09 HB 455/AP
House
Bill 455 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By:
Representatives Neal of the
1st,
Lindsey of the
54th,
Casas of the
103rd,
Ashe of the
56th,
England of the
108th,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Code Section 20-2-211 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to annual contracts for certificated personnel in elementary and secondary
education, so as to temporarily extend certain deadlines; to amend Code Section
20-2-205 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia
Master Teacher Program, so
as
to remove the sunset provision for the
Georgia Master Teacher Program; to amend Code Section 20-2-212 of the Official
Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to salary schedules for certificated
personnel under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to provide for
placement on the state salary schedule for an educator who has a leadership
degree but is not in a leadership position; to provide for related matters; to
provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Code
Section 20-2-211 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to annual
contracts for certificated personnel in elementary and secondary education, is
amended by revising subsection (b) as follows:
"(b)
Any other provisions of this article or any other laws to the contrary
notwithstanding, each local governing board shall, by not later than April 15 of
the current school year, tender a new contract for the ensuing school year to
each teacher and other professional employee certificated by the Professional
Standards Commission on the payroll of the local unit of administration at the
beginning of the current school year, except those who have resigned or who have
been terminated as provided in Part 7 of Article 17 of this chapter, or shall
notify in writing each such teacher or other certificated professional employee
of the intention of not renewing his or her contract for the ensuing school
year;
provided, however, that for school year 2009-2010 only, each local governing
board shall have until May 15, 2009, to tender such new contracts or provide
such written notice. Such contracts when
tendered to each teacher or other professional employee shall be complete in all
terms and conditions of the contract, including the amount of compensation to be
paid to such teacher or other professional employee during the ensuing school
year, and shall not contain blanks or leave any terms and conditions of the
contract open. A letter of intent or similar document shall not constitute a
contract and shall not be construed to require or otherwise legally bind the
teacher or other professional employee to return to such school system. Upon
request, a written explanation for failure to renew such contract shall be made
available to such certificated personnel by the executive officer. When such
notice of intended termination has not been given by April 15,
or by May 15,
2009, for school year 2009-2010 only, the
employment of such teacher or other certificated professional employee shall be
continued for the ensuing school year unless the teacher or certificated
professional employee elects not to accept such employment by notifying the
local governing board or executive officer in writing not later than May 1,
or by June 1,
2009, for school year 2009-2010
only."
SECTION
1A.
Code
Section 20-2-205 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Georgia Master Teacher Program, is amended by revising subsection (d) as
follows:
"(d)
This Code section shall be repealed on June 30,
2009. "
SECTION
1B.
Code
Section 20-2-212 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to salary
schedules for certificated personnel under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is
amended by adding to the end of subsection (a) the following:
"For
purposes of this subsection, an educator's placement on the salary schedule
shall not be based on a leadership degree, which shall mean a degree earned in
conjunction with completion of an educator leadership preparation program
approved by the Professional Standards Commission, if the degree was earned on
or after July 1, 2010, unless the educator is employed in a leadership position
as defined by the State Board of Education, but shall be placed on the salary
schedule position attributable to the educator but for the leadership degree;
provided, however, that this shall not apply to an educator who possessed a
leadership degree prior to July 1, 2010, regardless of whether or not he or she
is in a leadership
position."
SECTION
2.
This
Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its
becoming law without such approval.
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.