Bill > S327

This bill modifies Massachusetts law regarding teacher layoffs and retention, emphasizing a more nuanced approach to reducing teaching staff that prioritizes teacher quality, performance, and diversity. The bill establishes that during reductions in force or reorganization, teachers with professional status cannot be laid off if less qualified teachers (either with or without professional status) are retained. The legislation introduces several exemption criteria for layoffs, including teachers who graduated from in-district secondary schools, work in schools with high percentages of high-needs students, have been deemed Teachers of the Year, received top performance evaluations, or possess linguistic proficiency in languages spoken by district students. Specifically, linguistic proficiency can be demonstrated through various means such as holding a Bilingual Education Endorsement or achieving certain language proficiency test scores. The bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to evaluate the act's impact on increasing the percentage of teachers of color and submit a report by June 30, 2031. Interestingly, the bill includes provisions for its own repeal, with Section 1 taking effect on April 30, 2026, and Section 4 (the repeal) taking effect on December 31, 2032, suggesting a deliberate, time-limited experimental approach to these new teacher retention guidelines.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S327