Positives, negatives, problems and
some suggestions for tenure
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Posted
on 12/03/10 • Categorized as Tenure
By Stephen Blum
The term tenure describes the employment status of a
permanent teacher in most public school systems. Tenure provides permanent
teachers a "property right" to employment and provides significant guarantees
of due process for a teacher facing dismissal charges.
Much has been written recently
regarding tenure for public school teachers. Tenure is often misunderstood and
politicized. Here are some positives, negatives, problems, and suggestions.
Positives of tenure
Tenure was instituted years ago
to protect good teachers from angry parents, micromanaging school board
members, and/or incompetent administrators. Teachers, like judges, must make
decisions that not everyone agrees with. It is not uncommon for a parent who is
displeased with his or her child's grade to call for the teacher's dismissal.
Some school board members cannot refrain from micromanagement. It is not
uncommon for a board member to call for a teacher's dismissal. Not all
administrators are competent in the task of properly evaluating teachers. It is
not uncommon for a poor administrator to call for the dismissal of a teacher
who is capable. Tenure protects teachers who speak up. Tenure protects teachers
from age discrimination and other forms of prejudice. Tenure protects good
teachers in these and other situations.
Negatives of tenure
Students suffer as a result of poor
teachers and administrators. Tenure protects ineffective teachers. The process
of removing a teacher is not simple or swift. However, effective districts and
administrators can and do remove teachers who are not effective. In contrast,
ineffective districts and administrators often cannot correctly determine
and/or follow the process in order to dismiss an ineffective teacher. These
administrators often complain the process is too complicated and expensive.
Excuses do not solve problems. Most ineffective teachers were granted tenure by
an ineffective administrator.
Problems with tenure
In California, a teacher normally
begins working for a district in a "probationary" status and is granted tenure
after two years or is fired. (Education uses the term
"non-reelected" instead of "fired.") Previously, the decision was made after
three years. Most teachers need more time to learn the craft, and
administration needs more time to properly assess a teacher's skills and
ability. Presently, a probationary teacher can be "non-reelected" without
cause. This means the teacher is fired without being told why. The law only
requires a "non-reelected" teacher to be informed of the dismissal by March 15
of the current school year. Fired teachers are expected to teach for the
remaining three months of the school year. These changes were part of a "reform"
package in the early 1980s. They were not wise.
Suggestions
Teacher training needs to be improved.
Apprenticeship programs that require new teachers to work with a quality,
experienced teacher should replace the inadequate student teacher system.
Tenure should be attained after three or four years. Evaluations should not be
conducted solely by one principal. Specially trained evaluators should also be
involved in this important decision. All administrators should be properly
trained in the lawful process of evaluating, assisting, and/or removing
teachers who legitimately need to improve or leave. Administrators need
adequate time to learn and perform these tasks. Proven assistance programs for
teachers requiring support should be consistently maintained.
Federal and state politicians who
simply seek to make points by commenting on "all those
bad teachers" are not helpful. Reforms can and should be formulated. In
order for this to occur, all of the stakeholders must work together for the
common good, not political or monetary gain, with the best interest of children
as the guiding light.
Stephen P. Blum is the president of the Ventura Unified
Education Association and a member of the Ventura County Community College
Board of Trustees. He served as a high school teacher for 25 years and as the
cross-country and track coach at Buena High School for 22 years. He has a Juris
Doctorate degree, a Master's degree in education, and a Bachelor's degree
in history. His wife has been a teacher for 30-plus
years. Their daughter is a student at California State University at Channel
Islands.
Rick Simpson
To add a bit more context for the
"not wise" reforms contained in SB 813 (Hart, 1983), the article fails to
mention that the reduction in the probationary period from three years to two
was only half of a major policy tradeoff. Prior to SB 813 probationary teachers
also had due process rights related to dismissal, though not as extensive as
for tenured teachers. The tradeoff was a reduced probationary period in
exchange for complete management discretion over dismissal of probationary
teachers - what the article correctly describes as non-reelection.
Labor and management both gave up something to get something in the 1983
deal. I think that bit of history ought to be taken into account as one
considers future policy changes.