THE 2004 ALABAMA TEACHER TENURE ACT

330 Pages·2017·1.17 MB·English

by  Allison Mays

THE 2004 ALABAMA TEACHER TENURE ACT:
ISSUES AND APPLICATION

by
ALLISON M. MAYS

DAVID DAGLEY, COMMITTEE CHAIR
AMANDA CASSITY
JUDY GIESEN
BRENDA MENDIOLA
STEPHEN TOMLINSON

A DISSERTATION

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies
in the Graduate School of
The University of Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA

2017
Copyright Allison M. Mays 2017
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ABSTRACT
In 2004, Alabama abolished its previous teacher tenure law that allowed for teachers to
appeal adverse board decisions to a seven member Alabama State Tenure Commission. In its
place, the Alabama legislature provided a process for teachers to appeal terminations, transfers,
and major/minor suspensions to a hearing officer. The hearing officer was either selected from a
panel of arbitrators through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services’ Office of
Arbitration Services (FMCS) or could be mutually agreed upon by the parties. Unlike the
previous tenure law, the hearing officer was not required to given any deference or consideration
to the board’s decision below. Not long after its adoption and implementation, the 2004 Alabama
Teacher Tenure Act came under fire for not fulfilling its intended goals of providing for an
expedited and less-costly method of review for adverse employment actions. By 2011,
Alabama’s (as well as most other states’) political landscape had changed significantly and the
2004 Alabama Teacher Tenure Act was repealed and replaced with the Students First Act.
This qualitative research project analyzes the issues and application of arbitration-type hearings
in 106 Alabama K-12 tenured certified personnel adverse employment actions. Specifically, the
research addresses the issues regarding Alabama’s 2004 Teacher Tenure Act, including how
hearing officers trained as employment law arbitrators decided for or against board decisions in
adverse employment actions, what trends emerged from their decisions, and what legal principles
remain applicable for school administrators.
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
AASB Alabama Association of School Boards
AEA Alabama Education Association
AFL-CIO American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
AFT American Federation of Teachers
ALJ Administrative Law Judge
ALSDE Alabama State Department of Education
ASTC Alabama State Tenure Commission
AYP Adequate Yearly Progress: Under the No Child Left Behind Act, this was a
determination of whether schools or districts made adequate progress towards
meeting benchmarks on approved student assessments.
CTF Chicago Teachers Federation
EAP Employee Assistance Program: An employer-sponsored program to assist
employees with personal and work-related issues.
ELL English Language Learner
FDA Alabama Fair Dismissal Act: The companion statute to Alabama’s Teacher
Tenure Act for school support staff members.
FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
FMCS Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEP Individualized Education Program: A document written for a child identified for
special education services that outlines goals for the student and the services that
will be provided to help the child reach those goals.
LEAP Louisiana Educational Assessment Program
NCLB No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Federal legislation enacted to ensure that all
children have an equal opportunity to access a high-quality education.
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NEA National Educators Association
PAC Political action committee
PEPE Alabama Professional Education Personnel Evaluation Program: Alabama’s
teacher evaluation system.
RTT Race to the Top: A competition where states applied for federal educational grant
funds during the Obama administration.
SFA Alabama’s Students First Act of 2011: Legislation that repealed Alabama’s
Teacher Tenure Act
§ Section
TTA Alabama Teacher Tenure Act

