Section 2588. Seniority, retention and displacement rights in connection with abolition of positions in city school districts of cities having more than one million inhabitants

1. For the purposes of this section,  the tenure areas applicable  to  all  professional  education  positions
  shall  be  defined  as  the  license areas established by the city board
  pursuant to subdivision ten of section twenty-five hundred seventy-three
  of this chapter, provided that, effective July first,  nineteen  hundred
  seventy-six,  there  shall  be  a single elementary teaching tenure area
  encompassing kindergarten through grade six. Such groupings  of  related
  license  areas shall not affect the rights of persons whose services had
  been discontinued prior to the effective  date  of  such  groupings  nor
  shall such groupings be applicable for purposes other than those of this
  section;  and  provided that, on the effective date of this subdivision,
  there shall be a single tenure area for personnel properly  assigned  or
  appointed  prior  to the effective date of this subdivision as assistant
  principals of day elementary school and supervisors of early  childhood;
  and  a  single  tenure area for personnel properly assigned or appointed
  prior  to  the  effective  date  of  this   subdivision   as   assistant
  principals--junior       high       school--supervision,       assistant
  principals--junior high school--administration, and supervisors of  art,
  music,  home  economics,  school  library  service,  health and physical
  education, audio-visual  instruction,  industrial  arts,  and  bilingual
  education.  The  tenure areas applicable to all intermediate supervisors
  properly assigned or appointed on or after the effective  date  of  this
  subdivision  shall  be  defined  as the license areas established by the
  city board.
    2. If a position  within  a  tenure  area  is  abolished  and  another
  position  is  created in such area for the performance of duties similar
  to those performed in the abolished position, the  person  filling  such
  office  or  position  at the time of its abolition shall be appointed to
  the position thus created without  reduction  in  salary  or  increment,
  provided  the  record of such person has been one of faithful, competent
  service in the office or position he has filled.
    3. (a) Whenever a teaching position is abolished under  this  chapter,
  the  services of the person holding a position within the tenure area of
  the position which is to be abolished who has the least seniority in the
  city school district,  including  all  full-time  equivalent  substitute
  service  and  all  full-time  equivalent  service as a paraprofessional,
  shall be discontinued, provided that the services of a  person  who  has
  acquired  tenure  within  such  tenure area shall not be discontinued if
  another person holding a  position  within  such  tenure  area  has  not
  acquired tenure.
    (b)  Whenever  a supervisory position is abolished under this chapter,
  the services of the member of the supervisory staff,  except  associate,
  assistant   and   other  superintendents,  principals  and  intermediate
  supervisors serving in schools or programs under the jurisdiction  of  a
  community  school  board  or  serving  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the
  chancellor, having the least seniority within the  tenure  area  of  the
  position  abolished  in the city school district, shall be discontinued.
  Whenever a principalship  or  intermediate  supervisory  position  in  a
  school  or program under the jurisdiction of a community school board is
  abolished under this chapter, the principal or  intermediate  supervisor
  serving  in  such position shall be entitled to be placed in any vacancy
  within the tenure area of such position within such  community  district
  which may exist, and if no such vacancies exist, he shall be entitled to
  displace  the  principal  or  intermediate  supervisor  with  the  least
  seniority within the tenure area  of  such  position  in  the  community
  district,  if  he  has  greater seniority within the tenure area of such

  position in  the  community  district,  than  such  person.  Whenever  a
  principalship   or   an  intermediate  supervisory  position  under  the
  jurisdiction of the chancellor is  abolished  under  this  chapter,  the
  principal  or  intermediate supervisor serving in such position shall be
  entitled to be placed in any vacancy within  the  tenure  area  of  such
  position  which may exist under the chancellor's jurisdiction, and if no
  such vacancies exist he shall be entitled to displace the  principal  or
  intermediate  supervisor with the least seniority within the tenure area
  of such position under the jurisdiction of  the  chancellor  if  he  has
  greater  seniority  within  the  tenure  area of such position under the
  jurisdiction of the chancellor, than such  person.  Notwithstanding  any
  other provision of law, an intermediate supervisor appointed or properly
  assigned prior to the effective date of this paragraph whose position is
  abolished  shall  be  entitled  to  be  placed in any vacancy within the
  tenure area of such position in the city school district, and if no such
  vacancy  exists,  shall  be  entitled  to  displace   the   intermediate
  supervisor  with the least seniority within that tenure area in the city
  school  district.  For  purposes  of  this  section,   an   intermediate
  supervisor  shall  be  any  person  serving  by  appointment or properly
  assigned in the supervisory license area of: assistant principal--junior
  high   school--administration,    assistant    principal--junior    high
  school--supervision,   assistant   principal--day   elementary   school,
  education     administrator--instruction      specialist,      assistant
  administrative director, supervisor of a subject area.
    (c)  No  later than September first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, the
  chancellor shall promulgate a list of  the  seniority  rankings  of  all
  members of the teaching or supervisory staff computed in accordance with
  the  provisions of this subdivision. Such list shall be revised at least
  annually thereafter.
    4. (a) A member of the teaching staff who has been regularly appointed
  or a member of the supervisory staff who has been properly  assigned  or
  appointed  and  whose  services are terminated pursuant to this section,
  shall be entitled to be placed,  upon  his  application,  in  a  vacancy
  within  the  tenure  area of a position where such individual shall have
  previously served under regular  appointment  as  a  teacher  or  proper
  assignment  or  appointment  as  a  supervisor, and if no such vacancies
  exist he shall be entitled to displace the person with  least  seniority
  serving  in  the  tenure  area of such other position, if he has greater
  seniority, based on length of service as a member  of  the  teaching  or
  supervising  staff  in the city school district, including all full-time
  equivalent substitute service and all full-time equivalent service as  a
  paraprofessional,  than such person. A supervisor who reverts to a prior
  supervisory license in which he had the right to  placement  within  the
  city  school  district  shall  retain  such  right  and a supervisor who
  reverts to a prior supervisory license in which he  previously  had  the
  right to placement only in a community school district shall be entitled
  to  reversion  solely  in the community school district from which he is
  currently laid off. His salary thenceforth shall be fixed as though  all
  service  rendered  by  him  was in the position to which he is returned.
  Provided, however, that a member of the supervisory  staff  applying  to
  displace a classroom teacher pursuant to this subdivision may include no
  more   than  three  years  of  service  in  a  supervisory  position  in
  calculating his seniority  hereunder,  and  provided  further  that  the
  seniority  of  any  principal  seeking to displace another supervisor in
  accordance with the provisions of this subdivision, shall be computed in
  accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of subdivision three  of
  this section.

