GCJ

Professional Status of Teachers

Teachers who have served in the school district for three consecutive years shall be entitled to professional teacher status. The superintendent, upon recommendation of the principal, may award such status to a teacher who has served in the principal’s school for not less than one year or to a teacher who has obtained such status in any other public school district in the Commonwealth. The superintendent will base the decisions on the results of evaluation procedures conducted according to committee policy.

At the end of each of the first three years of a teacher’s employment, it will be the responsibility of the superintendent to notify each employee in writing of the decision on reappointment. Notification to a teacher not being reappointed must be made by June 15.

A teacher who attains professional status will have continuous employment in the service of the school system. A teacher with professional status whose position is abolished by the school committee may be continued in the employ of the school system in another position for which he or she is legally qualified in accordance with the “Reduction in Force” provision in Article XXVI of the Agreement Between the Dudley-Charlton Teachers' Association and the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District.

Nothing in these provisions will be considered as restricting the superintendent from changing teacher assignments or altering or abolishing supervisory assignments.

Adopted April 5, 1973

Amended April 10, 1975

Amended December 11, 1991

Amended November 12, 1997

Amended March 27, 2002

In the event it becomes necessary to reduce the number of staff members, the school department will follow the procedure below:

1. Teachers without professional teacher status generally will be terminated first if there is a qualified teacher with professional teacher status to fill the position.

2. Should all teachers in the areas subject to reduction be fully certified, the superintendent will review the performance of teachers without professional teacher status and make recommendations for termination without prejudice.

Prior to making a decision, the superintendent must be sure that there are teachers who are qualified and certified to perform all of the needed duties of the terminated teachers.

All certified personnel terminated for purposes of reduction in force may be considered for reemployment as vacancies occur in positions for which they are qualified.

Opportunity for reemployment will be extended for two years to personnel in the reverse order of the termination order above. If recall is refused, the staff member’s name will be dropped from the list.

The district will follow all of the requirements of the law in terminating teachers in order to reduce staff.

Adopted November 14, 2012

LEGAL REFS: MGL 71:41; 71:42