Article 1. General Provisions of California Education Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 25. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 1.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions set forth in Sections 44000 to 44012, inclusive, shall govern the construction of this part.

An "adverse action" means the denial of an application for a credential, a private admonition, or public reproval of a credential holder, or the suspension or revocation of a credential.

"Education position" or "position requiring certification qualifications" includes every type of service for which certification qualifications are established by or pursuant to Sections 44000 to 44012, inclusive, Section 44065, and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 44200) of this part.

"Commission" means the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

"Superintendent" means the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

A "credential" includes a credential, certificate, life document, life diploma, permit, certificate of clearance, or waiver issued by the commission.

A "life diploma" is a document issued on the basis of a credential upon completion by the applicant of specified requirements.

The word "certificate" used as a noun refers to the document issued by a county board of education to license the holder to perform the service specified in the certificate.

The word "certificate" used as a verb refers to the act of licensing individuals for employment in educational positions.

The term "certificated person" refers to a person who holds one or more documents such as a certificate, a credential, or a life diploma, which singly or in combination license the holder to engage in the school service designated in the document or documents.

The term "certification document" as used in this code includes only certificates, credentials and life diplomas.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b) of this section, a termination of probation and dismissal of an accusation or information pursuant to Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code shall not, for the purpose of this division, have any effect.
  (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, no person shall be denied a hearing solely on the basis that he has been convicted of a crime if he has obtained a certificate of rehabilitation under Section 4852.01 and following of the Penal Code, and if his probation has been terminated and the information or accusation has been dismissed pursuant to Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code.

(a) A plea or verdict of guilty or finding of guilt by a court in a trial without a jury, or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of Sections 44242.5, 44345, 44346, 44346.1, 44424, and 44425, irrespective of a subsequent order for probation suspending the imposition of a sentence or an order under Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code allowing the withdrawal of the plea of guilty and entering a plea of not guilty, or setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusations or information.
  (b) The record of a narcotics offense, as defined in Section 44011, shall be sufficient proof of conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude for the purposes of Sections 44907 and 44923, and Sections 44932 to 44947, inclusive, relating to the dismissal of permanent employees.
  (c) A plea or verdict of guilty, or finding of guilt by a court in a trial without a jury, or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of Sections 44836 and 45123, irrespective of a subsequent order for probation suspending the imposition of a sentence or an order under Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code allowing the withdrawal of the plea of guilty and entering a plea of not guilty, or setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusations or information. The record of conviction shall be sufficient proof of conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude for the purposes of Section 44907 and Sections 44932 to 44947, inclusive, relating to the dismissal of permanent employees.

"Sex offense," as used in Sections 44020, 44237, 44346, 44425, 44436, 44836, and 45123, means any one or more of the offenses listed below:
  (a) Any offense defined in Section 220, 261, 261.5, 262, 264.1, 266, 266j, 267, 285, 286, 288, 288a, 288.5, 289, 311.1, 311.2, 311.3, 311.4, 311.10, 311.11, 313.1, 647b, 647.6, or former Section 647a, subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (d) of Section 243.4, or subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 647 of the Penal Code.
  (b) Any offense defined in former subdivision (5) of former Section 647 of the Penal Code repealed by Chapter 560 of the Statutes of 1961, or any offense defined in former subdivision (2) of former Section 311 of the Penal Code repealed by Chapter 2147 of the Statutes of 1961, if the offense defined in those sections was committed prior to September 15, 1961, to the same extent that an offense committed prior to that date was a sex offense for the purposes of this section prior to September 15, 1961.
  (c) Any offense defined in Section 314 of the Penal Code committed on or after September 15, 1961.
  (d) Any offense defined in former subdivision (1) of former Section 311 of the Penal Code repealed by Chapter 2147 of the Statutes of 1961 committed on or after September 7, 1955, and prior to September 15, 1961.
  (e) Any offense involving lewd and lascivious conduct under Section 272 of the Penal Code committed on or after September 15, 1961.
  (f) Any offense involving lewd and lascivious conduct under former Section 702 of the Welfare and Institutions Code repealed by Chapter 1616 of the Statutes of 1961, if that offense was committed prior to September 15, 1961, to the same extent that an offense committed prior to that date was a sex offense for the purposes of this section prior to September 15, 1961.
  (g) Any offense defined in Section 286 or 288a of the Penal Code prior to the effective date of the amendment of either section enacted at the 1975-76 Regular Session of the Legislature committed prior to the effective date of the amendment.
  (h) Any attempt to commit any of the offenses specified in this section.
  (i) Any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States which, if committed or attempted in this state, would have been punishable as one or more of the offenses specified in this section.
  (j) Any conviction for an offense resulting in the requirement to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code.
  (k) Commitment as a mentally disordered sex offender under former Article 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as repealed by Chapter 928 of the Statutes of 1981.

"Controlled substance offense" as used in Sections 44346, 44425, 44436, 44836, and 45123 means any one or more of the following offenses:
  (a) Any offense in Sections 11350 to 11355, inclusive, 11361, 11366, 11368, 11377 to 11382, inclusive, and 11550 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (b) Any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States which, if committed or attempted in this state, would have been punished as one or more of the above-mentioned offenses.
  (c) Any offense committed under former Sections 11500 to 11503, inclusive, 11557, 11715, and 11721 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (d) Any attempt to commit any of the above-mentioned offenses.

