122A.43 SHORT-TERM, LIMITED CONTRACTS.
    Subdivision 1. Authorization. A school board may enter into short-term, limited contracts
with classroom teachers employed by the district.
    Subd. 2. Board to identify needs. The board must determine the needs of its classroom
teachers and the need for changes in its curriculum. In determining these needs, the school board
must obtain recommendations from classroom teachers, staff responsible for curriculum, and the
curriculum advisory committee. It shall consider assessment results, other test results, the need
for mentor teachers, and the district improvement plan portion of the report adopted according
to section 120B.11, subdivision 3. Contracts executed under this section shall relate directly to
the identified needs.
    Subd. 3. Selection committee. A committee of six members appointed by the board shall
recommend teachers to receive contracts. Three members of the committee shall be classroom
teachers. Three members shall be administrators, parents, members of the school board, or
members of the community. The committee shall consider only classroom teachers who have
background, knowledge, or expertise needed to perform duties in the areas of need identified by
the board. Years of service in the district must not be a factor for consideration by the committee.
A teacher shall not have a right to a contract under this section based on seniority or order of
employment in the district. The committee shall recommend to the school board names of
individual teachers. The number of individual teachers recommended shall be approximately the
number designated by the board to meet the identified needs. The board may award contracts to
any of the recommended teachers but not to any others. The board may request the committee
to recommend additional names of teachers.
    Subd. 4. Contract terms and conditions. Contracts executed under this section shall
provide classroom teachers any one or a combination of the following:
(1) released time during the school day;
(2) additional hours in a school day; or
(3) additional days or weeks of employment during the summer.
Contracts executed under this section shall terminate within one year of the date of execution.
During the term of a contract under this section a teacher may be discharged for cause from duties
under this contract; a hearing shall be held on the discharge upon request of the teacher. A teacher
has no rights in a subsequent year to a contract under this subdivision.
    Subd. 5. Application of other laws. The provisions of section 122A.40 or 122A.41 shall not
apply to initial awards, renewal, or termination of contracts under this section. The provisions of
this section concerning short-term, limited contracts shall not be construed to alter any aspect of
other contracts executed by a school board.
    Subd. 6. Report. Each district awarding contracts under this section is encouraged to submit
a report to the commissioner. The report shall indicate the number of contracts awarded, whether
duties are to be performed before, during, or after the school day or during the summer, the total
cost of all contracts, and a general description of the duties. The statement shall also describe how
the recommendations required by subdivision 2 were obtained. Any problems associated with
implementing this section may be included.
History: 1Sp1985 c 12 art 8 s 25,61; 1987 c 398 art 8 s 29; 1988 c 486 s 101 subd 2;
1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1997 c 7 art 1 s 72; 1998 c 397 art 8 s 97-99,101; art 11 s 3