From the ECS State Policy Database Teaching Quality--Teacher Rights

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary VA To governor 02/2013 P-12 School personnel evaluation policies and grievance procedures. S.B. 1223 Makes several changes to the processes by which teachers and certain administrators are evaluated and to the grievance procedure process. Re... More... TN Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 First Amendment Rights H.B. 3266 Prohibits LEAs, school administrators and educators from taking action that infringe on or waive first amendment rights of school personnel ... More... AR Adopted 02/2012 P-12 School Worker Defense Program and Advisory Board AR ADC 005.01.23-1.0 to AR ADC 005.01.23-10.0; AR ADC 005.04.8-1.00 to AR ADC 005.04.8-11.00 Establishes the School Worker Defense Program Advisory Board (the Board). Directs that the Board be comprised of seven specific members, and... More... NC Signed into law 01/2012 P-12 No Dues Checkoff for School Employees S.B. 727 Eliminates the option of active or retired public school employees to pay an employees' organization through a periodic deduction from payro... More... MO Signed into law 10/2011 P-12 Staff/Student Internet Use S.B. 1 Modifies S.B. 54. SCS/SB 1 c[ ][ ] This act modifies provisions relating to communications between school district employees and students.Cu... More... TX Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 District Employees and Charitable Contributions H.B. 1682 Prohibits district boards or employees from requiring or coercing any employee to make a contribution to a charitable organization or in res... More... TX Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Confidentiality of Teacher and Administrator Performance Documents H.B. 2971 Clarifies that the confidentiality of documents evaluating teacher or administrator performance applies to teachers and administrators at op... More... UT To governor 03/2011 P-12 Limits on Paid Leave for Employee Association or Union Duties H.B. 183 Prohibits a local school board from granting paid association leave for an employee to perform an employee association or union duty. Permit... More... AR Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Postsec. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System Member Employment S.B. 126 Establishes the right of an Arkansas Teacher Retirement System member to remain an active member when employed by an institution of higher e... More... FL Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 First Amendment Protection H.B. 31 Prohibits school boards, administrative personnel, and instructional personnel from taking affirmative action, including, but not limited to... More... MO Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 Teacher Tenure H.B. 1543--Multiple Provisions Allows the special administrative board, when it has been granted governing powers for a district in the St. Louis City School District to a... More... GA Signed into law 05/2010 P-12 Public Disclosure Requirements H.B. 1086 Relates to exemptions to requirements for disclosure of public records, so as to provide that certain personal information relating to teach... More... AL Pocket veto by governor 05/2010 P-12 Postsec. Misdemeanors by Public School Employees H.B. 236 Defines "public education employee" as any public education employee employed by federal, state or county government or any public college, ... More... NY Vetoed 03/2010 P-12 "Other Specified Personnel" when BOCES Takes Over Program S.B. 6154 Relates to teachers' rights; adds other specified personnel to teachers and teaching assistants when a board of cooperative educational serv... More... IL Signed into law 02/2010 P-12 Postsec. Discrimination H.B. 59 Relates to the procedure for filing a complaint with the Director of Human Rights relating to discrimination in employment, credit, public a... More... UT Adopted 02/2010 P-12 Sharing of Curriculum Materials R277-111 Adds new Rule 277-111, "Sharing of Curriculum Materials by Public School Educators". Allows/encourages educators to use valuable time and re... More... IL Signed into law 11/2009 P-12 Interference with a Public Institution of Education H.B. 557 Expands the statute concerning interference with a public institution of higher education to also include interference with public elementar... More... IL Signed into law 11/2009 P-12 Postsec. Civil Rights H.B. 2547 Provides that the exercise of free speech, free expression, free exercise of religion or expression of religiously based views by any indivi... More... IL Signed into law 08/2009 Postsec. Community College Faculty and Staff Political Displays H.B. 899 Provides that a university or community college may not prohibit any faculty or staff member from: (1) displaying political buttons, sticker... More... IL Signed into law 08/2009 Postsec. Community College Rights of Postsecondary Faculty and Staff H.B. 898 Provides that all faculty and staff members of a university or community college are free to communicate their views on any matter of privat... More... IL Signed into law 07/2009 P-12 Sick Leave S.B. 35 and H.B. 548 Provides that a school board may require a certificate from a physician, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant or spiritual adviser a... More... NC Signed into law 07/2009 P-12 Probationary and Career Teacher Hearing Process Modifications S.B. 962 Modifies the hearing process applicable to probationary teachers by providing the teacher a right to notice and hearing prior to the board's... More... LA Adopted 06/2009 P-12 Teacher Bill of Rights LAC 28:CXV.519 Provides for the immunity and legal defense of teachers. Provides for the rights of beginning teachers. Provides for the distribution of the... More... TX Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Leave Time for Assaulted Staff H.B. 1470 Requires school districts to notify employees that they are entitled to leave time if physically assaulted