How Long Are Teacher Contracts in Arizona?

How long is a teacher’s contract? It varies. It depends on what type of teacher you are and what environment you’re in. Are you in a public school, district K-12? Are you in a charter school, a private school, or is it higher education? It just varies. But, for an Arizona educator who teaches anywhere between K-12th grade, typically, they’re for one year. Sometimes if you’re on a tenure track, it can be a little bit different, but I would say, in general, they’re for one specific school year. It’s less than one year. 

It will have a start date and an actual specific date. Usually, it’s in August. Sometimes a couple of days or a week before the students come in. There will be a date there, which ends at the very end of May. It will have a specific date there. And again, it’s going to be for one school year. You can stretch pay over 12 months if you prefer or do it just through the school year. And so, you wouldn’t get paid from the end of May until next August. 

Usually, teachers’ contracts come up for renewal and normally start within February of the next school year. So, you’ll be offered a new contract, or they’ll renew your old one. And like I said, that usually starts in February. But if they decide not to renew it, you end your contract at the end of May, and then you guys go your separate ways. You also can not renew it, which is the best way for an educator to end their employment with the school district.

Contract Termination for Teacher

If you do decide to terminate your contract, most of the time, there isn’t a way to do that during the school year. You would be considered in breach. So, you always want to try your best to fulfill your contract unless the school district is breaching the contract. Or there are some unforeseen circumstances where you can’t fulfill it. And then I would always advise speaking with attorneys to handle this. There can be severe consequences if you do not complete the whole school year. For instance, your school district can report you to the state board of education. And that is your licensing board. It can be considered an act of unprofessional conduct. So, you want to be very careful with that. You want to ensure that the school board or the governing board releases you from your contract, so you’re not in breach. 

Charter schools are usually the same. It’s for a specified school year with a renewal starting in February. I also want to mention that since they’re only for one or one school year, we should say that one school year. You want to make sure that you sit and think about it before you sign that because if you’re signing in in February or March for the next year, it’s a big commitment. And like I said, it’s tough to get out of and stressful. So, make sure you fully consider what is in your foreseeable future for that next school year before you sign that contract. Other topics of interest:

• What Does an Arizona Teacher’s Contract of Employment Include?
• How do you Resign from a Teaching Position in Arizona?

Arizona Teacher’s Employment Contract Include?

What is included in a teacher employment contract in Arizona? In general, they’re normally slim. Normally, they’re only a couple of pages long, they’re bare bones, but I’m going to go over the basics and in general what I have seen from educators that have been my clients. 

Salary

First, normally your salary is outlined there. Now, salaries are not normally negotiable with districts. They’re standardized. You’re offered a specific amount and that will be outlined in your contract. And then it will go into how do you receive that salary? Are you paid over 12 months? Or are you paid throughout the school year as a teacher in Arizona? And like, in the summer you wouldn’t receive any funds, so you’ll want to double check that so you know, and you can properly budget for those funds over the year.

Signing Bonus or Relocation Expenses

Especially if you’re coming from out of state to Arizona, sometimes there’s a signing bonus or there is a type of relocation expenses that the school district will pay to you. It’s normally not too much. It’s around a thousand, that’s kind of what I’ve been seeing. But if you are coming in, they may offer you some type of bonus. Now, if you receive that bonus, there are always some types of repercussions. If you terminate your contract, you’re likely to have to pay it back, sometimes with interest. So, you’ll want to read your contract very carefully. And then the contract itself will state how long it’s for, and it’s normally for the entire school year. It’ll have a start date, which would be some time normally in August if you’re in the Phoenix or valley area.

And then normally, it ends at the end of May, and it’ll have a specific date on there and you are required to provide services within those dates. You cannot break your contract. 

How Can the District Terminate the Contract?

