2025 -- S 0633
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LC000607
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' TENURE
Introduced By: Senators Valverde, DiMario, Thompson, Ujifusa, Gallo, and Murray
Date Introduced: March 07, 2025
Referred To: Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 16-13 of the General Laws entitled "Teachers’ Tenure" is hereby 1
amended by adding thereto the following section: 2
16-13-10. Termination for cause -- Noncredentialled employees -- List maintained. 3
(a) Whenever a noncredentialled employee’s employment with a school is terminated for 4
good and just cause by a principal, superintendent, school committee or other governing body of a 5
public school, a private school, a school district, a charter public school, or a mayoral academy 6
(hereinafter collectively referred to as a “school”), the school’s governing body shall, within sixty 7
(60) days of the termination, or in cases where the termination is appealed, within sixty (60) days 8
after the conclusion of the appeal filed by the terminated noncredentialled employee, and the 9
termination is upheld, furnish the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education 10
(the “department”) with the identity of the terminated noncredentialled employee and the good and 11
just cause for the termination. Provided, this section shall not apply to: 12
(1) The nonrenewal of a contract of a noncredentialled employee pursuant to § 16-13-2; or 13
(2) The termination of a noncredentialled employee due to fiscal exigency or program 14
reorganization. 15
(b) The department shall maintain a list of those noncredentialled employees who have 16
been terminated for good and just cause as well as the good and just cause for the termination (the 17
“list”), and shall update the list monthly to include any additional names and cause submitted 18
pursuant to the provisions of this section. The department shall establish a tracking system for 19
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reporting these names and causes, as well as to provide access to these names and causes, to hiring 1
authorities. This list shall be accessible only to the hiring authority of any private, parochial, charter, 2
or public school or school district. 3
(c) The list shall not be a public record pursuant to chapter 2 of title 38 ("access to public 4
records"). This section shall not abrogate or modify any existing statutory or common law 5
privileges or immunities. 6
(d) As used herein, the term “noncredentialled employee” means any person working 7
within or for a school whose employment with the school does not require an educational license 8
or certificate issued by the department. The following persons are excluded from the definition of 9
a “noncredentialled employee” if those persons are working within or for a school using any of the 10
licenses listed herein: 11
(1) A teacher as defined in §16-13-1; 12
(2) An athletic coach as described in chapter 11.1 of title 16 (“athletic coaches”); 13
(3) A teaching assistant as defined in §16-11.2-1; 14
(4) A superintendent, assistant superintendent, or equivalent similar position, as defined in 15
§16-2-10; 16
(5) An administrator including, but not limited to, a principal, vice principal, or similar 17
building-level administrator as defined in §16-12.1-2; and 18
(6) Any other person who is employed in or for a school in a position that requires 19
possession of a certificate or license issued by the department. 20
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 21
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' TENURE
***
This act would require that the names of any noncredentialled school employees who are 1
terminated for good and just cause, be furnished to the Rhode Island department of elementary and 2
secondary education. The department would maintain a list of the names and the good cause for 3
the termination. This list would not be a public document, but would be available to hiring 4
authorities of schools and school districts. 5
This act would take effect upon passage. 6
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