§541.  Probation and tenure of employees

A.(1)  Except as otherwise provided by Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, all employees of vocational-technical schools shall serve a probationary term of three years during which term the board may dismiss or discharge any such probationary employee upon recommendation of the chief school administrator, accompanied by the written reasons therefor.

(2)  Beginning with the 1990-1991 school year and thereafter, the probationary term for a vocational-technical school employee required by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to hold a valid vocational-technical certificate entitling the holder to teach in the vocational area of the actual teaching assignment shall be for not less than three years and shall terminate after three years only upon a showing that the employee holds the vocational-technical certificate required by the board.

B.(1)  Any probationary employee found unsatisfactory by his director or the regional director shall be notified by certified mail of any charges made against him and shall be afforded an opportunity to respond to the stated charges.  In the absence of such notification during the probationary term provided by Subsection A of this Section, the probationary employee shall automatically become a regular and permanent employee.

(2)  The Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges shall develop and adopt a formal plan and procedure for observing and evaluating such employees. Such observation and evaluation shall continue from the time the employee begins work at the school until the employee resigns, retires, or is dismissed from that school, and such employee shall be told of the formal plan and procedure and the results of any observations and evaluations.

(3)  All employees having served for more than three consecutive years as of August 1, 1977, are declared to be regular and permanent employees.

Acts 1990, No. 632, §1, eff. July 19, 1990; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 151, §1, eff. July 1, 1999.