The teacher tenure bill signed and passed into law last week protects the rights of teachers and allows local school boards to dismiss teachers with cause, say local lawmakers

Sen. Bryan Taylor, R-Prattville, commenting shortly before the bill passed the Alabama House of Representatives in a 56-43 vote, said he was a proud advocate for the change.

“Thanks to input I received from teachers in my district, as well as school board officials and school administrators, I was able to help advocate for changes in the original draft of the tenure bill,” Taylor said. “The bill we ended up voting on in the Senate will protect tenure and due process rights for teachers while giving school boards the ability to get rid of the worst offenders.”

For Rep. Alan Boothe, R-Troy, the teacher tenure law represents a positive change and will allow the state to “continue to keep good teachers.”

Boothe said the “worst offenders,” as referenced by Taylor, represents teachers who do not conduct themselves properly.

“If you have teachers that violate the law or whatever have you, then the school board will be able to get rid of them,” Boothe said.

After the passing of the bill, which had been opposed by the Alabama Education Association, some concern was raised over Boothe’s daughter’s employment with AEA.

A Gadsden Times article quoted Boothe saying AEA Chief Paul Hubbert fired his daughter and son-in-law because he wouldn’t support amending the tenure and fair dismissal bill. However, Hubbert said the couple was offered a transfer to another location.

“I don’t know if it’s resolved or not,” Boothe said, concerning the firing. “She was offered a transfer to another place in the state, but it’s difficult for her to transfer because of her obligations that she has where she lives.”

Boothe declined to go into detail about the incident with his daughter, saying “they’re still trying to work that out.”

Taylor, like Boothe, is satisfied with the tenure law and its protection of teachers’ due process laws.

“The law preserves tenure after three years of service,” Taylor said. “It expressly prohibits terminations for personal or political reasons and it guarantees teachers to the right to fair and impartial hearings with an independent administrative judge.”