    (b)  A  person  who returns to a position in a tenure area in which he
  had previously served pursuant to the  provisions  of  this  subdivision
  shall  retain  any  tenure rights he had previously acquired pursuant to
  the provisions of section  twenty-five  hundred  seventy-three  of  this
  chapter in such tenure area.
    5.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of law, no classroom teaching
  position may be abolished after the fifth school day of the fall  school
  term  or  after  the  fifth school day of the spring school term and all
  transfers or personnel changes  resulting  from  such  abolitions  which
  would  cause  the displacement of a classroom teacher shall be completed
  prior to the fifteenth school day  of  such  terms,  provided  that  the
  chancellor,  after counsulting with any affected community school board,
  may waive the aforesaid limitations in a specific  instance  because  of
  emergency conditions or for reasons of special hardship.
    6.  Notwithstanding  any  other provisions of law, except subdivisions
  four and seven of this section, any member of the teaching  staff  whose
  services  have  been terminated in accordance with the provision of this
  section shall be eligible to be appointed to a vacant position for which
  such individual does not hold appropriate licensure, provided  that  the
  chancellor, upon the recommendation of the board of examiners, certifies
  that  such  member  is  competent  to  serve in such vacant position and
  provided further that such individual at the time of  appointment  meets
  the  minimum  education  and experience requirements for recertification
  established,  for  such  position,  shows   satisfactory   evidence   of
  progression toward licensure as defined by the city board, and meets the
  full  requirements  for  licensure in such position not later than three
  years from the date of the appointment therein. Such member shall  serve
  in such position at the salary of such position. Any person appointed to
  a position for which he does not hold appropriate licensure prior to the
  effective  date  of this section, may continue to serve in such position
  only if he meets  the  minimum  education  and  experience  requirements
  established  for  the  position  by  February  first,  nineteen  hundred
  seventy-eight,  shows  satisfactory  evidence  of   progression   toward
  licensure  as  defined by the city board and meets the full requirements
  for licensure in such position not later than three years from the  date
  of appointment therein.
    7. If an office or position is abolished or if it is consolidated with
  another  position  without  creating  a new position, the person filling
  such position at the time of its abolition or consolidation, or a person
  displaced by a person with higher seniority as provided in this section,
  shall be placed  upon  a  preferred  eligible  list  of  candidates  for
  appointment  to  a vacancy that then exists or that may thereafter occur
  in the tenure area of such position,  without  reduction  in  salary  or
  increment,  provided the record of such person has been one of faithful,
  competent service in the office or position he has filled.  The  persons
  on  such  preferred  list  shall  be  reinstated  or  appointed  to such
  vacancies in the order of their length of service  in  the  city  school
  district,  including all full-time equivalent substitute service and all
  full-time equivalent service as a paraprofessional, provided that in the
  case of vacancies in principalship positions under the jurisdiction of a
  community school board, such persons shall be reinstated or  reappointed
  in  order  of their length of service in the tenure area of the position
  in the community district and  provided  that  intermediate  supervisors
  properly  assigned  or  appointed on or after the effective date of this
  subdivision to positions in a  community  district  and  who  have  been
  placed  on  a preferred eligible list shall be entitled to reinstatement
  or reappointment to vacancies in their tenure area within that community

  district in order of their length of service in the tenure area  of  the
  position in the community district.
    8.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law or of this section, any
  person whose services were discontinued because of the  abolition  of  a
  position during the period July first, nineteen hundred seventy-five and
  June  thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred eighty-eight shall be deemed to have
  been on leave of absence without pay and shall be  entitled  to  include
  such  period of discontinuance of services in computing his seniority in
  the city school district for purposes  of  this  section,  provided  the
  record of such person has been one of faithful, competent service in the
  office  or  position he has filled and provided further that such person
  shall not receive pension credit or incremental salary step  credit  for
  such period of discontinuance of service.