The next thing you want to look out for is normally, the school district has some type of for cause termination, which means, and it’s normally listed, there are examples, if you are under investigation or lose your license with the state of Arizona, they may be able to terminate the contract. If you harm a student or do something very egregious or you are convicted of a crime, they may be able to terminate the contract immediately. You’ll want to read those through very carefully. One thing that’s missing from teachers’ contracts though, is a without cause termination, which means you may not terminate your contracts for any reason. You must fulfill your contract for the remaining school year. 

Liquidated Damages

And if you don’t, there are normally consequences outlined in your contract as well. Normally, those are called liquidated damages and it’s a specific amount of money that you owe to the district if you leave mid-year. Those amounts of money are calculated differently. Sometimes it’s a percentage of how much your salary is, you’ll have to pay that back. Other times it’s just a specific amount and I’ve seen even up to $10,000. So, you want to read that very carefully to know what the consequences are if you leave. 

How Can You Terminate the Contract?

Also included in a teacher’s contract, sometimes there are exceptions that would allow you to terminate your contract. They’re very slim and there’s a very narrow category of things. It’s normally if you need to take a leave of absence for your health or for a family member. I’ve seen one if you move out of state, they’ll allow you to break your contract, which is kind of odd. But really that’s about it. Also, if the school district, however, breaches their contract. So, if they’re not providing services that they agree to, they’re not paying you properly, or offering things that were agreed upon in your contract, you may be able to break it. But again, you want to be careful. 

What Services Are You Going to Provide?

So, we have your salary, how the district can terminate the contract, and how you can terminate the contract. Normally, it’s what services you’re going to be providing. And when I mean services, what grade are you teaching? What are you teaching? There’s normally a language in there that says that you would adhere to all the policies of the school district. That’s important. You want to make sure you’re reading all the employee handbooks and policies to know. I have seen this come up when it’s talking about the discipline of students.

Summary

You want to make sure you know the school’s policy on how they prefer students to be disciplined. Among other things, that’s just one that I’ve seen come up often. And then also, there’s language in there normally that you must adhere to by all the regulations of the state board of education. Again, it’s slim. But normally, it’s just how you’re paid, what you’re paid, how you cannot get out of it, how the school district can get out of it, and how long you’re contracted for. 

I always recommend reading your contract very carefully and really considering the consequences if you’re not able to fulfill this contract before you sign it. I’ve even had clients bring me contracts that I’ve gone over with them so that they fully understand what they’re signing because this time, with educators, the friction between them, school districts, and the state board of education here in Arizona, it’s important that you understand fully what you’re signing because you will be contracted for the full school year. And it’s very difficult and stressful to get out of if you change your mind later.

Can an Arizona Teacher Break Their Contract Mid-Year? | Breaking Contracts

Can a teacher break their employment contract during the school year here in Arizona? The answer is they can, but they may open themselves up to paying damages to the school district. 

Liquidated Damages Clause Could Follow a Teacher After Breaking a Contract

Some employment agreements for teachers in their school district have a “liquidated damages clause.” And it states that if the teacher breaks their employment agreement during the school year, they will have to pay that district thousands of dollars. These are included because if a teacher leaves mid-year, the school district is left without a teacher. So, they will have to recruit to find someone to start immediately. If not, they’ll have to pay the substitute for any of those costs and if they need to advertise a position within a short period. That’s kind of what covers that. You should always look first in your employment agreement to see if there is a liquidated damage clause in your employment agreement. 

Laws About Arizona Teachers Unprofessional Act

Also, the teacher should know that Arizona law states that a certified teacher shall not resign after signing and returning their contract. Unless the governing board first approves the resignation. A teacher who leaves contrary to this section shall be deemed to commit an unprofessional act. And upon request of the governing board, shall be subject to such disciplinary action including suspension, revocation of the certificate as a state board of education deems appropriate. This means you might not only be subject to potentially paying the school district thousands of dollars. The school district can also report that teacher to the state board of education, and an investigation could be opened on their license. This is serious. And it’s something that is becoming more and more of concern just because of the pandemic, the shortage of teachers, and their teacher’s salary is low. 

