
 establish procedures for teachers, principals, and counselors to 
 apply for the position of career teacher, principal-teacher, or 
 counselor teacher.  The authority for selection of career 
 teachers, principal-teachers, and counselor teachers is vested 
 in the board and no individual shall have a right to employment 
 as a career teacher, principal-teacher, or counselor teacher 
 based on seniority or order of employment in the district.  

    (b) Employment of the career teacher, principal-teacher, 
 and counselor teacher may be on a 12-month basis with vacation 
 time negotiated individually with the board.  The annual 
 contract of a career teacher, principal-teacher, or counselor 
 teacher may not be renewed, as the board shall see fit.  The 
 board must give any teacher whose contract as a career teacher, 
 principal-teacher, or counselor teacher it declines to renew for 
 the following year written notice to that effect before April 
 15.  If the board fails to renew the contract of a career 
 teacher, principal-teacher, or counselor teacher, that 
 individual must be reinstated to another position in the 
 district if eligible pursuant to section 122A.40 or 122A.41.  

    Subd. 5.    Duties.  The career teacher, 
 principal-teacher, and counselor teacher is responsible for:  

    (1) the overall education, learning, and development plan 
 of assigned students.  The career teacher, principal-teacher, 
 and counselor teacher must design this plan with the student, 
 parents, and other faculty, and must seek to maximize the 
 learning and development potential and maturation level of each 
 pupil; 

    (2) measuring the proficiency of the assigned students and 
 assisting other staff in identifying pupil needs and making 
 appropriate educational and subject groupings; 

    (3) when part of the district's plan, taking responsibility 
 for the parent and early childhood education of assigned 
 students; 

    (4) designing and being responsible for program components 
 which meet special learning needs of high potential and talented 
 students; 

    (5) coordinating the ongoing, year-to-year learning and 
 development program for assigned students; and 

    (6) developing learning and development portfolios.  

    HIST: 1981 c 358 art 6 s 11; 1983 c 314 art 9 s 12; 1984 c 462 
 s 27; 1986 c 444; 1989 c 329 art 7 s 19; 1989 c 356 s 49; 1991 c 
 130 s 37; 1996 c 412 art 4 s 17; 1998 c 397 art 3 s 88-91,103; 
 art 11 s 3