HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1129        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 319

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Michael D. Brady

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act promoting collaboration at level 4/5 schools.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1129        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 319

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

An Act promoting collaboration at level 4/5 schools.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1J of Chapter 69 of the general laws is hereby amended by striking out subsection (d) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

(d) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in creating the turnaround plan required in subsection (b), the superintendent may, after considering the recommendations of the group of stakeholders and consistent with the procedures set forth in this section: (1) expand, alter or replace the curriculum and program offerings of the school, including the implementation of research-based early literacy programs, early interventions for struggling readers and the teaching of advanced placement courses or other rigorous nationally or internationally recognized courses, if the school does not already have such programs or courses; (2) reallocate the uses of the existing budget of the school; (3) provide additional funds to the school from the budget of the district, if the school does not already receive funding from the district at least equal to the average per pupil funding received for students of the same classification and grade level in the district; (4) provide funds, subject to appropriation and following consultation with applicable local unions, to increase the salary of any administrator, or teacher in the school, to attract or retain highly-qualified administrators, or teachers or to reward administrators, or teachers who work in underperforming schools that achieve the annual goals set forth in the turnaround plan; (5) expand the school day or school year or both of the school; (6) for an elementary school, add pre-kindergarten and full-day kindergarten classes, if the school does not already have such classes; (7) require the principal and, following consultation with applicable local unions, all administrators to reapply for their positions in the school, with full discretion vested in the superintendent regarding his consideration of and decisions on rehiring based on the reapplications. (8) limit, suspend or change 1 or more provisions of any contract or collective bargaining agreement, as the contract or agreement applies to the school; provided, that the superintendent shall not reduce the compensation of an administrator, teacher or staff member unless the hours of the person are proportionately reduced and further provided that no provision of a collective bargaining agreement shall be limited, suspended, or changed, nor shall any rights extended pursuant to sections 7(a) or 9 of chapter 150E be diminished, unless the superintendent can demonstrate that (a) the school has implemented the steps identified by the superintendent in coordination with the secretaries of health and human services, labor and workforce development, public safety and other applicable state and local officials identified in clauses (1) through (6) in the second paragraph of this sub-section and (b) limiting, suspending or changing a provision or provisions of the bargaining agreement is reasonable and necessary to further the rapid academic achievement of students at the school; (9) limit, suspend or change 1 or more school district policies or practices, as such policies or practices relate to the school; (10) include a provision of job-embedded professional development for teachers at the school, with an emphasis on strategies that involve teacher input and feedback; (11) provide for increased opportunities for teacher planning time and collaboration focused on improving student instruction; (12) establish a plan for professional development for administrators at the school, with an emphasis on strategies that develop leadership skills and use the principles of distributive leadership; (13) establish steps to assure a continuum of high-expertise teachers by aligning the following processes with a common core of professional knowledge and skill: hiring, induction, teacher evaluation, professional development, teacher advancement, school culture and organizational structure; (14) develop a strategy to search for and study best practices in areas of demonstrated deficiency in the school; (15) establish strategies to address mobility and transiency among the student population of the school; and (16) include additional components based on the reasons why the school was designated as underperforming and the recommendations of the group of stakeholders in subsection (b).

If the superintendent does not approve a reapplication submitted by an administrator  pursuant to clause (7) for a position in the school or if an administrator does not submit a reapplication for a position in the school, the administrator shall retain such rights as may be provided under law or any applicable collective bargaining agreement in relation to the his ability to fill another position in the district; provided, however, that the administrator shall not have the right to displace any teacher with professional teacher status in any other school during a school year.

A teacher with professional teacher status in a school declared underperforming or chronically underperforming may be dismissed from the school, but not from the district, for good cause; provided, however, that the teacher receives 5 days written notice of the decision to terminate which shall include, without limitation, an explanation of the reason why the superintendent is not retaining the teacher in the school; provided, further, that the teacher may seek review of a termination decision within 5 days after receiving notice of the teacher’s termination by filing a petition for expedited arbitration with the commissioner; provided, further, that except as otherwise provided herein section 42 of chapter 71 shall apply to a petition filed pursuant to this section; provided, further, that the commissioner shall cause an arbitrator to be selected pursuant to the procedures in section 42 of chapter 71 within 3 days of receipt of petition and shall conduct and complete a hearing within 10 days of receipt of the petition; provided, further, that in reviewing dismissal decisions, the arbitrator shall consider the components of the turnaround plan and shall also consider any personnel evaluations conducted that are consistent with the guidelines established pursuant to section 1B; and provided, further, that the arbitrator’s decision shall be issued within 10 days from the completion of the hearing.