In Education, 12% Involve Teachers in Breaching Contracts.

And so, Suppose you find a district willing to pay you more and maybe closer to home. In that case, there could be various reasons you would consider an offer at a different district. However, you must ensure you do it properly by referring to your employment agreement for the purpose of seeing if there are any sort of damages like financially that you would have to be paying. And then also, you would want to be released by the school board because they can report you. It is a growing trend. The state board of education has reported that up to 12% of their current investigations involve teachers breaching their contracts.

And it’s a very serious thing. So, you want to make sure, I know I said this before, that you want to do it properly. Refer to your employment first. And then, you want to get the board’s approval. I know it’s a tough decision and a hard time for educators. Everything with COVID puts more stress on teachers. They’re understaffed, underpaid, and could be in a difficult position, and you want to leave, but you can’t.

What Happens If I Break My Teaching Contract in Arizona?

What happens if a teacher breaks their employment contract? I’m speaking about educators K-12 in the public school setting here in Arizona. Usually, you are given your employment contract before the school year starts or before February. You’ll sign the contract, and then you’re locked in for the next school year. So, what happens after you sign it if you need to break it? If you need to break that contract, there’s usually no way out of it. There’s no without cause termination. You must provide services for the following school year because there’s a mass exodus of educators. And there’s a lot of tension between educators and the school district.

Legal Consequences of Breaking Teacher’s Contracts

It’s tough to break your contract without getting any consequence. The consequences I’m talking about could be at the school district level. This means that sometimes teacher employment contracts have a liquidated damage clause. If you break your agreement and leave or choose not to fulfill your contract after signing it, you may be required to pay back a portion or a percentage of your salary. Sometimes there’s a specified amount, which can even be about $10,000. Always read your employment contracts carefully to ensure those clauses aren’t there. So, one, there could be financial consequences. Two, your school board or governing board may report or file a complaint against you with the state board of education.

A teacher breaking their contract mid-year can be considered unprofessional conduct, and there may be consequences against your license. There are some exceptions. Some school districts specify that if a family member has become ill, you must take a family leave. Then, sometimes if you move out of the state, they give examples. And if you fall within one of those categories, you may be able to break your contract. If not, you are at the mercy of your school district. They must release you from your contract. Otherwise, it would be something that would be reportable to the state board of education. And therefore, there could be action against your license to teach.

Mitigating Damages

Now, again, I’m speaking in general about the public school district. Sometimes charter or private schools are a little different, depending on your contract. It also depends on when you break your contract. If you sign it and they have plenty of time to fill your position or offer to stay until they fill it, sometimes that can be slightly different. It’s called mitigating damages. You’re helping the school district, so they are not out, and you’re not abandoning their classroom. There are lots of different factors and things in play. Timing is essential. Also, if the school district is breaching their contract, they’re not providing the services they agreed for you. In that case, they’re making you do things you’re not contracted to do, or they’re not paying you. Stuff like that may be considered a breach of contract.

And that’s another way you may be able to end your employment with them during a mid-school year. But again, these things are very fact sensitive. And there’s a lot of tension between educators and school districts. I always recommend that you advise an attorney familiar with these situations to prevent yourself from having any restrictions on your license so that you can continue being an educator.

Arizona Teacher License Defense Attorney | Education Licensing Lawyers

In a shocking and precedent-setting case, a New York City elementary school teacher was fined $7,500 by his school district. After it came to light that he had been detained for having sex with a prostitute. The teacher, in this case, sued the school district over the fine, and he won his case! The judge ruled that the teacher’s conduct had no connection to his official duties as an educator and that the arrest occurred on a Saturday when the teacher was off-duty. That being said, educators are often under some of the tightest surveillance of any profession out there. 

Today, we want to examine why an educator may need to reach out to an attorney as soon as possible when confronted with the possibility of having their certification to teach put in jeopardy. At Chelle Law, we stand up for their educators and ensure they are given their fair day in court. We also help those educators ensure that their contracts are set up appropriately. 

