State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title10 > Chap164 > Sec10-66dd

      Sec. 10-66dd. School professionals employed in charter schools. Charter schools subject to laws governing public schools; exceptions; waivers. (a) For purposes of this section, "school professional" means any school teacher, administrator or other personnel certified by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-145b.

      (b) (1) Subject to the provisions of this subsection and except as may be waived pursuant to subsection (d) of section 10-66bb, charter schools shall be subject to all federal and state laws governing public schools.

      (2) At least one-half of the persons providing instruction or pupil services in a charter school shall possess the proper certificate other than (A) a certificate issued pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 10-145b, or (B) a temporary certificate issued pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-145f on the day the school begins operation and the remaining persons shall possess a certificate issued pursuant to said subdivision (1) or such temporary certificate on such day.

      (3) The commissioner may not waive the provisions of chapters 163c and 169 and sections 10-15c, 10-153a to 10-153g, inclusive, 10-153i, 10-153j, 10-153m and 10-292.

      (4) The state charter school governing council shall act as a board of education for purposes of collective bargaining. The school professionals employed by a local charter school shall be members of the appropriate bargaining unit for the local or regional school district in which the local charter school is located and shall be subject to the same collective bargaining agreement as the school professionals employed by said district. A majority of those employed or to be employed in the local charter school and a majority of the members of the governing council of the local charter school may modify, in writing, such collective bargaining agreement, consistent with the terms and conditions of the approved charter, for purposes of employment in the charter school.

      (c) School professionals employed by a local or regional board of education shall be entitled to a two-year leave of absence, without compensation, in order to be employed in a charter school provided such leave shall be extended upon request for an additional two years. At any time during or upon the completion of such a leave of absence, a school professional may return to work in the school district in the position in which he was previously employed or a comparable position. Such leave of absence shall not be deemed to be an interruption of service for purposes of seniority and teachers' retirement, except that time may not be accrued for purposes of attaining tenure. A school professional who is not on such a leave of absence and is employed for forty school months of full-time continuous employment by the charter school and is subsequently employed by a local or regional board of education shall attain tenure after the completion of twenty school months of full-time continuous employment by such board of education in accordance with section 10-151.

      (d) An otherwise qualified school professional employed in a charter school may participate in the state teacher retirement system under chapter 167a on the same basis as if such professional were employed by a local or regional board of education. The governing council of a charter school shall make the contributions, as defined in subdivision (7) of section 10-183b for such professional.

      (P.A. 96-214, S. 4; 96-244, S. 56, 63; P.A. 97-247, S. 14, 27.)

      History: P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (c) to remove provision that a leave of absence not be deemed an interruption of service for "any purpose of employment" and substituted "teacher's retirement" for "employee benefits", effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-247 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1997.