Posted on 07/11/2005 5:11:53 PM PDT by calcowgirl
UNIQUE AMONG education reformers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has zeroed in on underperforming teachers as a principal reason why millions of California students are doing so poorly in our schools. The initiative he is pushing to make it more difficult for teachers to get "tenure" is a classic case of a solution in search of problem.
Let's put aside for the moment the fact that teachers don't actually get tenure. They get "permanent status," which still means under state law they can be fired for all kinds of reasons, including inadequate performance. But they are entitled to a hearing and other due-process rights before they can be booted out.
Never mind that, when I directly asked the governor about the problem six months ago, he told me most teachers are doing a "spectacular" job.
What puzzles me is that neither he nor his allies have been able to come up with any meaningful data to support his contention . . .
I called the folks at the California Recovery Team, established by Schwarzenegger to run his initiative campaigns, to see what they could provide. They sent me a 6-year-old newspaper article about an incompetent and abusive teacher in San Bernardino whom her district struggled to fire -- based on her performance from 1993 to 1996.
The only actual statistic the "Team" came up with was from the Los Angeles Unified School district, also dating back to 1999. It contends that during a 10-year-period, the Office of Administrative Hearings, an obscure Sacramento agency that handles teacher dismissals, convened only 13 hearing panels to deal with Los Angeles teachers and, of those cases, only one "went from beginning to end."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Here's a better idea: get rid of tenure entirely.
I've heard of teachers that are so incompetent that they have their students grade their own papers and file their own report cards. Incompetent and those with agendas need to be fired.
And while we're at it, let's get rid of the NEA and the teachers' unions.
Here in Georgia they got rid of tenure. The current governor rode in on the coattails of teachers and rednecks.
We now have tenure (more correctly, due process rights) which basically means a school system can do one of two things:
1.) Make your life in a classroom so miserable that you resign
2.) Reassign you to a different school to make you resign
I like my tenure, but I realize I can be fired at any time, for any reason, but still, it helps to have some backup when factors beyond your control cause test scores to plummet.
And I am not a member of the NEA.:)
When people are in fear for their job, they work harder to do a good job. By extending the probationary period to five years, the students can be assured they are getting someone who is working hard to keep their job for a full five years.
I don't know if you read the article but it's not "tenure" that is the issue here, it's called "permanent status" and it's not the same thing. The main thing that needs to be eliminated in this debate is people who spout off and have no idea what they are talking about. Unfortunately, most of these people seem to be siding with the governor.
I have a brother and a sister-in-law who are California teachers. I've heard enough stories to gag a maggot. There is no doubt that there are problem teachers in the system. In many districts, they are the overwhelming majority.
The problem is that once a teacher is tenured, they can not be removed without major effort.
They are getting paid good money ($58K/year average) and after 25years teaching and 50 years of age they get a huge pension that can last until they die. This pension includes cost of living increases. So, a teacher will make more money during their retirement if they live to 75 than they did during their career.
The real problem is that public employee unions are allowed to lobby their bosses to give them big pay and retirement benefits in exchange for campaign funds. This is how the system got screwed up.
The fix (IMO) is to do campaign finance reform that ties the ability to contribute with the ability to vote. If you can't legally vote, you should not be able to contribute money.
$58,000.00 /180 days per year/8hrs. per day = $40.27 per hour. And the union dues are based on percentage of salary.
It's becoming obvious that no one read the article but you and me!
I agree with you--a whole lot of inaccurate soundbites going around, with no basis in fact.
We're getting propaganda from both sides, neither which portray the truth. This article is the closest I've seen to trying to provide some real facts.
The article provides some statistics contrary to your statement. Do you have support for your comment?
They are getting paid... they get a huge pension ... This pension includes cost of living increases...
The teacher tenure intiative does nothing to change pensions. If benefit levels are a problem, start an initiative to reduce benefits.
This is not an inner city school.
Give me a profile of what you consider the typical California teacher just so you can read further in print how ridiculous you are with your generalizations.
1) The students, their attitudes about and their preparation for formal education
2) The State of California - its pervasive involvement in curricula, grading and discipline.
3) The closed shop aspects of state employment in public schools.
4) Removal of the control of educational funding from the local level.
Correct these problems and the due process protections (tenure/permanency) of state employment will become a minor matter.
I would add a number 5 to your list...No Child Left Behind, the most intrusive, poorly thought out educational deformity ever implemented by the federal government. And this from a "conservative" administration. The irony of it all is astounding.
I won't waste my time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.