MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Education

By: Senator(s) Nunnelee (By Request)

Senate Bill 2621

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-9-105, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND OTHER CONTRACT EMPLOYEES OF LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH CERTAIN RIGHTS, CONDITIONS AND MENTORING PRIOR TO NONRENEWAL OF THEIR CONTRACTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 37-9-105, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-9-105. (1) Prior to July 1, 1998, in the event that a determination is made by a school district not to offer an employee a renewal contract for a successive year, written notice of nonrenewal shall be given within seven (7) days of the date when the recommendation to reemploy would have been made under the provisions of Sections 37-9-15 and 37-9-17, and amendments thereto, but in any event no later than the following:

(a) If the employee is a superintendent, the school district shall give notice of nonreemployment on or before February 1;

(b) If the employee is a principal, the school district shall give notice of nonreemployment on or before March 1;

(c) If the employee is a teacher or other professional educator, the school district shall give notice of nonreemployment on or before April 8.

An interim conservator appointed pursuant to the provisions of Section 37-17-6(14)(a) or a school board acting on the recommendation of a school district financial advisor appointed pursuant to the provisions of Section 37-9-18 shall not be required to comply with the time limitations prescribed in this section for recommending the reemployment of superintendents, assistant superintendents or principals.

(2) Beginning with the 1998-1999 school year, the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation and the State Department of Education will require local school districts to develop plans for those individuals they have identified for nonrenewal, as follows:

(a) An individual identified for nonrenewal must undergo a remediation process of no less than eighteen (18) months;

(b) The 18-month remediation process will begin with the beginning of school or the August start date of the following year after the deficiencies were determined and the individual educator was placed on a remediation track;

(c) If the identified individual is a career teacher, a district or building principal will assign that person a master teacher to provide guidance and mentoring and to help in addressing the areas identified as deficient;

(d) If the identified individual is (i) a career administrator, (ii) a professional school counselor, (iii) librarian, or (iv) other contracted educator, the local school district will assign an appropriate mentor to help correct the identified deficiencies;

(e) A mentoring teacher shall be an individual who has proven proficiencies in his or her area of expertise or has been previously identified as a master teacher with a minimum of five (5) years of teaching experience.

(f) A mentor for (i) a professional school counselor, (ii) a librarian, or (iii) other contracted educator shall be an individual who has proven proficiencies in his or her area of expertise with a minimum of five (5) years of experience in the chosen field.

(g) A mentor for an administrator shall be an individual who has proven proficiencies in the area of administration and who has served in the area of administration as a career level administrator for a minimum of five (5) years.

(3) The Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation shall modify its regulations to conform with this statute. The State Department of Education will be the responsible agency for management and implementation of this statute. The State Department of Education shall provide general guidelines for the local school districts to follow, and provide assistance to develop acceptable guidelines and practices that will adhere to the practices as the state colleges and universities have taught in their educational leadership programs regarding the remediation of deficient individuals in a school setting.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998.