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HomeEducation CodeCh. 4Art. 3§ 44938 Teacher Discipline Notice Requirements

§ 44938 Teacher Discipline Notice Requirements

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 44938 Teacher Discipline Notice Requirements

Key Takeaways

  • •If a teacher is accused of bad behavior (like being mean or breaking rules), the school must warn them in writing at least 45 days before trying to fire them. The warning must say exactly what they did wrong so they can fix it.
  • •If a teacher is not doing their job well, the school must warn them in writing at least 90 days before trying to fire them. The warning must say exactly what they’re doing wrong so they can improve.
  • •The school can only fire a teacher for bad job performance during the last part of the school year if they warned the teacher before that time started.
  • •The rules only cover bad behavior or bad job performance—not other reasons for firing someone.

Example

A teacher keeps showing up late to class and doesn’t teach the lessons well.

The school must send the teacher a letter at least 90 days before trying to fire them. The letter has to say exactly what the teacher is doing wrong (like being late or not teaching well) and give them a chance to fix it. If the school doesn’t warn them first, they can’t fire the teacher for these reasons.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 44938 Teacher Discipline Notice Requirements

(a) The governing board of any school district shall not act upon any charges of unprofessional conduct unless at least 45 calendar days prior to the date of the filing, the board or its authorized representative has given the employee against whom the charge is filed, written notice of the unprofessional conduct, specifying the nature thereof with such specific instances of behavior and with such particularity as to furnish the employee an opportunity to correct his or her faults and overcome the grounds for the charge. The written notice shall include the evaluation made pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with Section 44660) of Chapter 3, if applicable to the employee. (b) The governing board of any school district shall not act upon any charges of unsatisfactory performance unless it acts in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (1) or (2): (1) At least 90 calendar days prior to the date of the filing, the board or its authorized representative has given the employee against whom the charge is filed, written notice of the unsatisfactory performance, specifying the nature thereof with such specific instances of behavior and with such particularity as to furnish the employee an opportunity to correct his or her faults and overcome the grounds for the charge. The written notice shall include the evaluation made pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with Section 44660) of Chapter 3, if applicable to the employee. (2) The governing board may act during the time period composed of the last one-fourth of the schooldays it has scheduled for purposes of computing apportionments in any fiscal year if, prior to the beginning of that time period, the board or its authorized representative has given the employee against whom the charge is filed, written notice of the unsatisfactory performance, specifying the nature thereof with such specific instances of behavior and with such particularity as to furnish the employee an opportunity to correct his or her faults and overcome the grounds for the charge. The written notice shall include the evaluation made pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with Section 44660) of Chapter 3, if applicable to the employee. (c) “Unsatisfactory performance” as used in this section means, and refers only to, the unsatisfactory performance particularly specified as a cause for dismissal in Section 44932 and does not include any other cause for dismissal specified in Section 44932. “Unprofessional conduct” as used in this section means, and refers to, the unprofessional conduct particularly specified as a cause for dismissal or suspension in Sections 44932 and 44933 and does not include any other cause for dismissal specified in Section 44932. (Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 392, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

performanceschoolemployeeportparticularityevaluationcorrectionaccordance

Related Statutes

  • § 44955.5 School District Layoff Authority
  • § 44978 Certificated Employee Sick Leave
  • § 48663 Community Day School Attendance
  • § 54482 Teacher Aide Supervision Rules
  • § 56345 Individualized Education Program Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 44938.
View Official Source