§ 16-13-3 - Probationary period – Tenure after probation. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-13-3

   § 16-13-3  Probationary period –Tenure after probation. – (a) Three (3) annual contracts within five (5) successive school years shall beconsidered evidence of satisfactory teaching and shall constitute aprobationary period. Teachers who complete the probationary period shall beconsidered in continuous service and shall not be subject to annual renewal ornonrenewal of their contracts. No tenured teacher in continuous service shallbe dismissed except for good and just cause. Whenever a tenured teacher incontinuous service is to be dismissed, the notice of the dismissal shall begiven to the teacher, in writing, on or before March 1st of the school yearimmediately preceding the school year in which the dismissal is to becomeeffective. The teacher shall be furnished with a complete statement of thecause(s) for the dismissal by the governing body of the school and shall beentitled to a hearing and appeal pursuant to the procedure set forth in §16-13-4.

   (b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed toprohibit or at any time to have prohibited a school committee from agreeing, ina collective bargaining agreement, to the arbitration of disputes arising outof the dismissal of a tenured teacher pursuant to subsection (a) of thissection.

   (c) Any teacher appointed to a position of principal,assistant principal, or vice principal within the school system in which theteacher has attained tenure shall, upon termination or resignation of theadministrative position, be allowed to return to his or her former status as atenured teacher within the system.