The bill amends Section 16-13-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-13, titled "Teachers' Tenure," to establish new guidelines for the suspension of teachers due to a substantial decrease in pupil population. It specifies that while all local education authorities, except the Providence public school district, may suspend teachers in inverse order of their employment, the Providence district has additional protections for tenured teachers. Specifically, tenured teachers cannot be laid off if there are non-tenured teachers available for their positions or if there are less qualified tenured teachers in similar roles.

The bill outlines criteria for determining teacher qualifications, which must be included in collective bargaining agreements, emphasizing job performance and the best interests of students. It introduces exemptions for certain teachers from layoffs based on specific criteria, such as their performance evaluations, their work in high-needs schools, or their linguistic proficiency in relation to in-district languages.

Additionally, among the remaining teachers without tenure, no teacher shall be laid off if there is a less qualified teacher without such status holding the same or similar position. The school committee and the collective bargaining representative may negotiate for seniority or length of service only as a tie-breaker in personnel actions among teachers whose qualifications are no different.

The notice of suspension must be provided in writing by June 1, except in cases of emergency performance-related causes. This act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
747: 16-13-6