Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3319.08 – Contracts for employment or reemployment of teachers

(A) The board of education of each city, exempted village, local, and joint vocational school district and the governing board of each educational service center shall enter into written contracts for the employment and reemployment of all teachers. Contracts for the employment of teachers shall be of two types, limited contracts and continuing contracts. The board of each school district or service center that authorizes compensation in addition to the salary paid under section 3317.14 or 3317.141 of the Revised Code for the performance of duties by a teacher that are in addition to the teacher's regular teaching duties, shall enter into a supplemental written contract with each teacher who is to perform additional duties. Such supplemental written contracts shall be limited contracts. Such written contracts and supplemental written contracts shall set forth the teacher's duties and shall specify the salaries and compensation to be paid for regular teaching duties and additional teaching duties, respectively, either or both of which may be increased but not diminished during the term for which the contract is made, except as provided in section 3319.12 of the Revised Code. If a board adopts a motion or resolution to employ a teacher under a limited or continuing contract and the teacher accepts such employment, the failure of such parties to execute a written contract shall not void such employment contract.
(B) Teachers must be paid for all time lost when the schools in which they are employed are closed due to an epidemic or other public calamity, and for time lost due to illness or otherwise for not less than five days annually as authorized by regulations which each board shall adopt.
(C) A limited contract is:
1. (1) For a superintendent, a contract for such term as authorized by section 3319.01 of the Revised Code;
2. (2) For an assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal, or other administrator, a contract for such term as authorized by section 3319.02 of the Revised Code;
3. (3) For all other teachers, a contract for a term not to exceed five years.
(D) A continuing contract is a contract that remains in effect until the teacher resigns, elects to retire, or is retired pursuant to former section 3307.37 of the Revised Code, or until it is terminated or suspended and shall be granted only to the following:
1. (1) Any teacher holding a professional, permanent, or life teacher's certificate;
2. (2) Any teacher who meets the following conditions:
  1. (a) The teacher was initially issued a teacher's certificate or educator license prior to January 1, 2011.
  2. (b) The teacher holds a professional educator license issued under section 3319.22 or 3319.222 or former section 3319.22 of the Revised Code or a senior professional educator license or lead professional educator license issued under section 3319.22 of the Revised Code.
  3. (c) The teacher has completed the applicable one of the following:
    1. (i) If the teacher did not hold a master's degree at the time of initially receiving a teacher's certificate under former law or an educator license, thirty semester hours of coursework in the area of licensure or in an area related to the teaching field since the initial issuance of such certificate or license, as specified in rules which the state board of education shall adopt;
    2. (ii) If the teacher held a master's degree at the time of initially receiving a teacher's certificate under former law or an educator license, six semester hours of graduate coursework in the area of licensure or in an area related to the teaching field since the initial issuance of such certificate or license, as specified in rules which the state board shall adopt.
3. (3) Any teacher who meets the following conditions:
  1. (a) The teacher never held a teacher's certificate and was initially issued an educator license on or after January 1, 2011.
  2. (b) The teacher holds a professional educator license, senior professional educator license, or lead professional educator license issued under section 3319.22 of the Revised Code.
  3. (c) The teacher has held an educator license for at least seven years.
  4. (d) The teacher has completed the applicable one of the following:
    1. (i) If the teacher did not hold a master's degree at the time of initially receiving an educator license, thirty semester hours of coursework in the area of licensure or in an area related to the teaching field since the initial issuance of that license, as specified in rules which the state board shall adopt;
    2. (ii) If the teacher held a master's degree at the time of initially receiving an educator license, six semester hours of graduate coursework in the area of licensure or in an area related to the teaching field since the initial issuance of that license, as specified in rules which the state board shall adopt.
(E) Division (D) of this section applies only to continuing contracts entered into on or after October 16, 2009. Nothing in that division shall be construed to void or otherwise affect a continuing contract entered into prior to that date. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, the requirements of division (D)(3) of this section prevail over any conflicting provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into on or after October 16, 2009.
(F) Wherever the term "educator license" is used in this section without reference to a specific type of educator license, the term does not include an educator license for substitute teaching issued under section 3319.226 of the Revised Code.