For some reason, America (the land whose education record is not so hot on the international stage) has decided that teachers deserve a break after working for a specified amount of time. This break being a relaxed set of performance standards.
How in the world does it make sense to provide schoolteachers with tenure? In any other line of work, professionals are routinely held accountable for their performance, especially workers who have been on the job for decades. I think the same standard should exist for schoolteachers.
The sad truth is, as far as public education goes, tenure has created a system that shields poor-performing schoolteachers from accountability. The process of firing an under-performing schoolteacher with tenure is massively bureaucratic.
I was glad to see today, however, that NYC is doing something about it. Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Klein have hired a set of specialized lawyers (I know, it sounds like the beginning of a quintessential nightmare) to aid principals in removing these tenured schoolteachers who have until now been kept in place by overly bureaucratic policies and powerful teacher unions.
I think this is a very important step in reforming America's system of public education.
The link to the NYTimes article can be found below.
Education
A New Effort to Remove Bad Teachers
By ELISSA GOOTMAN
Published: November 15, 2007
The Bloomberg administration is beginning a drive to remove unsatisfactory teachers and is hiring lawyers and consultants for the effort.
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