SB 487 Disclosure of teacher’s termination to potential employers

03/31/2015
VOTE:YES
Died in Committee

SB 487 Directs school districts to forward documentation relating to charges of teacher’s termination to independent entity for disclosure to potential educational employers.

This bill requires independent (TSPC) storage of documentation for terminating teachers who fail to meet performance standards or goals. This is an excellent idea that will cost the school districts very little, put teacher termination information in neutral hands, and help protect school districts from being sued for giving a poor review to a potential employer for a teacher.

Personal Choice
This bill places the responsibility for storage of sensitive materials into the hands of the state, which formalizes the termination process for a teacher who does not meet performance standards or goals.

Fiscal Responsibility
This bill will save millions of dollars by holding teachers and school districts to a higher standard, and provide school districts a neutral repository to check on the background of potential hires.

Limited Government
This bill is a proper administration of essential government function, because school districts have their hands tied when asked to comment on the performance of a teacher who is applying at a different district. Currently, the School District may face a lawsuit if the district gives a negative report on a teacher’s performance. By requiring the information be provided to TSPC, this puts the needed information into the hands of a neutral third party, absolving the district of potential lawsuits.

Local Control
This bill allows School Districts to obtain superior responses regarding background checks on potential hires from a neutral source. This will result in hiring better teachers.

Free Markets
This is a proper role for state government because the records are placed into the hands of a neutral third party, and the records are a permanent record so a poor teacher cannot jump from district to district, leaving the poor record languishing in a file drawer at the previous school district.