AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS’ TENURE (Allows the dismissal of a teacher after the March 1 deadline if there is gross misconduct by a teacher upon a student. This act would allow the notice to be given at any time and will not have time constraints.)

S2933

2026 -- S 2933
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LC005532
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS’ TENURE

Introduced By:
Senators Valverde, DiMario, Famiglietti, Euer, Mack, Gu, McKenney,
Paolino, and Quezada

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Labor & Gaming
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-13-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-13 entitled "Teachers’
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Tenure" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-13-3. Probationary period — Tenure after probation.
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(a) Three (3) annual contracts within five (5) successive school years shall be considered
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evidence of satisfactory teaching and shall constitute a probationary period. Teachers who complete
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the probationary period shall be considered in continuous service and shall not be subject to annual
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renewal or nonrenewal of their contracts. No tenured teacher in continuous service shall be
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dismissed except for good and just cause. Whenever a tenured teacher in continuous service is to
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be dismissed, the notice of the dismissal shall be given to the teacher, in writing, on or before March
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1 of the school year immediately preceding the school year in which the dismissal is to become
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effective. If the dismissal is based on fiscal exigency or program reorganization, the notice of
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dismissal shall be given to the teacher, in writing, on or before June 1 of the school year
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immediately preceding the school year in which the dismissal is to become effective.
If the
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dismissal is based on gross misconduct by a teacher upon a student, then notice of the dismissal
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shall not be subject to any deadline nor constrained by any calendar date. The definition of “gross
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misconduct” within this chapter shall be defined as:
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(1) Any sexual or romantic relationship, interaction, or communication between a teacher
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and a student including, but not limited to, sexually provocative statements, requesting details of a
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student's sexual history, and soliciting a romantic relationship;

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(2) Any intentional, unwarranted physical force or violence against a student, such as
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hitting, slapping, pushing, or choking;
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(3) Behaviors that cross professional boundaries, such as unnecessary or inappropriate
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touching, private/secretive communication (including digital) with a student, or spending excessive
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one-on-one time with a student outside of school, often with the intention of grooming;
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(4) Using discriminatory language, severe bullying, or threatening to cause physical injury
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to a student; or
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(5) Involving students in illegal acts, providing students with drugs or alcohol, or engaging
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in theft from students.
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The teacher shall be furnished with a complete statement of the cause(s) for the dismissal
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by the governing body of the school and shall be entitled to a hearing and appeal pursuant to the
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procedure set forth in § 16-13-4.
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(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit, or at any time to have
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prohibited, a school committee from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the
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arbitration of disputes arising out of the dismissal of a tenured teacher pursuant to subsection (a) of
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this section.
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(c) Any teacher employed by a local or regional school committee who has attained tenure
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in a Rhode Island public school system; who is appointed to an administrative position of principal,
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assistant principal, vice principal, superintendent, assistant superintendent, director, or other central
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office personnel in any Rhode Island public school system, including the original school district of
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employment; or who is hired for an administrative position as a fellow, education specialist, or
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director by the Rhode Island department of education, shall be granted an unpaid leave of absence,
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not to exceed three (3) years, in order to be employed in an administrative position of principal,
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assistant principal, vice principal, superintendent, assistant superintendent, director, or other central
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office personnel in any Rhode Island school system or the Rhode Island department of education.
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Said teachers shall, upon completion of their administrative position employment contract, or
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termination or resignation of the administrative position, be allowed to return to his or her former
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status as a tenured teacher within the system from which the leave of absence was taken. Such
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leaves of absence shall not be deemed to be an interruption of service for the purposes of seniority
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and teacher retirement.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS’ TENURE
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This act would allow the dismissal of a teacher after the March 1 deadline if there is gross
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misconduct by a teacher upon a student. This act would allow the notice to be given at any time
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and will not have time constraints.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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