Req. No. 646 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) SENATE BILL 332 By: Dossett AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-101.3, which relates to definitions for teachers; modifying certain defini tion; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency . BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -101.3, is amended to read as follows: Section 6-101.3. As used in Section 6 -101 et seq. of this title: 1. “Administrator” means a duly certified person who devotes a majority of time to service as a superintendent, eleme ntary superintendent, principal, super visor, vice principal , or in any other administrative or supervisory capacity in the school district; 2. “Dismissal” means the discontinuance of the teaching service of an administrator or teacher during the term of a written contract, as provided by law; 3. “Nonreemployment” means the nonrenewal of the contract of an administrator or teacher upon expiration of the contract; Req. No. 646 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 4. “Career teacher” means a teacher who: a. is employed by a school district prior to the 201 7- 2018 school year and has completed t hree (3) or more consecutive complete school years as a teacher in one school district under a written continuing or temporary teaching contract, or b. is employed for the first time by a school district under a written continuing or temporary teaching contract during the 2017 -2018 school year and thereafter and: (1) has completed three (3) consecutive complete school years as a teacher in one or more school district districts under a written continuing or temporary teaching contract and has achieved a district evaluation rating of “superior” as measured pursuant to the TLE as set forth in Section 6-101.16 of this title for at least two (2) of the three (3) school years , (2) has completed four (4) consecutive complete school years as a teacher in one or more school district districts under a written continui ng or temporary teaching contract, has averaged a district evaluation rating of at least “effective” as measured pursuant to the TLE for Req. No. 646 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 the four-year period, and has received district evaluation ratings o f at least “effective” for the last two (2) years o f the four-year period, or (3) has completed four (4) or more consecutive complete school years in one or more school district districts under a written continuing or temporary teaching contract and has no t met the requirements of subparagraph a or b of th is paragraph, only if the princi pal of the school at which the teacher is employed submits a petition to the superintendent of the school district requesting that the teacher be granted career status, the superintendent agrees with the petition, and the sc hool district board of education approves the petition. The principal shall specify in the petition the underlying facts supporting the granting of career status to the teacher; 5. “Teacher hearing” means the hearing before a school district board of education after a recommendation fo r dismissal or nonreemployment of a teacher has been made but before any final action is taken on the recommendation, held for the purp ose of affording the teacher all right s guaranteed by the United States Req. No. 646 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Constitution and the Constitution of Oklahoma und er circumstances and for enabling the board to determine whether to approve or disapprove the recommendation; 6. “Probationary teacher ” means a teacher who: a. is employed by a school district prior to the 2017 - 2018 school year and has completed fewer tha n three (3) consecutive complete school years as a teacher in one school district under a written teaching contract, or b. is employed for the first time by a school distric t under a written teaching contract during the 2017 -2018 school year and thereafter and has not met the requirements for career teacher as provided in paragraph 4 of this section; 7. “Suspension” or “suspended” means the temporary discontinuance of the se rvices of an administrator or teacher, as provided by law; 8. “Teacher” means a person defined as a teacher in Section 1 - 116 of this title; and 9. “District evaluation rating ” means the rating issued based on the components of the TLE as set forth in sub section B of Section 6-101.16 of this title. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. Req. No. 646 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is h ereby declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. 59-1-646 EB 1/13/2023 12:34:08 PM