SB310 - Students First Act of 2011

• Establishes comprehensive employment law ("Students First Act") for teachers and classified employees of Alabama public schools, two-year colleges, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, and youth correctional institutions, replacing prior Teacher Tenure Law and Fair Dismissal Act.

• Teachers attain tenure after 3 consecutive school years (or 6 semesters for two-year institutions) unless employer provides written termination notice; classified employees attain nonprobationary status under similar timelines; tenure does not guarantee specific positions, assignments, or compensation levels.

• Tenured teachers and nonprobationary employees may be terminated only for justifiable decrease in positions, incompetency, insubordination, neglect of duty, immorality, failure to perform duties satisfactorily, or good and just cause, with notice and opportunity for hearing before governing board or two-year institution president.

• Establishes multi-level appeal process: employees may request governing board hearing within 15 days of termination notice, then appeal adverse decisions to State Superintendent or Department of Postsecondary Education, which refers case to hearing officer selected from panel of retired judges for final determination.

• Employees may be transferred or reassigned at employer discretion; tenured teachers receive protections including 20-day notice requirement and limits on involuntary transfers; effective July 1, 2011.