HEA

1. SB 5242 Eliminates Due Process: This bill is an end-run around due process. It would put teachers into a “displaced” pool as a result of a request for reassignment (transfer) by the teacher, the principal, or the district administration; a change in program; a change in enrollment; or the implementation of a state or federal accountability intervention model. If a principal does not pick up a teacher in the pool by May 15^th, then the teacher can be non-renewed by the Superintendent. Remaining in the pool would constitute grounds for a finding of probable cause under the law. In other words, a teacher can be terminated if a principal decides to put them in this pool without due process.

2. SB 5856 Eliminates Existing Pension Plans: This bill changes pensions from defined benefit plans to a defined contribution plan. Rodney Tom is the sole sponsor of this bill that eliminates existing pension plans for state and public employees, replacing them with a risky 401(k)-style savings account. All new public employees, and all current public employees under the age of 45, would be forced into the new savings account.

Please email and call your legislators (links to their email and phone numbers are at the top of the website’s home page) to tell them why these bills are bad, but also remind them to pivot to school funding…Stop these bad bills and do something that really makes a difference for our kids – FUND SMALLER CLASS SIZES!