Amend the bill, as and if amended, PART VI, page 57, line 36, by adding an appropriately numbered new SECTION to read:
/SECTION _. Chapter 25, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
Section 59-25-910. (A) All certified public school teachers in South Carolina have a right to:
(1) have their professional judgment and discretion concerning disciplinary action or instructional decisions in the classroom, which are made in accordance with written school and district policies provided to faculty, be fully respected by school and district officials;
(2) take appropriate disciplinary measures, including the removal of persistently disruptive students, pursuant to school and district policies as referenced in item (1), to facilitate a learning environment built upon a mutual culture of respect between teachers and their assigned students;
(3) work in a safe, secure, and orderly environment that is conducive to learning and free from recognized dangers, hazards, or threats that are causing or likely to cause serious injury or disability;
(4) an unencumbered daily planning time of not less than thirty minutes each working day, free from meetings, duties, or requirements incompatible with the effective planning of instruction;
(5) be free of excessive and burdensome paperwork related to disciplinary actions, district evaluation procedures, and other administrative inquiries that prevent the fulfillment of teachers' primary directive to implement effective instruction for their students;
(6) additional compensation for work time required above and beyond stated contracted days and established work day parameters for duties associated with their responsibilities as teachers;
(7) receive, as teachers under induction contracts, leadership and support from school and district personnel, including the assignment of qualified mentors who:
(a) commit to helping them become competent and confident professionals in the classroom; and
(b) offer support and assistance as needed to meet performance standards and professional expectations; and
(8) seek enforcement of the rights established herein pursuant to subsection (B).
(B)(1) A certified public school teacher who alleges that his rights established in subsection (A) have been violated may file a complaint with the local school district board specifically describing the occurrence and asserting which rights were violated. The local school district board must hear the complaint at its next regularly scheduled meeting or a special meeting called for that purpose. If the next regularly scheduled meeting occurs within ten days of the notice of the appeal, then the complaint may not be heard until the first meeting subsequent to the next regularly scheduled meeting.
(2) If a teacher decides to appeal the local school district board's decision, then the parties to the appeal must submit to mediation to facilitate a resolution to the dispute.
(3) If mediation does not lead to a resolution, then the parties must engage in binding arbitration as provided by the Uniform Arbitration Act in Chapter 48, Title 15.
(4) If a teacher prevails under the provisions of this subsection, then he shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees.
(C)(1) After the final disposition of the administrative process, a teacher may terminate his contract without penalty.
(2) A school or district may not terminate a teacher from employment for pursuing a remedy under subsection (B), regardless of the outcome." /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.