during the performance of their r... More... TX Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Employee Grievances H.B. 2512 Requires districts to allow an employee reporting a grievance to make an audio recording of any meeting in which the grievance is investigat... More... FL Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Postsec. Public Records Law Exemption for Information Obtained in a Department of Education Testing Impropriety Investigation H.B. 895 Provides an exemption from public records requirements for personally identifiable information of any personnel of any school district or po... More... OK Vetoed 05/2009 P-12 Influencing Elections H.B. 2161 Provides that the board of education of a school district shall not allow any individual or organization to speak or distribute material at ... More... OK Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 H.B. 1598 Prohibits certain persons from certain involvement in due process hearings; creates the School Protection Act; provides short title; states ... More... LA Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Orientation on Disciplinary Rules and Student Conduct H.B. 754 Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, requires the governing authority of an elementary or secondary school to provide every student an ... More... LA Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 H.B. 672 Renames provisions of law providing for the rights of teachers to the Teacher Bill of Rights. Provides that teachers have a right to immunit... More... LA Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Battery of a School Teacher H.B. 757 For purposes of R.S. 14:34.3 and R.S. 38.2 relating to battery of a school teacher, extends definition of "school teacher" to include any te... More... TN Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 Whistleblower Protections H.B. 2610 This bill prohibits the taking of adverse employment action against any teacher employed by an LEA solely for refusing to participate in, or... More... GA Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 Inappropriate Behavior by an Educator H.B. 1321 Provides that falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting, or erroneously reporting reports of instances of inappropriate behavior by a teacher, a... More... ME Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 Teacher Certification -- Revocation/Reinstatement S.B. 912A Requires the Department of Education to report all denials, revocations, suspensions, surrenders and reinstatements of certification that ar... More... NY Signed into law 08/2007 P-12 Teacher Certification of Legal Aliens A.B. 8975 From bill analysis on New York State United Teachers Web site: Extends for another five years (to 2012), chapter 658 of the laws of 2002, wh... More... IL Signed into law 08/2007 P-12 Postsec. Community College Whistleblower Act H.B. 742 Amends the Whistleblower Act. Provides that an "employer" as defined in the act includes: (1) A political subdivision of the state (2) A uni... More... NC Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Release of School Personnel Files H.B. 550 Modifies the law pertaining to the confidentiality of school personnel files. Provides that information contained in a personnel file that i... More... CA Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Teacher quality A.B. 1194 Gives public school employees the right to represent themselves individually in their employment relations with the public school employer, ... More... OR Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Postsec. Community College Discrimination H.B. 2906 Allows person claiming to be aggrieved by unlawful discrimination to file civil action in circuit court. No action shall be filed unless, wi... More... GA Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Grade Integrity Act of 2007 S.B. 9 Enacts the Grade Integrity Act of 2007. Provides that no classroom teacher shall be required, coerced, intimidated, or disciplined in any ma... More... TX Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Employee Immunity S.B. 370 Prohibit school districts from requiring district employees to waive immunity from liability for acts for which they are immune from liabili... More... TX Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 H.B. 1622 From bill analysis: Currently, a school district employee who needs to report a grievance against a supervisor must report the grievance to ... More... IN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 H.B. 1116 Requires an individual to have training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, removing obstructions to a person's airway and the Heimlich maneuv... More... IN Signed into law 04/2007 P-12 Nonrenewal of a Teacher's Contract H.B. 1489 Allows a nonpermanent teacher ten days to request a conference with the governing body after receiving a notice of nonrenewal of the teacher... More... NC Signed into law 07/2006 P-12 Instructional Planning Time and a Daily Duty-Free Lunch H.B. 1151 Provides for weekly instructional planning time and a daily duty-free lunch period for teachers. http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2005/Bills/Ho... More... LA Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 Paid Leave to Attend Meetings H.B. 800 Requires that a local school board employee be provided paid leave to attend meetings of certain public entities on which the employee serve... More... LA Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 Assault on a School Teacher H.B. 1260 Provides that the crime of assault on a school teacher includes making statements threatening physical harm to a school teacher and requires... More... LA Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 Documents in Teacher Personnel File H.B. 1184 Provides relative to documents placed in a school employee's personnel file on or before September 1987. Permits the school employee to rebu... More... KY Signed into law 