For a school with limited English-proficient students, the professional development and planning time for teachers and administrators identified in clauses (10) to (12), inclusive, shall include specific strategies and content designed to maximize the rapid academic achievement of limited English-proficient students at the school.

SECTION 2. Section 1J of Chapter 69 of the general laws is hereby further amended by striking out subsection (g), and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

(g) If, after considering the recommendations of the group of stakeholders and ensuring that the steps identified in clauses (1) through (6) in the second paragraph of section (f) have been implemented, the superintendent considers it reasonable and necessary to maximize the rapid academic achievement of students at the applicable school by altering the compensation, hours and working conditions of the administrators, teachers, principal and staff at the school or by altering other provisions of a contract or collective bargaining agreement applicable to the administrators, teachers, principal and staff, the superintendent shall notify the school committee and the union of his determination, and the school committee and any union shall within 30 days of said notice bargain or reopen the bargaining of the relevant collective bargaining agreement to facilitate such achievement. The bargaining shall be conducted in good faith and completed not later than 30 days from the point at which the parties commenced bargaining. The agreement shall be subject to ratification within 10 business days by the bargaining unit members in the school. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement within 30 days or if the agreement is not ratified within 10 business days by the bargaining unit members of the school, the parties shall submit remaining unresolved issues a joint resolution committee for dispute resolution process on the next business day following the end of the 30-day bargaining period or failure to ratify.

The joint resolution committee shall be comprised of 3 members, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the employee organization within 3 business days following the submission of unresolved issues to the joint resolution committee, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the school committee within 3 business days following the submission of unresolved issues to the joint resolution committee and 1 who shall be selected through the American Arbitration Association who shall forthwith forward to the parties a list of 3 conciliators, each of whom shall have professional experience in elementary and secondary education, from which the parties may agree upon a single conciliator provided, however, that if the parties cannot select a conciliator from among the 3 within 3 business days, the American Arbitration Association shall select a conciliator from the remaining names. The joint resolution committee shall conduct a dispute resolution process to be concluded within 10 business days of selection. This process shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association and consistent with this section. The fee for the process shall be shared equally between the 2 parties involved.

The joint resolution committee shall determine whether the change or changes to the collective bargaining agreement are reasonable and necessary to maximize the rapid academic achievement of students. The burden shall be upon the superintendent to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that such changes are reasonable and necessary. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the decision of the joint resolution committee shall be dispositive of all the issues in dispute and shall be submitted to the parties within 10 business days of the completion of the process. Reasonable extensions of the foregoing timelines may be granted by the joint resolution committee. 

SECTION 3. Section 1J of Chapter 69 of the general laws is hereby further amended by striking out subsection (o), and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-

