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Legal & Employment Guidance

Teacher Tenure & Due Process Protections for Educators

Tenure status often provides the broadest protections for teachers at the K-12 level and for professors at the higher education level.
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Published: April 4, 2023

Tenure status often provides the broadest protections for teachers at the K-12 level and for professors at the higher education level.

At the K-12 level, tenure laws prevent a school district from dismissing a tenured teacher without good reason.

These protections are not available to all educators—tenure is generally limited to teachers, and only teachers who have worked in the school district for a certain number of years are eligible. In addition, tenured teachers generally cannot transfer these protections to a new district if they change schools.

A few states, as detailed below, have largely eliminated tenure protections. The following describes how state tenure laws work for K-12 educators.

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This page is intended to provide general information. For specific advice, you should always contact your local union or attorney. 

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