Dismissal for Poor Performance: Maine

Analysis of Maine's policies

In Maine, tenured teachers who are terminated have at least one opportunity to appeal. After the board notifies the teacher of dismissal, the teacher has up to 15 days to request a hearing with the school board. The state does not specify a time frame for the hearing.

Maine does not explicitly make teacher ineffectiveness grounds for dismissal, nor does the state distinguish the due process rights of teachers dismissed for ineffective performance from those facing other charges commonly associated with license revocation, such as a felony and/or morality violations. In fact, the state makes "just cause for dismissal or nonrenewal" a negotiable item under state labor law.

Citation

Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A, Part 6, Chapter 503, Section 13201

Recommendations for Maine

Specify that classroom ineffectiveness is grounds for dismissal.
Maine should explicitly make teacher ineffectiveness grounds for dismissal so that districts do not feel they lack the legal basis for terminating consistently poor performers.

Ensure that teachers terminated for poor performance have the opportunity to appeal within a reasonable time frame.
Nonprobationary teachers who are dismissed for any grounds, including ineffectiveness, are entitled to due process. However, cases that drag on for years drain resources from school districts and create a disincentive for districts to attempt to terminate poor performers. Therefore, the state must ensure that the opportunity to appeal occurs only once and only at the district level. It is in the best interest of both the teacher and the district that a conclusion be reached within a reasonable time frame.     

Distinguish the process and accompanying due process rights between dismissal for classroom ineffectiveness and dismissal for morality violations, felonies or dereliction of duty.
While nonprobationary teachers should have due process for any termination, it is important to differentiate between loss of employment and issues with far-reaching consequences that could permanently impact a teacher's right to practice. Maine should ensure that appeals related to classroom effectiveness are only decided by those with educational expertise.  

State response to our analysis

Maine recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.