The Fair Dismissal Law, ORS 342.805 through ORS 342.937, was adopted in 1971. It replaced the Teacher Tenure Law and created the Fair Dismissal Appeals Board (FDAB) to hear appeals of teacher and administrator dismissal. The Fair Dismissal Appeals law was passed to provide a uniform statewide system of pre- and post-termination due process for teachers and administrators. It also provides for uniform standards for dismissals. The law has been interpreted over the years by a series of decisions by the Fair Dismissal Appeals Board and the courts.
The statute remained largely unchanged for over 25 years until it was amended during the 1997 legislative session through SB 880. The amendments changed the name of the statute to “Accountability for Schools for the 21st Century Law,” and made substantive and procedural changes.