Current Legislation

Please note that the following legislative actions have been taken.
House Bill 4625: Make it easier to fire ineffective teachers
Amendment offered by Rep. Kate Segal (D) on June 8, 2011, to eliminate the tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4628, which prohibits this bill from becoming law unless that one does also. HB 4628 would prohibit teacher unions from bargaining over staffing decisions, including assignments, promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, methods for assessing “effectiveness,” discipline and merit pay systems. The amendment failed 47 to 62 in the House on June 8, 2011, to eliminate the tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4628, which prohibits this bill from becoming law unless that one does also. HB 4628 would prohibit teacher unions from bargaining over staffing decisions, including assignments, promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, methods for assessing “effectiveness,” discipline and merit pay systems. See [Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"] at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=573769

House Bill 4625: Make it easier to fire ineffective teachers
Introduced by Rep. Bill Rogers (R) on May 10, 2011. Passed 70 to 37 in the House on June 9, 2011, to revise the standards for granting a public school teacher “tenure,” and streamline the procedures for taking it away. Among other things the bill would extend from four years to five years the "probationary" period before a new teacher is granted this privilege; require the dismissal of a probationary teacher who is twice rated “ineffective” in one school year; eliminate certain automatic presumptions that a teacher is “effective;” limit the number of “second chances” (and third ones) for teachers placed on probation; and more. For more details see House Fiscal Agency analysis. This is part of a package comprised of House Bills 4625 to 4628. See [Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"] at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=573859

House Bill 4626: Make it easier to fire ineffective teachers
Introduced by Rep. Paul Scott (R) on May 10, 2011. Passed 61 to 46 in the House on June 9, 2011, to revise a provision that prohibits firing or demoting a public school teacher except for "reasonable and just cause,” changing this to “for a reason that is not arbitrary and capricious.” Also, to only pay a suspended teacher for 90 days, unless the suspension is reversed in an appeal hearing. Finally, to revise the definition of a “demotion” of a teacher (which triggers a host of procedural mandates), from a loss of pay equal to three days of employment to a loss equal to 30 days, or a 15 day suspension. See [Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"] at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=573860

House Bill 4627: Ban laying off more effective but less senior teachers first (“LIFO”)
Amendment offered by Rep. Roy Schmidt (D) on June 8, 2011, to exempt from the proposed policy teachers who are rated either "effective" or "highly effective." In other words, a school could still lay-off a "highly effective" teacher with less seniority ahead of an "effective" one who has more years on the payroll. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on June 8, 2011, to exempt from the proposed policy teachers who are rated either "effective" or "highly effective." In other words, a school could still lay-off a "highly effective" teacher with less seniority ahead of an "effective" one who has more years on the payroll. http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=137753

House Bill 4627: Ban laying off more effective but less senior teachers first (“LIFO”)
Introduced by Rep. Margaret O'Brien (R) on May 10, 2011. Passed 68 to 39 in the House on June 9, 2011, to require public schools to make teacher layoff decisions on the basis of whether a teacher is more or less “effective,” and prohibit using seniority as the primary or determining factor(“last in first out,” or LIFO). Among other things, “effective” would be measured by evidence of increased student achievement. If a school district’s current employee union contract prohibits these criteria, they would only go into effect after it has expired. See [Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"] at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=573861

House Bill 4628: Ban school unions bargaining over staffing decisions
Introduced by Rep. Ken Yonker (R) on May 10, 2011. Passed 59 to 48 in the House on June 9, 2011, to prohibit public school employee unions from bargaining over staffing decisions, including assignments, promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, methods for assessing “effectiveness,” discipline and merit pay systems. Current law already bans bargaining over privatization, school schedules and several other items. See [Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"] at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=573862
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