TANNEHILL

REDUCTION-IN-FORCE

CERTIFIED PERSONNEL

It is the policy of the Tannehill Board of Education that, in the event it becomes necessary to reduce the profes­sional staff of this school district, reduction-in-force at any level may be based on any of the following conditions:

                          Decrease in revenue,

                          Decrease in student enrollment,

                          Changes in educational programs or curriculum,

                          Cancellation of programs, or

                          Any other circumstances determined by the board.

Definitions

Career teacher means a teacher who:

1. is employed by a school district prior to the 2017-2018 school year and has completed three (3) or more consecutive complete school years as a teacher in one school district under a written continuing or temporary teaching contract, or

1. for teachers 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.

(1) has completed three (3) consecutive complete school years as a teacher in one school district 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 70 O.S. § 6-101.16 of  this act 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 school district under a written continuing or temporary teaching contract, has averaged a district evaluation rating of at least "effective" as measured pursuant to the TLE for the four-year period, and has received a rating of at least "effective" for the last two (2) years of the four-year period, or

(3) has completed four (4) or more consecutive complete school years in one school district under a written continuing or temporary teaching contract and has not met the requirements of subparagraph “a” or “b” of this paragraph, only if the principal 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 school 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;

Probationary teacher means a teacher who:

1. for teachers employed by a school district prior to the  2017-2018 school year and has completed fewer than three (3) consecutive complete school years as a teacher in one school district under a written teaching contract, or

1. for teachers employed for the first time by a school district under a written teaching contract during the 2017-2018 school year and thereafter.

REDUCTION-IN-FORCE, CERTIFIED PERSONNEL (Cont.)

In the event any of the above conditions occur, every effort will be made to accomplish the necessary reduction by attrition, voluntary resignation, or voluntary retirement.  Reduction-in-force will be made according to the following procedures:

   1.       The position will be the determining factor in a reduction, not the teacher occupying the position.

   2.       The order of termination will be as follows:

1. A probationary teacher in an eliminated position will be terminated first  

    

                B    A career teacher in an eliminated position will be placed in a retained position in which the teacher is, at the time of the presentation of the recommendation to reduce force, certified by standard certification, provided the position is occupied by a probationary teacher.

    

                C.   If a career teacher is qualified for standard certifica­tion in a position held by a probationary or licensed teacher but does not have such a certificate, then such career teacher must have evidence of eligibility for such certification on file in a personnel file in the office of the superintendent at the time of the presentation of the recommendation to reduce force.

    

                D.   If there is more than one career teacher assigned to the position that is subject to being eliminated, the following criteria, in this order, will be used to deter­mine which of the career teachers will be retained:

    

                    1.     Certification in a retained teaching position that is open.  A career teacher with standard certifica­tion for the retained position will be retained over a probationary teacher.

                    2.     Seniority in continuous, full-time, contracted, certified employment in the district.  (Approved medical leave shall not result in a break in service.)

                    3.       If certification and seniority are the same according to the above criteria, the determining factors in order of importance are:

                            a.         Years of teaching experience in the retained position in the local school district.

                            b.         Academic degree status:

                                        A teacher with a doctor's degree will be retained over a teacher with a master's or a bachelor's degree; a teacher with a master's will be retained over a teacher with a bachelor's degree.

             E.   If there is more than one probationary teacher in the position being reduced, the criteria listed in E, 1 through 3, will be used in determining which probationary teacher or licensed teacher will be retained.

Any person terminated under the provisions of this policy who wishes to be considered for future vacancies must make formal application for a teaching position and must notify the super­intendent by certified mail, restricted delivery, within ten (10) days following final board action on the termination, of the teacher's desire to remain an active applicant for a teaching position.