Any record of conviction of any applicant for, or holder of, a certification document, shall, for the purposes of this division, be admissible in evidence in any civil action or administrative proceedings pertaining to the issuance, suspension or revocation of such certification document, any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding.

(a) "Educator" means a certificated person holding a valid California teaching credential or a valid California services credential issued by the commission who is employed by a local education agency or by a special education local planning area and who is not employed as an independent contractor or consultant.
  (b) The definition of educator as set forth in subdivision (a) does not apply to a person participating in a program enacted by statute prior to January 1, 2004.
  (c) The definition of educator as set forth in subdivision (a) applies to a person participating in a program enacted by statute on or after January 1, 2004, only if the statute implementing the program expressly references this section.

(a) Whenever any employee of a school district or of the office of a county superintendent of schools is attacked, assaulted, or physically threatened by any pupil, it shall be the duty of the employee, and the duty of any person under whose direction or supervision the employee is employed in the public school system who has knowledge of the incident, to promptly report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or city in which the incident occurred. Failure to make the report shall be an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).
  (b) Compliance with school district governing board procedures relating to the reporting of, or facilitation of reporting of, the incidents specified in subdivision (a) shall not exempt a person under a duty to make the report prescribed by subdivision (a) from making the report.
  (c) A member of the governing board of a school district, a county superintendent of schools, or an employee of any school district or the office of any county superintendent of schools, shall not directly or indirectly inhibit or impede the making of the report prescribed by subdivision (a) by a person under a duty to make the report. An act to inhibit or impede the making of a report shall be an infraction, and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).
  (d) Neither the governing board of a school district, a member of the governing board, a county superintendent of schools, nor an employee of a school district or of the office of any county superintendent of schools shall impose any sanctions against a person under a duty to make the report prescribed by subdivision (a) for making the report.

(a) The governing board of a school district may make awards to employees who do any of the following:
  (1) Propose procedures or ideas that thereafter are adopted and effectuated, and that result in eliminating or reducing district expenditures or improving operations.
  (2) Perform special acts or special services in the public interest.
  (3) By their superior accomplishments, make exceptional contributions to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement in operations of the school district.
  (b) The governing board of a school district may make awards to pupils for excellence. Before any awards are made pursuant to this section, the governing board shall adopt rules and regulations. The board may appoint one or more merit award committees made up of district officers, district employees, or private citizens to consider employee proposals, special acts, special services, or superior accomplishments and to act affirmatively or negatively thereon or to provide appropriate recommendations thereon to the board. Any award granted under the provisions of this section that may be made by an awards committee under appropriate district rules, shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200), unless a larger award is expressly approved by the governing board. When an awards program is established in a school district pursuant to this section, the governing board shall budget funds for this purpose but may authorize awards from funds under its control whether or not budgeted funds have been provided or the funds budgeted are exhausted.

In observance of the importance of educational leadership at the school, school district, and county levels, the second full week in the month of October of each year shall be designated as "Week of the School Administrator." Schools, school districts, and county superintendents of schools are encouraged to observe the week with public recognition of the contribution that school administrators make to successful pupil achievement.

Whenever any person is requested by a school district to travel to the headquarters of such district for the purpose of being interviewed and examined prior to possible employment, the district may reimburse such candidate for expenses necessarily incurred in traveling from his place of residence to the place of interview or examination.

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a school district may, from funds under its jurisdiction, pay the surviving spouse of any employee who is murdered while in the course of his employment the amount that the deceased would have received if he had lived to complete the time remaining in his contract with the district. This section shall be applicable to the surviving spouse of any such employee who was murdered during or after the 1973-74 school year.

(a) In addition to the benefits provided pursuant to Sections 395.01 and 395.02 of the Military and Veterans Code, any employee of a school district who, as a member of the California National Guard or a United States Military Reserve organization, is called into active military duty, may receive, on approval of the governing board of the school district, the benefits provided for in subdivision (b).
  (b) Any employee to which subdivision (a) applies, while on active duty, may receive from the school employer, for a period not to exceed 180 calendar days, as part of his or her compensation, all of the following:
  (1) The difference between the amount of his or her military pay and allowances and the amount the employee would have received as an employee, including any merit raises that would otherwise have been granted during the time the individual was on active military duty.
  (2) All benefits that he or she would have received had he or she not been called to active military duty unless the benefits are prohibited or limited by vendor contracts.
  (c) The credential of a certificated employee may not become invalid for failure to renew while the employee, as a member of the California National Guard or a United States Military Reserve organization, is on active military duty. A certificated employee shall have a period of 120 days after the end of his or her active military duty to renew the credential.

Every person, firm, association, partnership, or corporation offering or conducting private school instruction on the elementary or high school level shall notify, in writing, the parents or guardians who reside with each pupil of that school whenever that school hires an employee who, in the course of his or her employment, will come in contact with minor pupils and who has been convicted of a sex offense, as defined in Section 44010. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person who conveys or receives information in good-faith conformity with this section is exempt from prosecution under Section 11142 or 11143 of the Penal Code for that conveying or receiving of information.