Virginia House Approves Abolition of Teacher Tenure

[Modern School]

The Virginia House of Delegates voted to end tenure-related job protections for public school teachers on Monday, the Washington Post reported, a measure that was pushed by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell in order to “improve” public education. The Senate, however, rejected the measure on Tuesday. The Senate could still vote on the House’s version of the bill, but approval would be unlikely without garnering more votes.

Virginia teachers currently must work for three years without any job security or due process rights. After three years on probation with good evaluations, they can earn tenure and receive “continuing contracts” which guarantee due process hearings before they can be dismissed.

Under the new bill, probation would be extended to five years and continuing contracts would be replaced with three-year contracts. Any teacher could be let go at the end of a three-year contract for any reason, even a good teacher who consistently has good evaluations, thus obliterating due process and job security. The new rules would only apply to current first-year teachers and future hires, according to the Post.

One consequence of laws like this will likely be a worsening of the teacher shortage. Teaching is already a difficult and stressful job. It also does not pay very well. Why should young people want to invest two or more years into a credential and master’s degree and then work for five years at low pay with no job security, without any confidence they will have a job at the end of the five years?

Another consequence is that administrators will be able to use their new leeway in firing to get rid of teachers who are active union members, who disagree with them or who advocate too strongly for their students. It will stifle dissent and squelch free and open dialogue and collaboration. Workers who can be fired for any reason have to be extra cautious of what they say publicly and how they say it, even when it is for the safety and wellbeing of children. However, when someone has invested so much time, money, heart and soul into obtaining a teaching job and becoming part of a school community, they may be even less willing to risk it all by speaking out.

Twelve states have enacted tenure reforms linking teachers’ employment status to student achievement since 2009. Tenure “reform” laws are also being considered in Connecticut, New Jersey, Missouri, South Dakota and Louisiana this year.

Modern School
http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2012/02/virginia-house-approves-abolition-of.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. Same rule apply to Virginia politicians??

[davidthegnome]

2. Not so easy to get Tenure as it is

My girlfriend, a special ed teacher, keeps getting laid off the summer before she'd qualify. States don't want to invest that much, schools/towns don't want to invest that much. Why pay more to keep the same teacher on, when you can replace them with someone who works for less and is completely at your mercy? Less experienced, perhaps, but cheaper... easier to handle.

Frankly, I think the current regulations stink and that more needs to be done to protect and encourage those who want to teach. Of course, you also have issues at times with those who do have tenure and feel like it gives them a free pass to be absolutely rotten to everyone. The system needs to be looked at, changes, I think, could be made... but not like this.

[muddrunner17]

4. It's not that hard to get rid of the few who have continuing contract.

All a principal has to do is give the teacher poor evaluations, then put them on a plan of improvement to document non-performance. Once they have their documentation in place, that teacher is removed. Any principal who lets extremely poor teachers remain are simply not doing their job.

I have been teaching for 7 years now, and there are very few teachers that I have worked with that I'd fire. I've asked many teachers who have been teaching for 20+ years how many truly bad teachers they've worked with. The typical response is about five. Most bad teachers know they're failing and are unhappy. They tend to leave on their own.

[Cosmocat]

6. SPOT ON

I do think that administrators/principals sometimes tend to let hangerson linger.

But, there is absolutely processes in place to PROPERLY evaluate teachers, and over time, if they don't improve, move them on.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. They're doing that here as well

Laying them off before they can earn tenure. Then they hire most of them back when school starts but they have lost their years counting to tenure.

[msongs]

3. sounds like race to the top is getting more popular every day - giving our schools to for profit cor

porations and getting minimum wage teachers who won't cut into the bonuses of management

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Bingo

We have a winner, folks.

[blue ivy schlotsky]

8. I am not sure how I feel about this

As someone who is studying for my certificate, I have been watching with abject horror how the teaching profession has been demonized and marginalized in recent years. It's not at all just a teabagging thing; I heard disparaging comments from someone who's a lifelong Dem. For some people, it's envy about the supposedly huge amount of days off which teachers get. I always tell people that just because YOU don't have hardly any vacation days should mean that no one also has such little time off.

Edit: I forgot to add that I am not sure if this bothers me because I really don't think anyone in any profession should get tenure. People sometimes go off the deep end and need to be removed from their position. Of course, no one should get fired for a frivolous matter, either.