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Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE BILL NO. 1313
BY REPRESENTATIVE DIXON
TEACHERS: Requires local school superintendents to provide certain information to
teachers who acquire tenure
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:442, relative to teacher tenure; to require each superintendent2
of a public school system to provide certain information to a teacher employed in the3
system who acquires permanent status as a teacher; to provide for legislative4
findings; and to provide for related matters.5
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:6
Section 1. R.S. 17:442 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows: 7
ยง442. Probation and tenure of parish or city public school teachers; findings8
A. The legislature finds that the state and the nation have a clear9
commitment to the goal of assuring that there is a highly qualified and effective10
teacher in every classroom. The legislature further finds that the purpose for the11
guarantees and protections for teachers provided by this Section is to assure that12
students are provided with high quality, effective teachers who are free from political13
or personal retribution and are guaranteed the right to teach in accordance with best14
practices and with the best interests of their students as their primary concern.15
B. Each teacher shall serve a probationary term of three years to be reckoned16
from the date of his first appointment in the parish or city, parish, or other local17
public school system in which the teacher is serving his probation. During the18
probationary term the parish or city school board, as the case may be, At any time19
during a teacher's probationary term, the city, parish, or other local public school20 HLS 10RS-1630 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 1313
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board employing such teacher may dismiss or discharge any probationary the teacher1
upon the written recommendation of the parish or city superintendent of schools, as2
the case may be, the school system accompanied by valid reasons therefor.3
C. Any teacher found unsatisfactory by the parish or city school board, as the4
case may be, city, parish, or other local public school board at the expiration of the5
said his probationary term, shall be notified in writing by the board superintendent6
of the school system that he has been discharged or dismissed; in the absence of such7
notification, such probationary teacher shall automatically shall become a regular8
and permanent teacher in the employ of the school board of the parish or city, as the9
case may be, city, parish, or other local public school system in which he has10
successfully served his three year probationary term; all teachers in the employ of11
any parish or city school board as of July 31, 1946 who hold proper certificates and12
who have served satisfactorily as teachers in that parish or city for more than three13
consecutive years, are declared to be regular and permanent teachers in the employ14
of the school board of that parish or city.15
D. The superintendent of each school system shall send a congratulatory16
letter to each teacher employed in his school system who successfully completes the17
probationary term and becomes a regular and permanent teacher. Such letter shall18
include information regarding all applicable tenure laws, the rights granted to the19
teacher by the school system, and the expectations of the school system for the20
teacher as it relates to his employment.21
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Dixon HB No. 1313
Abstract: Requires superintendents of public school systems to provide certain information
to teachers employed in their respective systems who acquire permanent status as a
teacher.
Present law (R.S. 17:442) requires each teacher to serve a probationary term of three years
beginning on the date of his first appointment in the parish or city where he is serving his
probation. Authorizes local school boards to dismiss or discharge any probationary teacher HLS 10RS-1630 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 1313
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upon written recommendation of the local superintendent accompanied by valid reasons
therefor. Provides that any teacher found unsatisfactory by the local school board at the
expiration of the probationary term shall be notified in writing by the board that he has been
discharged or dismissed. Provides that in the absence of such notification, the teacher shall
automatically become a regular and permanent teacher.
Proposed law retains present law and adds a requirement that the superintendent of each
school system send a congratulatory letter to each teacher employed in his school system
who successfully completes the probationary term and becomes a regular and permanent
teacher. Requires that the letter include information about all applicable tenure laws, the
rights granted to the teacher by the school system, and the expectations of the school system
for the teacher as it relates to his employment. Proposed law changes present law
requirement for the local board to notify a teacher that he is being discharged or dismissed
to instead require such notification by the local superintendent.
(Amends R.S. 17:442)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the original
bill.
1. Changed present law requirement for the local board to notify a teacher that he
is being discharged or dismissed to instead require such notification by the local
superintendent.
2. Added "effective" to proposed law references to highly qualified/high quality
teachers.