Creating an "lternative toand important questions ensure that the children Tenure of North Carolina have

Policy Brief-Scarlet Sink-the August 7, 2013 best possible

The Tenure Debate Our nation stands on the brink of educational success or failure. Legislators must consider which methods will facilitate teacher quality and create optimum student achievement. Currently the antiquated tenure system for teachers is under scrutiny. Lawmakers must ask important questions as our teacher evaluation system is reformed. What protection in the tenure system do teachers still need? How effectively do administrators evaluate and assist new and underperforming teachers? Which training is most valuable in establishing a high quality teacher corps? To address these

teachers a new alternative tenure system will provide protection for teachers reduce administrative

bureaucracy and encourage teaching practice reflection. Background !ccording to "tephey #$%%&' teacher tenure began in the late (&%%)s during the industrial revolution when laborers feared dangerous working conditions and teachers worried about getting fired for unfair reasons. Teachers during the same time needed protection from parents and administrators who would tr to dictate lesson plans or e!clude controversial literature like Huck Finn from reading lists.* While

many states still have tenure and unions as protections several states have removed the word tenure from education legislation. +wo,year contracts replaced Oregon)s tenure system. -ichigan .ew /ork and Connecticut kept the protections of tenure yet now have the ability to remove ineffective teachers.

to protect teachers from unfair employment practices. 1arat0,"nowden #$%%2' points out that education polic makers now believe that civil rights legislation passed over the last half centur protects teachers from unfair dismissal# making tenure laws obsolete$ %p.&'. +eachers now have protections from discrimination through legislation created in +itle (i!ing tenure first and foremost involves defining what effective practice is. )e cannot 344 fi!$ process of the tenure Civil 5ights !ct of without clear# shared standards (267. of e!cellent practice and !ccording to the 8. tools and procedures to measure that practice. *ur current ". 9qual 9mployment teacher evaluation practices are weak and designed at best Commission to weed out the most egregiousOpportunity teachers# rather than to this of protects all workers cultivate rigorous performance all teachers.$ Baratz-Snowdenfrom (2009).discrimination and

+oday lawmakers sense that teachers) practices are unchecked and therefore to blame for poor academic achievement. +his belief spurs a fren0y of activity to implement systems that monitor instructional quality and retain effective teachers. "nswering the questions +enure is no longer needed

harassment based on religion ethnicity physical or cultural traits perceptions or associations. !dministrators need additional training and practice identifying and assisting teachers who need support to improve

teaching strategies. professional development 5esearch that included for hiring supporting and interviews with principals assisting teachers reveals +rincipals often principals will become more said the didn,t receive effective leaders who foster sufficient training on educators with high teacher hiring and standards of classroom effective professional practice. development in their principal licensure or 4n :inland the ;( country master,s degree for academic achievement programs.$ %p. -.# candidates are selected /toelinga 01&&' 1y from a list of aspiring creating targeted teachers entering college. "nnuall onl & in &1 applicants will be accepted to stud to become a teacher in (innish primar schools$ %/ahlberg 01&1'. +eachers there are required to complete a master)s degree and full year of mentoring before teaching their own class. 1rady compares minimum teacher requirements around the world using a world map to identify the differences between countries) teacher education standards. Comparing Teacher 2ducation 3equirements Countr 8nited =ingdom @ermany :inland 8nited "tates Teacher 2ducation 3equirements 1achelor)s >egree and ?ost @raduate Certification 1achelor)s >egree and $,year ?racticum -aster)s >egree 1achelor)s >egree

F rom Humboldt-Universitt Zu Berlin and Center on International Education Benchmarking

!lthough the 8" requires a bachelor)s degree for teaching the states) decide what course work and how much e<perience is required for licensure. +his leads to

inconsistent results for 8.". education programs. Continuing teacher preparation and support in the first years are important to student success. Ongoing professional development helps teachers learn the latest research findings strategies and technology uses for teaching. Conclusion +enure)s old protections are no longer needed with the recent legislation protecting workers in the 8nited "tates. 4t is time for an alternative to tenure. 8sing information from administrators who are proficient in identifying strong teachers and implementing professional development plans helps to establish teacher effectiveness. -aking sure that teachers strive for continued reflection improved practice and revised teaching strategies ensure that career oriented teachers keep their Aobs as lead instructions. +he alternative tenure system considers protecting teachers by offering renewable contracts that cover more than ( year. 1ecause the contracts must be renewed administrators can e<ercise supervisory practices to ensure teachers continue to strive for high academic standards in their classrooms. 5ubrics identifying strengths professional development and student achievement provide a framework for offering renewable contracts to teachers based on efforts to improve practice and professional goals in the classroom.
3eferences Baratz-Snowden, J !June 2", 200#$ Center for American Progress, %i&ing tenure' A (ro(osal for assuring teac)er effecti*eness +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www a,erican(rogress org-issues-education-re(ort-200#-0.-2"-.2/2-fi&ing -tenureBrady, 0 !1)ursday, 2arc) 21, 2013$ Slate, 1)e 3 S 4s low standards for teac)er training +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www slate co,-articles-news5and5(olitics-,a(5of5t)e5week-2013-03-u5s5 science5teac)ers5are56e)ind5in5training5degree5re7uire,ents )t, Center on International Education Benchmarking, 1eac)er and Princi(al 8uality

+etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www ncee org-(rogra,s-affiliates-center-on-internationaleducation-6enc),arking-to(-(erfor,ing-countries-finland-o*er*iew-finlandteac)er-and-(rinci(al-7ualityHumboldt-Universit t !u Berlin "Se#tember $%&&', 1eac)er education in 3nited 9ingdo, and :er,any +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www s(rac)enzentru, )u6erlin de-studiu,5und5le)re-studentisc)e56eitraege-education5in56ritain5and5ge r,any-kat;a1 )t,l Sa)l6erg, P !2010$ Stanford Center for (##ortunit) Polic) in Education, 1)e secret to %inland4s success educating teac)ers +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www slate co,-articles-news5and5(olitics-,a(5of5t)e5week-2013-03-u5s5 science5teac)ers5are56e)ind5in5training5degree5re7uire,ents )t, Ste()ey, 2 !2onday, <o*e,6er 17, 200=$ *ime U+S+, A 6rief )istory of tenure +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www ti,e co,-ti,e-nation-article-0,="##,1="#"0",00 )t,l Stoelinga, S !2arc) 7, 2011$ Education ,eek+ Pressuring teac)ers to lea*e' 0onest talk a6out )ow (rinci(als use )arassing su(er*ision +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www edweek org-ew-articles-2010-12-01-ka((an5stoelinga )t,l U+S+ E-ual Em#lo)ment (##ortunit) Commission, >,(loy,ent discri,ination 6ased on religion, et)nicity or country of origin +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--www eeoc go*-laws-ty(es-fs-relig5et)nic cf, ?oon, 9 , @uncan, 1 , Aee, S , Scarloss, B , S)a(ley, 9 ! Bcto6er, 2007$ .ational Center for Education Evaluation and /egional Assistance, +e*iewing t)e e*idence on )ow teac)er (rofessional de*elo(,ent affects student ac)ie*e,ent +etrie*ed fro,' )tt('--ies ed go*-ncee-edla6s-regions-sout)west-(df-rel52007033 (df