Amend CSSB 8 (house committee printing) as follows:

(1)  In SECTION 2 of the bill, strike amended Section 21.103(a), Education Code (page 2, line 24, through page 3, line 7), and substitute the following:

(a)  The board of trustees of a school district may terminate the employment of a teacher employed under a probationary contract at the end of the contract period if in the board's judgment the best interests of the district will be served by terminating the employment. The board of trustees must give notice of its decision to terminate the employment to the teacher not later than the 10th [45th] day before the last day of instruction required under the contract. The notice must be delivered personally by hand delivery to the teacher on the campus at which the teacher is employed, except that if the teacher is not present on the campus on the date that hand delivery is attempted, the notice must be mailed by prepaid certified mail or delivered by express delivery service to the teacher's address of record with the district. Notice that is postmarked on or before the 15th day before the last day of instruction is considered timely given under this subsection. The board's decision is final and may not be appealed.

(2)  In SECTION 6 of the bill, strike amended Section 21.206(a), Education Code (page 4, lines 17-23), and substitute the following:

(a)  Not later than the 10th [45th] day before the last day of instruction in a school year, the board of trustees shall notify in writing each teacher whose contract is about to expire whether the board proposes to renew or not renew the contract. The notice must be delivered personally by hand delivery to the teacher on the campus at which the teacher is employed, except that if the teacher is not present on the campus on the date that hand delivery is attempted, the notice must be mailed by prepaid certified mail or delivered by express delivery service to the teacher's address of record with the district. Notice that is postmarked on or before the 15th day before the last day of instruction is considered timely given under this subsection.

(3)  In SECTION 7 of the bill, in the recital (page 4, line 25), strike "amending Subsection (c)" and substitute "amending Subsections (a) and (c)".

(4)  In SECTION 7 of the bill, between the recital and added Section 21.207(b-1), Education Code (page 4, between lines 26 and 27), insert the following:

(a)  If the teacher desires a hearing after receiving notice of the proposed nonrenewal, the teacher shall notify the board of trustees in writing not later than the 15th day after the date the teacher receives hand delivery of the notice of the proposed action, or if the notice is mailed by prepaid certified mail or delivered by express delivery service, not later than the 15th day after the date the notice is delivered to the teacher's address of record with the district. The board shall provide for a hearing to be held not later than the 15th day after the date the board receives the request for a hearing unless the parties agree in writing to a different date. The hearing must be closed unless the teacher requests an open hearing.

(5)  Add the following appropriately numbered new SECTION to the bill and renumber subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

SECTION ____.  Sections 21.103(a), 21.206(a), and 21.207(a), Education Code, as amended by this Act, apply beginning with contracts for the 2012-2013 school year.