SB519: SB519 Education; provisions relating to the conditions of employment for employees of local school systems and other public schools; revise

26 LC 61 0353 Senate Bill 519 By: Senators Anderson of the 43rd, Howard of the 35th, Kemp of the 38th, Goodman of the 8th, Hickman of the 4th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 elementary and secondary education, so as to revise various pro visions relating to the2 conditions of employment for employees of local school systems and other public schools;3 to provide requirements for certain evaluations; to provide req uirements for employment4 contracts for teachers; to provide for planned restroom breaks for teachers; to provide for5 role-specific training; to provide for policies relating to sch ool bus drivers; to provide for6 related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 SECTION 1.9 Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and10 secondary education, is amended by revising subsections (d) and (e) of Code Section11 20-2-210, relating to annual performance evaluations and confidentiality, as follows:12 "(d) The superintendent of each local school system shall identify an appropriately trained13 evaluator for each person employed by the local unit of administration for the purposes of14 completing an annual evaluation as required by this Code section. No employee of a public15 school shall be selected as the evaluator for other employees of such public school. The16 S. B. 519 - 1 - 26 LC 61 0353 superintendent of each local school system shall be responsible for ensuring compliance17 with this Code section.18 (e)(1) All records, including surveys and evaluation instrumen ts, associated with19 individual performance evaluations conducted pursuant to this C ode section shall be20 confidential and not subject to public disclosure. Each local school system and charter21 school shall report performance data to the Georgia Department of Education in a format22 approved by the State Board of Education. The department is au thorized to release23 performance data, except to the extent it is personally identif iable to any public school24 employee.25 (2) Any current or former public school employee may execute a release authorizing the26 release of his or her individual performance data to a third party.27 (3) The department may by agreement share individual data with the Office of Student28 Achievement for the purposes of improving postsecondary educator preparation so long29 as the office agrees that it will not disclose personally identifiable information about any30 public school employee.31 (4) Surveys of public school employees conducted pursuant to this Code section shall be32 conducted anonymously."33 SECTION 2.34 Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 20-2-211, relating35 to annual contracts, employment of certificated professional pe rsonnel, employment36 qualifications, and job descriptions, as follows:37 "(b) Any other provisions of this article or any other laws to the contrary notwithstanding,38 each local governing board shall, by not later than May 15 of t he current school year,39 tender a new contract for the ensuing school year to each teach er and other professional40 employee certificated by the Professional Standards Commission on the payroll of the local41 unit of administration at the beginning of the current school year, except those who have42 S. B. 519 - 2 - 26 LC 61 0353 resigned or who have been terminated as provided in Part 7 of Article 17 of this chapter,43 or shall notify in writing each such teacher or other certificated professional employee of44 the intention of not renewing his or her contract for the ensui ng school year. Such45 contracts when tendered to each teacher or other professional employee shall be complete46 in all terms and conditions of the contract, including the amount of compensation to be paid47 to such teacher or other professional employee during the ensuing school year and his or48 her assignment for the ensuing school year, and shall not contain blanks or leave any terms49 and conditions of the contract open. A letter of intent or sim ilar document shall not50 constitute a contract and shall not be construed to require or otherwise legally bind the51 teacher or other professional employee to return to such school system. Upon request, a52 written explanation for failure to renew such contract shall be made available to such53 certificated personnel by the executive officer. When such notice of intended termination54 has not been given by May 15, the employment of such teacher or other certificated55 professional employee shall be continued for the ensuing school year unless the teacher or56 certificated professional employee elects not to accept such employment by notifying the57 local governing board or executive officer in writing not later than June 1."58 SECTION 3.59 Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-218, relating to duty-free lunch period60 and planning period required, exemption for extenuating circums tances, and funding, by61 adding a new paragraph to subsection (b) to read as follows:62 "(3) Every teacher who is employed in grades kindergarten throu gh 12 for a period of63 time of more than one-half of the class periods of the regular school day shall be provided64 not less than two planned restroom breaks per day, one of which may coincide with such65 teacher's planning period."66 S. B. 519 - 3 - 26 LC 61 0353 SECTION 4.67 Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 20-2-230, relating68 to programs relative to staff development, as follows:69 "(a) All public school officials and professional personnel certificated by the Professional70 Standards Commission shall be provided the opportunity to conti nue their development71 throughout their professional careers and to receive training r elevant to their roles. The72 primary purpose of the staff development sponsored or offered by local boards of education73 and the Department of Education shall be the implementation of this policy. Two74 additional purposes of such staff development programs shall be to adopt into general75 practice the findings of scientifically designed research which has been widely replicated,76 particularly as it relates to teacher and school effectiveness, and to address professional77 needs and deficiencies identified during the process of objective performance evaluations."78 SECTION 5.79 Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (a) of C ode Section 20-2-1126,80 relating to written policies and procedures for operation of school buses, receipt of code of81 conduct by students, and acknowledgment by parent or guardian, as follows:82 "(a) Each public school system in this state shall promulgate policies and procedures for83 the operation of school buses and the conduct and safety of those students who ride such84 buses. Such policies and procedures shall be in writing and available for public inspection. 85 Each person employed as a school bus driver shall acknowledge in writing that he or she86 has received a copy of and has read and understands such policies and procedures. In the87 event that such policies and procedures are amended during the school year, such amended88 policies and procedures shall be provided to all persons employed by the school system as89 school bus drivers, and each such person shall acknowledge in writing that he or she has90 received a copy of and has read and understands such amended po licies and procedures. 91 Such policies and procedures shall provide for a school bus driver to request a bus monitor92 S. B. 519 - 4 - 26 LC 61 0353 if he or she has a concern regarding the behavior of a student or students who ride his or93 her school bus."94 SECTION 6.95 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.96 S. B. 519 - 5 -