Penalty-Free Resignation Deadline

The penalty-free resignation deadline is the last possible date most educators can resign from employment without risk of penalty to their TEA certification. This deadline is particularly important for you when under contract in a district where you do not plan to work during the upcoming school year. For districts with a first instructional day in August, the penalty-free resignation deadline will be sometime in mid- to late June or early July. For districts on a year-round calendar, the deadline will be earlier.

If you resign after that date without being released from your contract, it is considered contract abandonment, and you could face sanctions to your certification from the State Board for Educator Certification. So how do you calculate the deadline for your district? And how do you properly submit your resignation to avoid such sanctions?

In this episode of The ATPE Podcast, ATPE Attorney Celina Leal answers all these questions and reveals what educators need to know about the deadline for contract resignation between school years.

The legal information provided here is accurate as of the date of publication. It is provided here for informative purposes only. Individual legal situations vary greatly, and readers needing individual legal advice should consult directly with an attorney. Please note: Rights based on the Texas Education Code may not apply to all. Many Texas Education Code provisions do not apply to public charter schools, and public school districts may have opted out of individual provisions through a District of Innovation plan. Eligible ATPE members may contact the ATPE Member Legal Services Department.