03/2006 P-12 Income and Benefits of Teacher Victim of Assault S.B. 51 Provides that there shall be no loss of income or benefits to a teacher or school employee for work time lost because of personal injury inc... More... IN Signed into law 03/2006 P-12 Possessing a Knife on School Property H.B. 1093 Makes possessing a knife on school property or on a school bus a Class B misdemeanor; makes the offense a Class A misdemeanor if the offende... More... DE SIGNED 04/2005 P-12 Communications Regarding Teacher Termination H.B. 22 Requires that formal communications between a teacher and a school board relating to the termination of the teacher's services be sent via c... More... AZ Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Teacher Immunity H.B. 2267 States that a full-time certified teacher is immune from personal liability for all acts done and actions taken in good faith in evaluating ... More... AR Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Teachers Lunch Breaks H.B. 2789 Ensures that teachers receive a thirty-minute uninterrupted duty-free lunch period during each student instructional day. http://www.arkleg.... More... AR Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 School Employee Rights H.B. 2482 Clarifies a school employee's right to have a witness or representative present in a disciplinary or grievance matter. http://www.arkleg.sta... More... CA Vetoed 08/2004 P-12 Pupil Evaluation of a Teacher A.B. 2370 Permits, with respect to courses of study taught in any of grades 6 to 12, inclusive a teacher to solicit pupil evaluations of his or her co... More... DE Signed into law 07/2004 P-12 Student Grades and Teacher Evaluations H.B. 126 Relates to student grades and teacher evaluations; provides that no one except the teacher who assigns a grade to a student may change the g... More... LA Signed into law 07/2004 P-12 Postsec. Arrest of Teachers H.B. 445 Limits the authority of a justice of the peace to arrest a teacher in any public or private elementary, secondary, high school, vocational-t... More... LA Signed into law 07/2004 P-12 School Employee Injuries S.B. 51 Relates to school employee injuries. Specifies that sick leave with pay for any secretary, paraprofessional employee, school aide, teacher ... More... AK Signed into law 06/2004 P-12 Teachers and Jury Duty H.B. 353 Exempts certain teachers at schools that are designated as failing to make adequate yearly progress from jury service during school terms. h... More... FL Signed into law 06/2004 P-12 Education Personnel S.B. 2986 Relates to education personnel; provides for expunging of criminal history records of applicants for employment at certain education related... More... HI Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Smoking/Tobacco Products on School Property H.B. 2871 Creates a safe and healthy school environment by prohibiting any person from smoking tobacco products on school property and at any school- ... More... AL Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Teacher Tenure Law H.B. 42 Relating to the Teacher Tenure Law: transfers, suspensions, and contract cancellations, hearing procedures, different procedures for major a... More... AL Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Fair Dismissal Act H.B. 43 Relates to public school employees, Fair Dismissal Act, transfers, terminations, suspensions, procedure before local board of education, app... More... CT Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Teachers Evaluations S.B. 533 Concerning teachers' evaluations; makes the failure to follow the procedures of evaluation programs subject to the grievance procedure in co... More... AZ Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Reduction of Salaries or School Personnel H.B. 2102 Concerns limitation on reduction of salaries or personnel in schools; requires notice of general salary reduction prior to the fiscal year i... More... CO Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 Teacher Criminal Prosecution S.B. 152 Prohibits the payment of a teacher following the initiation of a prosecution for an offense that would result in the loss of licensure. http... More... ID Signed into law 03/2004 P-12 Teacher Certification S.B. 1351 Amends existing law relating to public school teachers to provide for placing conditions on a certificate; to provide an additional ground f... More... ID Signed into law 03/2004 P-12 Teacher Certification S.B. 1350 Amends existing law to provide that the chief certification officer for the Department of Education or the administrator for the Professiona... More... AR Became law without governor's signature 01/2004 P-12 Distance Learning H.B. 1036 Assists public schools through the establishment of grants for distance learning; provides for the establishment of standards for eligible e... More... IL Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 Teacher Organization Officers S.B. 230 Provides if a teacher is elected to serve as an officer of a state or national teacher organization that represents teachers in collective b... More... LA Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 Teachers' Bill of Rights H.B. 1342 Establishes the Teachers' Bill of Rights. The teachers' rights enumerated include: 1) The right to teach free from the fear of frivolous law... More... LA Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Teachers-Medical Leave Sabbaticals H.B. 846 Eliminates provision that teachers at regular and special public schools are eligible for medical leave sabbaticals only if they have 25 day... More... IN Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Background checks, criminal acts, contract and license termination, liability, H.B. 1620 Revises policies a school may adopt concerning criminal history checks; requires a prosecuting attorney to notify the state superintendent o... More... AR Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Paid Breaks and Duty Free Lunch Periods H.B. 2232 Requires school districts to provide classified school employees with paid breaks and duty-free lunch periods. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us... More... AR Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 School Children Protection Act S.B. 691 Expands the Arkansas school children protection act to include teacher sexual contact with a student; requires termination of employment upo... More... CO Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Immunity for Educators H.B. 1127 Concerns allegations against education providers; provides immunity from suit for an educational entity and its employees for any actions ta... More... ID Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Reporting School Violence H.B. 269 Adds to current law to provide for reports of threats of violence or potential violence at a school; governs liability for defamation. http:... More... AR Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Teacher Right to Witnesses H.B. 2514 Allows a teacher to have a witness or representative of the teacher's choice present during any disciplinary or grievance matter upon reques... More... AR Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Teacher's Daily Planning Period S.B. 349 Amends statutes requiring teacher's daily planning period be provided in increments of no less than forty (40) minutes.http://www.arkleg.sta... More... CT Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Sexual Abuse of Minors and Child Abuse and Teacher Records H.B. 5680 Lengthens statutes of limitations in cases of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or sexual assault of a minor to 30 years from date of victim... More... HI Vetoed 05/2002 P-12 Access of Auditor to Student or Other Records H.B. 2231 Establishes the office of the auditor as an authorized representative of the department of education and department of health, a state educa... More... NH Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Liability of Teachers S.B. 155 Allows the court to award attorneys' fees and costs to the prevailing parties when it finds that a frivolous action has been brought against... More... VA Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Assault on Employees H.B. 427 Provides that any person who commits battery against any employee of any public or private elementary or secondary school engaged in the per... More... TX Signed into law 06/2001 P-12 Rights of Assaulted Teachers H.B. 1188 Relates to the rights of a public school teacher who is assaulted during the performance of the teacher's regular duties.... More... IN Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Criminal history checks S.B. 445 Relates to criminal history checks; specifies that a state or governmental entity may obtain the release of limited criminal history for an ... More... WV Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Cannot Suspend for Truancy S.B. 439 Prohibits suspension as discipline for failure to attend class; stipulates other methods of discipline may be used for the pupil which may i... More... AR Signed into law 04/2001 P-12 Insulting Language used toward Teachers H.B. 2394 Makes it unlawful for any person to use profane, violent, vulgar, abusive or insulting language toward any public school teacher during the ... More... AR Signed into law 04/2001 P-12 Teacher Negotiation Rights S.B. 979 , Prohibits school boards and their representatives from actively discouraging efforts of teachers to secure negotiation rights.... More... VA Signed into law 03/2001 P-12 Employee Drug Offenses H.B. 1862 Suspension of school employees. Provides that school employees who are placed on probation as first offenders for drug offenses are not enti... More... PA Signed into law 12/2000 P-12 Civil Immunity H.B. 1416 Act No. 93 of 2000., Amends the Judiciary and Judicial Procedure Code. Provides for civil immunity of school officers or employees relating ... More... CA Vetoed 09/2000 P-12 Monitoring E-Mails S.B. 1822 Prohibits an employer from secretly monitoring the electronic mail or other computer records generated by an employee. Provides that an empl... More... FL Signed into law 06/2000 P-12 Changing the Rules for School Discipline S.B. 852 Revises the definition of suspension; revises data used to determine school's performance grade category; revises information required to be... More... IA Signed into law 05/2000 P-12 Immunity for School Employees H.B. 2473 Relates to school violence; provides civil criminal immunity for a school employee; relates to the employee's participation in reporting and... More... MN Signed by governor 05/2000 P-12 Use of Reasonable Force by Teacher H.B. 3800 Allows the use of reasonable force by a teacher, school employee, bus driver, or other agent of a school district when it is necessary under... More... WI Signed into law 05/2000 P-12 School Personnel Liability A.B. 100 Protects teachers from being charged criminally when they act reasonably in dealing with disruptive students. Acknowledges a common-law def... More... GA Signed into law 04/2000 P-12 Program of Indemnification H.B. 1388, H.R. 971 Act No. 688., Creates a program of indemnification with respect to public school personnel who are killed or permanently disabled by an act ... More... VA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Revocation of License for Cheating H.B. 867 Authorizes the Board of Education to suspend or revoke the teaching or administrative license of any person who knowingly and willfully comm... More... VA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Planning Time H.B. 1517 Requires local school boards to ensure that elementary school teachers in their employment have at least 3 hours during the students' school... More... VA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Reasonable Force H.B. 1229 Provides that the offenses of a simple assault and assault and battery do not include the use of, by any teacher, principal or other person ... More...