Reform Teacher Tenure
Many speak out against tenure because it gives incompetent teachers virtual immunity from firing. In Michigan for example, it takes almost a year to expel a teacher in a belabored principal, board, and union battle, which is even before the legal process! To make matters more ridiculous, it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to fire and(or) reassign bad tenured teachers.
Some tenured teachers may not be incompetent per se, but they are mediocre because they have no reason to do great job since it will not affect their career prospects in anyway. Many tenured teachers take a pass on teaching challenging material and leave the more time-consuming tasks to their inexperienced peers.
For some odd reason, the public high school teaching profession is one of the few jobs that lopsidedly prefers people who are willing to spend their whole lives doing the same thing every year. The tenure model currently adversely affects young teachers who are much more likely to be laid off regardless of their performance. In February 2010, the ACLU sued and eventually settled with the LA EDU department because these unjust terminations of young teachers discriminated against people of color. Even if young teachers were given a fair shot to get tenure, it is unclear that it would even be attractive to our future generation, which is unlikely to stay put in a certain career role for more than a decade. It is clear however, that everyone will start squealing if tenure disappeared overnight as they would lose their pensions. To mitigate this pain, tenure reform could gradually sunset the pension system.
Those who support tenure say it protects teachers from getting unjustly fired by school boards and principals. They continue that it gives teachers the freedom to live and teach how they want (everything from wearing jeans to assigning the Communist Manifesto). Without the stresses of getting fired, they believe that tenured teachers can convey their own unique style and connect better with their students. However, teachers across the U.S. have recently gained more legal state and federal benefits through collective bargaining. Supporters argue that tenure is a necessary benefit to attract teachers, but this contradicts the fact that hundreds of teachers continue to apply for a few new teaching positions at schools.
Supporters continue that tenure enables teachers to champion students when the administration is out of line. Even if you still believe that tenure must continue to be a fixture in public education, you must agree that it must be changed from its current form. Most states offer tenure to teachers after a mere three years on the job, too short a period to make such a significantly binding decision about some one’s career. These kinds of impulsive decisions are what keep schools cash-strapped and limit their flexibility during tough economic times.
Some tenured teachers may not be incompetent per se, but they are mediocre because they have no reason to do great job since it will not affect their career prospects in anyway. Many tenured teachers take a pass on teaching challenging material and leave the more time-consuming tasks to their inexperienced peers.
For some odd reason, the public high school teaching profession is one of the few jobs that lopsidedly prefers people who are willing to spend their whole lives doing the same thing every year. The tenure model currently adversely affects young teachers who are much more likely to be laid off regardless of their performance. In February 2010, the ACLU sued and eventually settled with the LA EDU department because these unjust terminations of young teachers discriminated against people of color. Even if young teachers were given a fair shot to get tenure, it is unclear that it would even be attractive to our future generation, which is unlikely to stay put in a certain career role for more than a decade. It is clear however, that everyone will start squealing if tenure disappeared overnight as they would lose their pensions. To mitigate this pain, tenure reform could gradually sunset the pension system.
Those who support tenure say it protects teachers from getting unjustly fired by school boards and principals. They continue that it gives teachers the freedom to live and teach how they want (everything from wearing jeans to assigning the Communist Manifesto). Without the stresses of getting fired, they believe that tenured teachers can convey their own unique style and connect better with their students. However, teachers across the U.S. have recently gained more legal state and federal benefits through collective bargaining. Supporters argue that tenure is a necessary benefit to attract teachers, but this contradicts the fact that hundreds of teachers continue to apply for a few new teaching positions at schools.
Supporters continue that tenure enables teachers to champion students when the administration is out of line. Even if you still believe that tenure must continue to be a fixture in public education, you must agree that it must be changed from its current form. Most states offer tenure to teachers after a mere three years on the job, too short a period to make such a significantly binding decision about some one’s career. These kinds of impulsive decisions are what keep schools cash-strapped and limit their flexibility during tough economic times.
Works Cited
Daniel Weisberg, Susan Sexton, Jennifer Mulher, David Keeling, "The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness" (5.8 MB) , The New Teacher Project website, www.widgeteffect.org, June 1, 2009
"Rhee-Forming D.C. Schools," www.wsj.com, Nov. 22, 2008
Wanda Marie Thibodeaux, "Pro & Cons of Teacher Tenure," www.ehow.com
George A. Clowes, "Teachers Like Tenure but Admit Its Flaws," www.heartland.org, July 1, 2003
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, "ACLU Sues LAUSD to Stop Teacher Layoffs," KPCC-FM Los Angeles website, www.scpr.org, Feb. 24, 2010
M.J. Stephey, "A Brief History of Tenure," www.time.com, Nov. 17, 2008
http://www.aflcio.org/content/download/11731/145661/RT%40WK.pdf
Scott McLeod, JD, PhD, "Does Teacher Tenure Have a Future?," www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org, Apr. 19, 2010
Nanette Asimov, "Teacher Job Security Fuels Prop. 74 Battle," San Francisco Chronicle, Sep. 30, 2005
Daniel Weisberg, Susan Sexton, Jennifer Mulher, David Keeling, "The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness" (5.8 MB) , The New Teacher Project website, www.widgeteffect.org, June 1, 2009
"Rhee-Forming D.C. Schools," www.wsj.com, Nov. 22, 2008
Wanda Marie Thibodeaux, "Pro & Cons of Teacher Tenure," www.ehow.com
George A. Clowes, "Teachers Like Tenure but Admit Its Flaws," www.heartland.org, July 1, 2003
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, "ACLU Sues LAUSD to Stop Teacher Layoffs," KPCC-FM Los Angeles website, www.scpr.org, Feb. 24, 2010
M.J. Stephey, "A Brief History of Tenure," www.time.com, Nov. 17, 2008
http://www.aflcio.org/content/download/11731/145661/RT%40WK.pdf
Scott McLeod, JD, PhD, "Does Teacher Tenure Have a Future?," www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org, Apr. 19, 2010
Nanette Asimov, "Teacher Job Security Fuels Prop. 74 Battle," San Francisco Chronicle, Sep. 30, 2005