Requiring school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies related to carrying out a reduction in force

This bill requires school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies related to carrying out a reduction in force. The bill defines “administrative staff member” as a school employee who does not hold a license, certificate, authorization, or statement of recognition issued by the board of educational examiners (BOEE). The bill defines “practitioner” as a school employee who is an administrator, teacher, or other professional licensed by the BOEE who provides educational assistance to students. The bill also defines “practitioner performance” as an assessment of the quality of the practitioner that is measured using factors that include student academic performance, student growth measures, and performance evaluations. Additionally, the bill defines “reduction in force” as the termination of a practitioner’s employment due to economic reasons that include decreased funding, decreased enrollment, and the closure or reorganization of schools in the school system. The bill requires schools to adopt a policy related to carrying out a reduction in force and publish the policy on the school’s internet site within 10 days after adoption. The policy must require the school to consider whether to terminate the employment of administrative staff members prior to carrying out a reduction in force. The policy must also require the school to use practitioner performance as the sole factor or a primary factor when carrying out a reduction in force. Additionally, the policy must identify the factor or factors that are used to measure practitioner performance for purposes of carrying out a reduction in force. The policy must prohibit the school from using a practitioner’s seniority or tenure as the sole factor or a primary factor when carrying out a reduction in force. Also, the policy must include a timeline for notifying practitioners who may be affected by a reduction in force and practitioners whose employment has been terminated due to a reduction in force. Finally, the policy must include a description of any grievance procedures available to a practitioner whose employment is terminated due to a reduction in force.