The bill amends Section 16-13-4 of the General Laws concerning "Teachers' Tenure," specifically addressing the dismissal and demotion processes for teachers in the Providence public school district. It establishes that a principal may dismiss or demote any teacher or other person assigned full-time to the school, subject to the review and approval of the superintendent. The superintendent may also dismiss any employee of the school district. For employees assigned to multiple schools, they are considered under the supervision of the superintendent for dismissal or demotion decisions.

Teachers who have been teaching in the school system for at least ninety (90) calendar days must receive written notice of intent to dismiss, including detailed grounds for dismissal, and are entitled to a meeting with the principal or superintendent to discuss the decision. Tenured teachers can only be dismissed for specific reasons such as inefficiency, incompetency, incapacity, conduct unbecoming a teacher, insubordination, or failure to satisfy teacher performance standards.

Tenured teachers have the right to seek review of a dismissal decision within thirty (30) days by filing a petition for arbitration with the commissioner. The commissioner will provide a list of three (3) arbitrators from the American Arbitration Association, and the parties may strike one name from the list. The arbitration process will follow the rules of the American Arbitration Association, and the costs will be shared equally between the parties.

During the arbitration hearing, both the teacher and the school district may be represented by an attorney or other representative, present evidence, and call witnesses. The school district bears the burden of proof. The arbitrator's decision must be issued within one month of the hearing and may include remedies such as back pay, benefits, reinstatement, or other appropriate non-financial relief if the dismissal is found improper. The remedies provided in this section are the exclusive remedies available to teachers for wrongful termination. The act takes effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
745: 16-13-4