House Bill 122 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Terri CollinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) Salary Schedule Program; participating teacher with over 20 years of advanced contract criteria service may be offered contract for up to five years instead of required offer of five years

Summary

HB122 would allow TEAMS teachers with 20+ years of service who meet advanced criteria to be offered a contract up to five years, and it updates credentialing, professional development, and related TEAMS rules, effective October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

HB122 lets a TEAMS participating teacher with 20+ years of service who meets the advanced contract criteria be offered a contract up to five years. It requires earning a specialized certification within three years to stay eligible for an advanced contract, and preserves preliminary contract options with extensions in limited cases. Beginning October 1, 2026, no TEAMS contract may exceed the maximum lengths set by the other provisions, though contracts signed before that date stay in effect. It adds a four-day-per-year requirement for high-quality professional development, confirms TEAMS employment by local boards, and adds protections such as a one-time reversion right if credentials aren’t obtained and a rule that TEAMS contracts do not count toward continuing service status.

Who It Affects

• Participating TEAMS teachers, especially those with 20+ years of service, may be offered a contract of up to five years if they meet the advanced contract criteria. They must hold a qualifying specialized certification within three years to stay eligible, have a one-time right to revert to previous service status if they fail to obtain the credential, and their TEAMS contract terms do not count toward continuing service status; they must complete four days of annual high-quality professional development.
• Local school boards and the Alabama Department of Education will administer the TEAMS contracts under the new rules, manage credentialing and waiver processes, require annual professional development, implement changes to hierarchy units, and apply grandfather provisions for contracts signed before October 1, 2026.

Key Provisions

• Allows a TEAMS participating teacher with 20+ years of service who meets advanced contract criteria to be offered a contract for up to five years.
• Requires obtaining a specialized certification or credential within three years of admission to the TEAMS program to qualify for an advanced contract.
• Defines preliminary contracts as lasting up to three years, with possible extensions up to six years for teachers who lack sufficient experience to obtain the credential, and allows limited waivers.
• Beginning October 1, 2026, restricts contract terms to the maximum lengths allowed by subsections (b) and (c); contracts signed before that date are grandfathered.
• Adds a requirement for four days of annual high-quality professional development administered or approved by the department.
• Clarifies TEAMS participants are employed by local boards under TEAMS contracts; creates one-time reversion rights if credentialing is not obtained; and states TEAMS contract terms do not count toward continuing service status.
• Makes conforming changes to hierarchy units within the TEAMS framework.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education