I am a teacher in Michigan. In our state a teacher is on probation for four years; at the end of the fourth year the teacher is granted tenure. Today I was informed that I will not be granted tenure this year (the end of my fourth year) because I took 8 weeks of maturnity leave during my first year of employment. This didn't seem right to me (males would never be in jepardy of not being granted tenure on time) so I asked around in the district. Several teachers took maternity leave during their probationary period and received their tenure at the end of their fourth year!

I have been searching and searching but cannot find a clear answer in any legal document.

Please help direct me to the correct answer. Am I entitled to tenure, or can they withhold tenure due to maternity leave?

Barbara Simpson

We can't read your contract from here, so we don't know.

It isn't a contractual issue, it is a law. I can find the Michigan Tenure Act law online, but I can't find anywhere that states what "four years" means. It doesn't spell out how many days/hours etc. is considered a year.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Education law in Michigan.

My opinion is that as long as any employee who missed eight weeks for medical reasons would be denied tenure and not just those who miss eight weeks for maternity, it is legal.