2011 Oregon Revised Statutes
ORS Volume 9, Chapters 326 - 365
ORS Chapter 342
342.173 Effect of employing unlicensed teacher or administrator by certain districts.

(1) Any school district which employs any person not properly licensed by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission and assigned in accordance with the terms specified by the person s license shall forfeit in State School Fund moneys due the district an amount determined by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to not exceed the amount of the salary paid to the person for the time during which the person is employed. The forfeiture shall be effective unless:

(a) Such assignments are made with justification satisfactory to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

(b) The teacher is employed by a post-secondary institution accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges which has a contract with a school district under which the teacher is teaching at the high school level. The contract shall be approved annually by the State Board of Education under rules adopted by the board, including criteria for a teacher s qualifications under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph. The contract shall:

(A) Be for a specific instructional assignment for which the district does not have appropriately licensed personnel either on staff or available to be placed on staff after a reasonably diligent search;

(B) Be approved annually by the governing boards of the post-secondary institution and the school district including a written determination that appropriately licensed personnel have not become available since the previous contract for the assignment;

(C) Provide evidence that the teacher s qualifications are appropriate for the assignment;

(D) Allow the teacher to teach no more than two high school units of credit or the equivalent per year; and

(E) Not be valid during a school closure, strike or summer session.

(c) The person is teaching a live, interactive distance learning course originating outside the state.

(2) A school district shall be required under subsection (1) of this section to forfeit not more than $1,000 of State School Fund moneys due the district if the license has lapsed during the time of employment with the district and the holder had at the time the license expired all the qualifications necessary to renew the license.

(3) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) of this section, a school district employing unlicensed staff members in positions requiring licensed personnel during the time of a labor dispute shall forfeit in State School Fund moneys an amount equal to the daily salary rate multiplied by the number of teaching days for each unlicensed teaching employee during the entire labor dispute.

(4) If the State Board of Education finds a contract to be in violation of the provisions of subsection (1)(b) of this section, the board shall report the violation to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission which shall proceed as provided in subsection (1) of this section.

(5) Any education service district that employs any person not properly licensed by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission and assigned in accordance with the terms specified in the person s license shall pay from its funds an amount determined by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission not to exceed the amount of salary paid to the person for the time during which the person was employed. The payment shall be required unless the assignment is made with justification satisfactory to the commission. All amounts received under this subsection shall be credited to the State School Fund.

(6) An education service district shall be required under subsection (5) of this section to pay a penalty of not more than $1,000 if the license has lapsed during the time of employment with the district and the holder had at the time the license expired all the qualifications necessary to renew the license.

(7) Subject to any applicable collective bargaining agreement, an education service district required to pay any penalty under subsection (6) of this section is entitled to recover one-half of the amounts paid from the licensed personnel whose unlicensed status caused the payment. Recovery shall not exceed one-half of the amount paid that is attributable to the licensed person.

(8) The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission shall notify districts of the licensing expiration dates of their employees who are reported to the commission. The reporting shall be done in a manner specified by the commission.

(9) Subject to any applicable collective bargaining agreement, a district required to forfeit any State School Fund moneys under subsection (2) of this section is entitled to recover one-half of the amounts forfeited from the licensed personnel whose unlicensed status caused the forfeiture. Recovery shall not exceed one-half of the amount forfeited that is attributable to the particular licensed person.

(10) A school district or education service district that assigns a teacher to be present in the classroom during a live, interactive distance learning presentation shall not be subject to the forfeiture described in subsection (1) of this section solely because the assignment does not conform to the terms specified on the license of the teacher. [1965 c.100 353; 1975 c.278 2; 1977 c.635 10; 1979 c.307 2; 1981 c.469 1; 1981 c.663 4; 1987 c.401 1; 1987 c.503 1a; 1989 c.150 1; 1989 c.162 1; 1989 c.493 1; 1991 c.67 83; 1991 c.710 2; 1991 c.780 22,23; 1997 c.383 12]