Definition: A term contract may not exceed five school years; it is usually for one or two years. In term-contract districts, teacher contracts are regularly considered for renewal by the local school board.
(This is more than most full-time employees.) Of course, I realize that many people with 40-hour-a-week jobs take work home or work more than their 40 hours. But remember, again, that teachers' contracts aren't actually for 12 months a year. Contracts are usually for 39 weeks, or around 180 days.
No matter if you have a term, continuing or probationary contract, you can get out of your contract for the upcoming schoolyear if you resign in writing at least 45 days before the first day of instruction.
The vast majority of Texas school districts offer term contracts. A term contract is for a set amount of time, usually one or two years. If a teacher is proposed for termination during the contract term, the employee is entitled to the same type of Subchapter F proceeding that the continuing contract teacher gets.
Under the Texas Education Code, contract employees are required to resign no later than 45 days before the first day of instruction for the school year. Resigning outside this timeframe can lead to a determination that you have “abandoned your contract” and a one-year suspension of your teaching certificate.
The Texas Education Code provides for three basic types of teacher contracts: probationary, continuing and term.
Under Section 21.401 of the Texas Education Code, teacher contracts must be for a minimum of 187 days of service. Under Section 25.081, a school district must provide 180 days of instruction for students. How many of the remaining seven days are used for staff development is determined locally.
What happens if a teacher resigns a teaching position before the end of his/her contract? Teachers are required to resign a contract no later than 45 days before the first day of instruction. A district may release a teacher voluntarily after that date, but is not compelled to do so.