With school budgets tighter than my grandfather's wallet and an ever-bearing interest on highly-effective teachers, is tenure still an untouchable aspect of public education? Many taxpayers I have spoken with think that tenure should be absolved due to the number of teachers who do not take their job seriously. Sometimes I am disheartened by some teachers that I find to be overbearing on students and seem to be in the profession for the perks and not for the students themselves. One way that we could solve these problems is to get rid of tenure. Not only could you soften the budget by releasing teachers who are ineffective or "past their prime", but ridding the profession of tenure could cause teachers to work harder at their jobs.
However, with the presence of teacher unions, it appears that tenure is untouchable for the moment, even though today there were historic compromises in the Washington D.C. district regarding ineffective teachers. National Public Radio is quoted as saying that the new plan-of-action for D.C. schools could "serve as the model for school reform around the country". As teachers, we all love tenure (I don't have it yet, but will soon), but what are your true feelings on the subject of tenure?
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A blog that is dedicated to learning and education. This blog can be a place to gain information on the latest developments in education not only in Virginia but also the United States. It is a blog dedicated to conversation, reflection, and communication to help better ourselves as teachers, citizens, leaders, and human beings.
My opinion is if the teachers are being ineffective I feel that administration has a responsibility to take action. Although it is difficult to rid the system of ineffective teachers it isn't impossible through proper documentation. So, what if an administrator wants only a certain type of teacher and eliminates the teachers who don't conform to his/her philosophy? I have seen effective classrooms from the teacher who has lesson plans completed weeks ahead, a tight reign with classroom management, and strict grading policies. I have also seen effective classrooms where the teacher is much more laid back, strays from the lesson plan on tangents, and offers students more of a lead role in the classroom. Without tenure how could you prevent a narrow-minded administrator, one who feels that there is only one way to teach, to eliminate the positions of some effective teachers that simply don't fall into line with his/her philosophy? I really don't feel that the tenured teacher who has lost their touch are solely to blame. Again, there should be some responsibility placed on the administration. You learn everyday of your life including the days that you are nearing retirement or just stuck in a rut. An administrator is a leader who must also motivate even the most lackluster of teachers. If after several efforts, and documentation has been made, the teachers who are "past their prime" or ineffective have not made sufficient progress then action must be taken to promote the success of the students.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! I love a good debate!