H.B. 1112 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1112 By: Crownover Public Education Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, districts seeking an alternative to discharging a teacher employed under a continuing contract, or terminating or nonrenewing a teacher employed under a term contract, have limited options. They may return the teacher to probationary contract status, but only with the teacher's consent, and only when such consent is given after the district has provided prior written notice to the teacher of their intent to otherwise discharge, terminate, or nonrenew. PURPOSE House Bill 1112 creates contract status options for school districts faced with a consistently poorperforming teacher in the classroom. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1112 amends the Education Code to authorize a school district to return a teacher to probationary contract status, with the teacher's consent, if the teacher receives prior written notice of the proposed discharge, termination, or nonrenewal. The bill also authorizes a school district to return a teacher to probationary contract status without the teacher's permission if the teacher has been designated as a teacher in need of assistance and the teacher's performance in one or more of four specific evaluated areas has been determined to be unsatisfactory; or the teacher has been designated as a teacher in need of assistance for two or more consecutive years. The bill stipulates this Act applies only to an appraisal concerning public school teacher performance during the 2003-2004 school year or a later school year. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.