Members of the Kansas House have voted to reinstate some job protections for teachers. The bill would promise teachers an impartial hearing before they can be fired.
Lawmakers eliminated the due process protections — sometimes referred to as teacher tenure — in 2014. Republican Rep. Mary Martha Good said reversing that decision will help recruit teachers and keep them in Kansas.
“This process has worked effectively for many years," she said. "Our teachers need to feel supported and protected.”
Critics said teachers shouldn’t be treated differently than other workers. They said job rules should be left to local school districts.
“We’re mandating from the state instead of allowing local control,” said Republican Rep. John Whitmer.
The bill needs a final vote in the House before going to the Senate for consideration.
--Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @KPRKoranda.
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