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research project was in no means a solo act. Although many solitary hours were
spent reading, analyzing, and writing (and maybe a little procrastinating), it was the collaborative
efforts of many who helped me complete this work. First, I want to express my deep appreciation
to my advisor and dissertation chairperson, Dr. David Dagley, for his guidance, wisdom, genius,
humor, and patience, but most all of for sharing his infinite knowledge of school law with me.
From my first graduate class with him through my final defense, his mentorship has made this a
most thoughtful, demanding, and immensely rewarding journey. I was also fortunate to take
classes with Dr. Stephen Tomlinson and Dr. Judy Giesen when I first started my graduate
program and I thank them for providing their support and feedback as members of my
dissertation committee at the end. Dr. Brenda Mendiola, Dr. Steve Benson, and Dr. Amanda
Cassity also provided me with invaluable insight as part of my committee.
I am grateful to my Tuscaloosa County School System family that supported me as I
attempted to complete this research while working first as a school administrator, then as a
Central Office administrator. The encouragement, subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) nudges,
and friendship extended to me over the years by so many people is something I will always
cherish, particularly from the Hillcrest High School faculty and staff.
To my friends, your faith in me allowed me to have faith in myself when I had my
greatest doubts. To my parents, brother, and family, your unconditional love has always
sustained me. To my husband, I could not love you more for your constant support and
encouragement. You have the patience of a saint.
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CONTENTS
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS .......................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................v
LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................x
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ........................................................................1
Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................6
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................6
Significance of the Problem .................................................................................................7
Methodology ........................................................................................................................8
Research Questions ..............................................................................................................8
Limitations ...........................................................................................................................9
Assumptions .......................................................................................................................10
Definitions..........................................................................................................................10
Organization of the Study ..................................................................................................14
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ..................................................................................15
Introduction ........................................................................................................................15
Teacher Unions, Associations, and the Development of Teacher Tenure ...................18
Property Interests and Due Process Conferred by Tenure ...........................................21
The Debate over Teacher Tenure .................................................................................23
Arbitration as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Process ...........................................27
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Tenure and Politics ......................................................................................................32
Federal Initiatives and Teacher Tenure ........................................................................39
Teacher Evaluation and Tenure ...................................................................................43
No Child Left Behind and Teacher Tenure ..................................................................48
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES..............................................................51
Research Materials .............................................................................................................51
Methodology ......................................................................................................................52
Research Questions ............................................................................................................53
Search Specifics and Limitations .......................................................................................54
Research Data Collection ...................................................................................................54
Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................54
CHAPTER 4 CASE BRIEFS AND ANALYSIS ..........................................................................57
Case Briefs .........................................................................................................................57
2005..............................................................................................................................57
2006..............................................................................................................................78
2007..............................................................................................................................94
2008............................................................................................................................104
2009............................................................................................................................124
2010............................................................................................................................144
2011............................................................................................................................158
Analysis of Hearing Officer Opinions .............................................................................173
Outcomes .........................................................................................................................174
Minor Suspensions .....................................................................................................176
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Major Suspensions .....................................................................................................177
Partial Terminations ...................................................................................................178
Partial Terminations and Transfers ............................................................................178
Transfers ....................................................................................................................178
Terminations ..............................................................................................................179
Boards ..............................................................................................................................194
Hearing Offices ................................................................................................................198
Issues ................................................................................................................................204
Appellate Standard of Review ...................................................................................204
Sufficiency and Weight of the Evidence ...................................................................206
Lack of Process or Improper Procedures ...................................................................209
Arbitration Principles or Law Applied in Decision ...................................................210
Employment History and Progressive Discipline ......................................................235
Inconsistency in Decisions .........................................................................................245
Specific Causes of Action ..........................................................................................251
Trends ..............................................................................................................................262
Use of Arbitration Law Language in Opinion ...........................................................262
Patterns in Decisions For or Against the Board .........................................................263
Length of Time between Board Decision and Hearing Officer Decision ..................265
Partial Contract Terminations and Transfers .............................................................268
Other Litigation Related to Decisions (in lieu of appeal or following Hearing
Officer’s decision) .....................................................................................................276

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CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................280
Introduction ......................................................................................................................280
Research Questions ..........................................................................................................280
Recommendations for Further Study ...............................................................................290
Summary and Conclusions ..............................................................................................291
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................296
APPENDIX A ALABAMA TEACHER TENURE ACT .........................................................304
APPENDIX B COMPARISON OF THE TERMINATION OF A TENURED TEACHER....313
APPENDIX C PROCEDURAL STEPS FOR ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS
UNDER THE 2004 ALABAMA TEACHER TENURE ACT.........................316
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