Teachers; definition for career teacher; effective date.

The document header was updated to indicate this is the 'Floor Version' of the bill, and the list of sponsors was corrected to include both Provenzano and Waldron of the House.

Reformatted the bill text to remove excessive line breaks and align with standard legislative formatting conventions.

Added a third pathway for 'career teacher' status for teachers with four or more years of tenure who have not met standard evaluation requirements, provided the principal and school board approve the request.

Updated the definition of 'teacher hearing' to explicitly state that the board can disapprove a recommendation.

Updated the list of bill sponsors to include Rosecrants and Dollens, reflecting the final legislative vote.

The definition of 'career teacher' was updated to include specific performance rating requirements (e.g., achieving 'superior' ratings twice in three years or averaging 'effective' ratings over four years) and a new pathway for principals to petition for career status for teachers who do not meet standard criteria.

The definition of 'career teacher' was clarified to explicitly state that this status applies only for evaluation purposes.

The effective date of the legislation was changed from July 1, 2026, to November 1, 2026.

The declaration of an emergency, which allowed the bill to take effect immediately upon passage, was removed.