Re: [Phys-l] Kozol fasts to protest NCLB - defense of unions

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

Is teacher tenure really a problem, or is needed protection against
administrators that want their side of education promoted (creationism?
McCarthyism?  You name your favorite...)

One way to look at this would be to compare test results on a state by state
basis with the tenure laws.  Since some states do not have tenure it might
be possible to do a statistical analysis and see if there is a correlation.
There should be 50 data points so this is a manageable problem.  Anyone want
to come up with some real answers????

Of course to do it right one should correct for SES.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> > The administrators can get rid of any teacher they want to.  Follow
> > protocol.  Granted it is much easier before the teacher earns tenure.
> > Then the administrators should get rid of the bad teachers before they
> > earn tenure.  If someone has a great first 5 years and then slumps, it
> > is the administrations job to tell them to pick it up a notch.  It might
> > not be popular, but that is their job.  Bad teachers won't like it, good
> > teachers do.  If the teacher continues to stink after a good start, then
> > get rid of them.  Follow protocol.  It can be done.
>
> It is _very_ difficult in most states, including mine, to get rid of poor
> tenured teachers.  It can be done, but only by following protocol for 3-4
> years documenting the poor performance.  Even then we still get sued.
>
> Yes, we try to not give tenure to poor teachers (it is quite easy to not
> re-hire untenured teachers), but the probation period is only 3 years, not
> 5, and it isn't always easy to tell how good someone will be after only 3
> years.