The Board of Education recognizes its obligation to employ only those professional staff members best trained and equipped to meet the educational needs of the students of this District. The Board shall discharge that obligation by retaining in service only those probationary teachers who meet those standards.

Teachers, new to the District, who have not previously acquired tenure in the State of Michigan, will be in a probationary status for the first five (5) years of employment before becoming eligible for tenure in the District, except as provided below. A teacher must receive ratings of Effective or Highly Effective on the last three (3) annual performance evaluations to achieve tenure.

Probationary teachers who are rated highly effective on the annual performance evaluation in years 2, 3 and 4 achieve tenure after four (4) years. Any teacher having tenure in the district as of July 19, 2011, will not be required to serve additional probation.

Teachers, new to the District, who have previously acquired tenure in any other Michigan school district, shall be required to serve no more than two (2) years of probation before becoming eligible for tenure in the District but may, at the Board’s option, be placed immediately on continuing tenure.

The Superintendent shall ensure that all probationary teachers are provided an Individualized Development Plan, evaluated in a timely manner by appropriate administrators, notified of areas of which performance is not meeting expectations, and are provided assistance in improving their performance.

The Board shall annually review the performance of all probationary teachers by a date adequate to ensure timely compliance with all statutory, contractual, and other applicable timelines. The Superintendent shall provide to the Board a written recommendation with regard to each such teacher specifically noting the extent to which the probationary teacher's performance is meeting District expectations. On the basis of its review, the Board may, in its discretion, (1) non-renew employment based on unsatisfactory performance; or (2) continue the probationary period of employment if not otherwise eligible for tenure (not to exceed the statutory probation periods). The Board's review of such recommendation shall comport with all applicable statutory, contractual, or other legal requirements.

The Superintendent shall ensure that appropriate notices of the Board's actions are timely sent and delivered to all affected probationary teachers. The Superintendent shall further ensure that appropriate guidelines are drafted implementing the requirements of the Teacher Tenure Act.

A teacher who is in a probationary period may be dismissed from his/her employment by the Board at anytime.

M.C.L. 38.81 et seq.