Texas Education Code 21.303 – Determination by Commissioner
(a) If the board of trustees decided not to renew a teacher’s term contract, the commissioner may not substitute the commissioner’s judgment for that of the board of trustees unless the decision was arbitrary, capricious, or unlawful or is not supported by substantial evidence.
(b) If the board of trustees terminated a teacher’s probationary, continuing, or term contract during the contract term or suspended a teacher without pay, the commissioner may not substitute the commissioner’s judgment for that of the board unless:
(1) if the board accepted the hearing examiner’s findings of fact without modification, the decision is arbitrary, capricious, or unlawful or is not supported by substantial evidence; or
(2) if the board modified the hearing examiner’s findings of fact, the decision is arbitrary, capricious, or unlawful or the hearing examiner’s original findings of fact are not supported by substantial evidence.
Terms Used In Texas Education Code 21.303
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
(c) The commissioner may not reverse a decision of a board of trustees based on a procedural irregularity or error by a hearing examiner, the board of trustees, or a board subcommittee unless the commissioner determines that the irregularity or error was likely to have led to an erroneous decision by the board or board subcommittee.