(o) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in creating the turnaround plan required in subsection (m), the commissioner may, after considering the recommendations of the group of stakeholders: (1) expand, alter or replace the curriculum and program offerings of the school, including the implementation of research-based early literacy programs, early interventions for struggling readers and the teaching of advanced placement courses or other rigorous nationally or internationally recognized courses, if the school does not already have such programs or courses; (2) reallocate the uses of the existing budget of the school; (3) provide additional funds to the school from the budget of the district, if the school does not already receive funding from the district at least equal to the average per pupil funding received for students of the same classification and grade level in the district; (4) provide funds, subject to appropriation, to increase the salary of an administrator ,or teacher in the school, in order to attract or retain highly-qualified administrators or teachers or to reward administrators,. or teachers who work in chronically underperforming schools that achieve the annual goals set forth in the turnaround plan; (5) expand the school day or school year or both of the school; (6) for an elementary school, add pre-kindergarten and full-day kindergarten classes, if the school does not already have such classes; (7) limit, suspend, or change 1 or more provisions of any contract or collective bargaining agreement, as the contract or agreement applies to the school; provided, however, that the commissioner shall not reduce the compensation of an administrator, teacher or staff member unless the hours of the person are proportionately reduced; and provided further, that the commissioner may require the school committee and any applicable unions to bargain in good faith for 30 days before exercising authority pursuant to this clause; and provided further, that no provision of a collective bargaining agreement shall be limited, suspended, or changed, nor shall any rights extended pursuant to sections 7(a) or 9 of chapter one hundred fifty E be diminished, unless the superintendent can demonstrate that (a) the school has implemented the steps identified by the superintendent in coordination with the secretaries of health and human services, labor and workforce development, public safety and other applicable state and local officials identified in clauses (1) through (6) in the second paragraph of the section n and (b) limiting, suspending or changing a provision or provisions of the bargaining agreement is reasonable and necessary to further the rapid academic achievement of students at the school (8) following consultation with applicable local unions, require the principal and all administrators, teachers and staff to reapply for their positions in the school, with full discretion vested in the superintendent regarding his consideration of and decisions on rehiring based on the reapplications, provided that a teacher or staff member may not be demoted or dismissed from the school district except in accordance with the provisions of section forty-one of chapter thirty-three or section forty-two of chapter seventy-one; (9) limit, suspend or change 1 or more school district policies or practices, as such policies or practices relate to the school; (10) include a provision of job-embedded professional development for teachers at the school, with an emphasis on strategies that involve teacher input and feedback; (11) provide for increased opportunities for teacher planning time and collaboration focused on improving student instruction; (12) establish a plan for professional development for administrators at the school, with an emphasis on strategies that develop leadership skills and use the principles of distributive leadership; (13) establish steps to assure a continuum of high expertise teachers by aligning the following processes with the common core of professional knowledge and skill: hiring, induction, teacher evaluation, professional development, teacher advancement, school culture and organizational structure; (14) develop a strategy to search for and study best practices in areas of demonstrated deficiency in the school; (15) establish strategies to address mobility and transiency among the student population of the school; and (16) include additional components, at the discretion of the commissioner, based on the reasons the school was designated as chronically underperforming and the recommendations of the local stakeholder group in subsection (m).

If the commissioner does not approve a reapplication submitted by an employee pursuant to clause (7) for a position in the school or if an employee does not submit a reapplication for a position in the school, the employee shall retain such rights as may be provided under law or any applicable collective bargaining agreement, in relation to the employee’s ability to fill another position in the district; provided, however, that the employee shall not have the right to displace any teacher with professional teacher status in any other school during a school year.

A teacher with professional teacher status in a school declared underperforming or chronically underperforming may be dismissed for good cause from the school, but not from the district,; provided, however, that the teacher receives 5 days written notice of the decision to terminate which shall include without limitation an explanation of the reason why the commissioner or superintendent is not retaining the teacher in the school; provided, further, that the teacher may seek review of a termination decision within 5 days after receiving notice of the teacher’s termination by filing a petition for expedited arbitration with the commissioner; provided further, that except as otherwise provided herein section 42 of chapter 71 shall apply to a petition filed pursuant to this section; provided further, that the commissioner shall cause an arbitrator to be selected pursuant to the procedures in section 42 of chapter 71 within 3 days of receipt of petition and shall conduct and complete a hearing within 10 days of receipt of the petition; provided, further, that in reviewing dismissal decisions, the arbitrator shall consider the components of the turnaround plan and shall also consider any personnel evaluations conducted that are consistent with the guidelines established pursuant to section 1B; and provided, further, that the arbitrator’s decision shall be issued within 10 days from the completion of the hearing.

For a school with limited English-proficient students, the professional development and planning time for teachers and administrators identified in clauses (10) to (12), inclusive, shall include specific strategies and content designed to maximize the rapid academic achievement of the limited English-proficient students.

If the commissioner proposes to reallocate funds to the school from the budget of the district under clause (3), the commissioner shall notify the school committee, in writing, of the amount of and rationale for the reallocation.