Removing the worm from the apple

The need to eliminate teacher tenureBy Jessica Mittelstaedt

What is Teacher Tenure?

Pros: Get to keep a job.

Cons:

Can’t be fired! – Even if they are a terrible teacher!

It costs thousands of dollars to fire tenure teachers.

Teachers get lazy.

Status granted to a teacher after a probationary period, indicating that the position or employment is permanent.

Teachers should not be allowed to administer

state evaluation tests to their own students. Conduct in class must be of a professional

manner; no sleeping while on the Job! Teacher evaluations should be done more

often and on a surprise basis. Teachers should be evaluated on the support

and help that they give to students, and not simply a score.

Changes in the evaluation process

Principals must have support in hiring and firing

substandard teachers. Aggressively challenge teacher unions. Support the decision to fire lemons. Stop “the dance of the lemons!”, the transfer of teachers

from one school to the next passing the problem.

=

Take accountability

Teacher unions

Detroit School System

Poor minority graduation rates

Restrictions placed by union teachers

Pupil test scores not used in evaluations

American education system is falling behind when

compared to other country's. Low graduation rate for minorities Inner cities are struggling to reform and raise standards Teachers are not the only factor that affects education, but

they are the most affective and should be the easiest one’s to fix.

The need for change

Teacher unions

New Orleans School System

Hurricane Katrina washed away what was one of the nation's worst school systems and started fresh with new energetic ideas – without tenure.

Uses teacher performance based on pupil test scores.

Uses charter schools without union teachers.

Requires parent and teacher support for pupils.

Teacher unions resist all forms of change – We shouldn’t

need to have a hurricane to fix the tenure problem. More than one type of evaluation should characterize an

educator What defines a “good or great teacher” from the “Bad

worm in the apple teacher”

Or

Change

It costs thousands to fire a

tenure teacher.

6%

94%

Example: Illinois school districts over last 18 years

tried to fire a tenure teacherNever at-tempted to fire a tenure teacher

We need to eliminate teacher tenure! Reconstruct our system so that: A. You can fire lemon teachers B. keep great teachers who deserve to stay. C. Children don’t have to struggle by lemons and enjoy learning.

Thank You

Conclusion

"I Did Not Slow Down Once I Got Tenure." Chronicle of Higher Education

57.18 (2011): D15. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. Knowles, Timothy. “The Trouble With Teacher Tenure.” The Wall Street

Journal 18 June, 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. Olson, Elizabeth G. “American teachers under attack.” CNNMoney.com 23

Mar. 2011. Web. 25 March 2011. Register, Sam. et al. "Why we can't get rid of failing teachers." Newsweek

(Pacific Edition) 155.11 (2010): 30. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Zirkel, Perry A. "Teacher Tenure Is Not the Real Problem." Phi Delta Kappan 92.1 (2010): 76-77. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Mar. 2011.

Works Cited