Spring into contract season

Springtime means warmer weather, flowers blooming, birds chirping, and contract offerings - woo hoo! Whether it’s been a short or long school year for you it’s time to think about next school year once again. In this hot labor market, we’ve seen schools offer contracts to probationary teachers earlier and earlier, so it’s important to be prepared and remember some of these key deadlines. 
 
Let’s start with the easy part, tenured teachers. Tenured teachers who are not returning for the following school year must notify their districts in writing by June 1. After that date, tenured teachers have a binding contract for the following year. This deadline applies regardless of the reason you’re leaving. So if you plan on retiring, changing careers, taking another teaching job, or whatever else it may, you must notify your district by June 1. Some districts offer monetary incentives if you notify them further in advance. Check your board policies so you don’t miss out on those opportunities.  
 
It’s not quite as simple for probationary teachers. Probationary teachers have a one-year contract with the school district, so each spring the district will decide whether or not they want you to come back for another school year. If the district chooses not to bring you back, we call that a non-renewal. You’ll go through this renewal process every year until you become a tenured teacher. Districts must notify probationary teachers by April 15 if they plan on non-renewing their contract. Assuming your contract has been renewed for the following year, the school must physically issue you a contract before May 15. Once the contract has been issued, regardless of when that is, you have 15 days to sign and return the contract. 
 
Once you and the school board sign a teaching contract it becomes a legally binding document. You should not sign a contract unless you intend to fulfill it. Getting out of a contract is expensive and difficult. You should never sign multiple contracts in hopes of finding the “best “offer.”. Further, if you receive a job offer or another obligation comes up after you’ve already signed a contract, it’s important to contact MSTA so we can work with your school to see what options may be available. If you have any questions, you should call the MSTA Legal Services Department at 866-343-6186.