Dismissal & Appeal

Dismissal decisions for failure to achieve compliance with the Program Requirements and Expectations typically occur at the end of defined intervals (e.g., semester, school year), however, Urban Teachers reserves the right to dismiss a participant at any point. For example, a single instance of unprofessionalism can result in immediate dismissal from the program. In making dismissal decisions, Urban Teachers exercises its judgment and seeks to consider where appropriate the totality of the circumstances.

Participants are eligible for dismissal from the program for reasons including, but not limited to any of the following:

COURSEWORK 

• Receiving ineligible final course grade(s)
• Ineligible to earn a final cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher 

TEACHING PRACTICE

• Not meeting the program year expectation
• Residents: 2.3
• Year 1 Fellows: 2.5
• Year 2 Fellows: 3.0

PROFESSIONALISM

• Violating the Urban Teachers Attendance Policy and/or reporting procedures
• Failing to complete all coaching or otherwise violating the Coaching Completion Policy
• Accepting employment at a new school without approval from Urban Teachers or otherwise violating the School Transfer Policy
• Violating the Social Media Guidelines
• Violating the Physical Contact with Children and Mandatory Reporting Policy
• Exhibiting a pattern of unresponsiveness to Urban Teachers communications or otherwise violating the Expectations for Participant Responsiveness 
• One or more occurrences of unprofessional behavior or otherwise violating the Professional Conduct Policy

SCHOOL SITE

• Not maintaining good standing at the school site
• Principal dismissal from school during the school year
• Formal or informal school decision not to hire or rehire the following year
• Formal or informal unsatisfactory school rating

CERTIFICATION 

• Failing to fulfill all state requirements for certification/licensure

VIOLATION OF UNIVERSITY PARTNER’S ACADEMIC, STUDENT CONDUCT, OR OTHER POLICIES WHILE ENROLLED IN THE MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAM

The Johns Hopkins School of Education and the American University School of Education reserve the right to dismiss from the program at any time any participant who violates the school’s academic and/or student conduct policies, or whose academic standing or general conduct is considered to be unsatisfactory. Participants who are dismissed from the master’s degree program for failing to meet coursework expectations or for violating academic, student conduct, or other policies will also be automatically dismissed from the Urban Teachers program. Participants who are academically dismissed from the master’s degree program will not be permitted to apply or matriculate in another course or program within their respective university partner.

Participants who are dismissed from the Urban Teachers program for reasons apart from failing to meet coursework expectations or for violating academic, student conduct, or other policies will be referred to their university partner’s program liaison to discuss their student status and degree continuation eligibility. Dismissal from the Urban Teachers program will result in the participant's inability to complete the joint master’s program coursework requirements.

Participants who are dismissed by or resign from their school site during the school year will be automatically dismissed from the Urban Teachers program for not maintaining good standing at the school site. If a participant is not hired or rehired by their school site for the following school year through no fault of the participant and is otherwise in good standing with Urban Teachers’ performance expectations and program requirements, Urban Teachers will make reasonable efforts to help them secure a new teaching position at a partner school. If despite such efforts, the participant still is unable to secure a teaching position at a partner school by the start of the next school year, the participant will be automatically dismissed from the program. 

Dismissal from the Urban Teachers program may result in termination of employment by the participant’s district/CMO.

Appealing Dismissals

Participants appealing a decision made by Urban Teachers (as opposed to the university partner) to dismiss them from the program must make a written request for an appeal hearing by sending an email, including the request and supporting documents, to: Dismissal.Appeals@urbanteachers.org within five (5) business days after the official dismissal notice. It is in the participant’s best interest to provide as much evidence as possible to support the stated rationale for the appeal. This request must include the rationale, in writing, as to why the dismissal should be reversed. The cognizable grounds for appeal are: 

• The participant in fact satisfied the Urban Teachers’ requirement(s) that formed the basis for the dismissal at the time of the dismissal decision. 
• The underlying factual basis for the dismissal is no longer valid (e.g., where a participant was dismissed because the university partner or their school site dismissed the participant, the university partner or the school site reversed such decision). 
• Dismissal of the participant resulted from Urban Teachers’ failure to follow its own policies or procedures and did not result from any fault of the participant.
• Dismissal of the participant resulted from Urban Teachers’ failure to enact the program in full.

Where a participant was dismissed from Urban Teachers automatically as a result of dismissal from the university partner’s master’s program or from a school site, appeal will be summarily denied unless the participant can demonstrate that the university partner or the school site reversed the underlying decision. 

The participant will receive a response within five (5) business days as to whether an appeal hearing will be granted or if the dismissal stands. If an appeal hearing is granted, the response will include a proposed hearing date that should occur within ten (10) business days after Urban Teachers’ notification that it will approve the appeal hearing request. The dismissal appeal panel will consist of members from the Urban Teachers Site and National team leadership. At the hearing, the participant will make their case and provide evidence or documentation to support their belief that the dismissal should be overturned based on one or more of the grounds above. Urban Teachers may ask clarifying questions or request further evidence. If requested, the participant will generally be given two (2) days to provide this information to the panel. After this submission, the panel will review the case and come to a decision generally within five (5) business days of the hearing date or the receipt of the requested additional evidence, whichever is later.

Participants who are appealing dismissal are not to attend master’s program coursework or any other Urban Teachers-related activities, even if an appeal hearing has been granted. Participants who are employed as full-time teachers of record by the school district or charter school are still expected to carry out all job-related responsibilities unless the school or district/CMO has indicated otherwise. The dismissal designation stands until a reversal has been determined at the conclusion of the appeal process. If the dismissal is overturned, the participant will work with all appropriate staff to make up any assignments or work that was not completed during the appeal process time frame, if applicable.