We Assist Educators

Chelle Law has represented over 1000 licensed professionals in Arizona before licensing Boards and school districts. It has the professional license defense experience needed to defend the rights of teachers and educators with the Arizona State Board of Education and individual school districts. We assist educators with:

• Contract Issues (breaking a contract mid-year)
• Educator Misconduct Investigations
• Arizona Board of Education Complaints
• Personal Misconduct Problems (DUI, assault, etc.)
• Criminal Reporting

Arizona Teacher Contract Issues

Before new educators begin their work, they need to sign a contract with the school district that lays out their specific responsibilities and privileges. This contract will include details such as:

• Their rate of pay
• Their schedule
• Their obligations outside of teaching their students
• The length of their contract (for most teachers, this is just one year)
• Any other details that may be relevant to the educator’s job

The contracts that educators sign are significant to their ability to get their work done correctly and to protect them from the risk of an employer taking advantage of them. It is best to reach out to an attorney who can help you look at the contract you are presented with to ensure that it does work in your favor. Chelle Law lawyers can help you examine your contract line by line to determine if your contract elements are ideal.

Arizona Educator Misconduct Investigation

The average citizen would be shocked to learn about the potential allegations against an Arizona educator. Due to their profession, educators’ private lives are frequently made public. They spend time around other people’s children, and it is undoubtedly essential to keep those children safe. Some educators may feel their rights are violated if they are penalized for certain personal behaviors that have nothing to do with their teaching responsibilities. 

In recent years, many educators have found themselves in hot water for various things they have posted on social media. They may share a piece of their life that others find objectionable. If someone else had done this, there wouldn’t be much of a problem. Still, many people are very quick to judge the actions of educators. Thus, a misconduct investigation may occur after an unfortunate social media post. If that is the case, you should immediately obtain an attorney from Chelle Law to help you fight back against such accusations. 

Arizona Board of Education Complaints

The Arizona Board of Education is open to accepting complaints from the public regarding how any given educator conducts themselves on a professional basis. Thus, it is often the case that educators find themselves backed up into a corner and have to defend themselves against the accusations made by people on the Board. 

Chelle Law will provide you with the attorney you need to make your case to the Board and ensure you are given a fair hearing. Our team has worked on these cases before, so we know what to do during each process step. Please put your trust in our team to protect you during this process. 

Fight Back Against Arizona Teacher Personal Misconduct Accusations

Arizona teachers are frequently the target of misconduct allegations, as mentioned here. People who send their children to a particular school district will always keep an eye on the behavior of the educators that work there. In some cases, those parents may take things a little too far and pay attention to behaviors that have no real impact on the educator’s job.

When an educator finds themselves in a situation where they have accusations of misconduct put against them, it is necessary to establish a strong legal defense against those accusations. This means getting a great attorney to help you make the case. You are not guilty of the allegations, or the charges that have been made against you are not a violation of the law in any way. Sometimes a combination of the two is necessary. Teachers must make sure they have the resources to protect their legal status and reputation from the claims that are occasionally made against them.

Arizona Teacher Criminal Reporting

Finally, all educators fall under the list of people known as “mandatory reporters. “That is to say that they have a legal obligation to report the neglect or abuse that they witness or hear about from anyone. Failure to follow through with their commitment on this account could put the educator in a position where they are in legal trouble for not following through on their obligation. 

Chelle Law Attorneys

Chelle Law attorneys are on standby to help any educator who finds themselves accused of not meeting their professional and legal obligations to report the neglect or abuse of a child that they are legally obligated to report. 

Suppose you find yourself in any of the above situations or any other legal jeopardy for an educator. In that case, we ask that you contact us. Let us start working with you to build your defense and help you make wise decisions regarding how you will stand up to the accusations against you. Let us do what we do best so that you can get back to doing what you do best.