§ 18A:7A-45 — Evaluation of principals, vice-principals.

12. a. The Commissioner of Education shall adopt criteria for the evaluation of building principals and vice-principals in a school district under full State intervention. b. Upon appointment, the State district superintendent may establish an assessment unit to conduct on-site evaluations of each building principal and vice-principal in accordance with the criteria established by the commissioner and render evaluation reports to the State district superintendent. No less than three evaluations shall be performed for each building principal and vice-principal within 18 months following the establishment of the school district under full State intervention. All personnel records for building principals and vice-principals prepared before the establishment of the district under full State intervention shall be sealed upon issuance of the State Board of Education order establishing the school district under full State intervention. c. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or contract, the State district superintendent, after completion of an assessment cycle of not less than 12 months, may dismiss any tenured building principal or vice-principal for inefficiency, incapacity, unbecoming conduct or other just cause as defined by the criteria for principal or vice-principal performance in districts under full State intervention established by the commissioner pursuant to subsection a. of this section. Nothing herein shall preclude the dismissal of a tenured building principal or vice-principal prior to the completion of an assessment cycle of not less than 12 months if the basis for the dismissal is incapacity or unbecoming conduct. All dismissals of tenured building principals or vice-principals shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in sections 10, 11, 13, 14, 16 and 17 of chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, except that the State district superintendent shall act as the board of education in all respects. d. The commissioner and the Office of Administrative Law are empowered and directed to take any necessary action to expedite hearings for dismissal of tenured principals or vice-principals, including relaxation of any time requirements established by law or practice. In no event shall a hearing commence later than 45 days after certification of charges. Hearings shall be completed within 45 days of commencement. In no event shall a final decision be issued later than 120 days following the certification of charges. e. Evaluations of building principals or vice-principals conducted by district personnel prior to the establishment of the school district under full State intervention shall not be admissible in a tenure hearing for any building principal or vice-principal except in the following circumstances: (1) Evaluations of building principals or vice-principals performed by members of the central administrative and supervisory staff who are hired to fill one of the positions in the reorganized central office of the district under full State intervention shall be admissible; (2) Evaluations of building principals or vice-principals made by individuals who were no longer employed by the school district as of the date it became a school district under full State intervention shall be admissible only if the evaluation was performed more than five years preceding the date of the establishment of the district under full State intervention. L.1987,c.399,s.12; amended 1995, c.179, s.3; 2005, c.235, s.19; 2007, c.16, s.12.