Comments on: It Is Time To Reform Teacher Tenure In Missouri

By: Bob Merritt

Bob Merritt — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:05:05 +0000

I was on the Blue Springs School board when the existing teacher tenure law was enacted. Our district was the first to try to fire a teacher after that law was passed. Even though we were unsuccessful, I believe that the current tenure law is still valid. First, it made us look at how we evaluated our teachers and we learned that if that evaluation was fair and worth while that it would help our teachers become better teachers. Second, it turned our focus on our administrators in that they really had the responsibility to help our teachers become better and allowed the teachers to remove the administrators from and antagonist to a partner in the process. Fourth, as partners, the teachers and principals learned of each others problems and worked more closely to solve them.
This presented a better picture to the patrons as they could see that the education of the children was foremost which helped mold patron attitudes favorable to the district. When the board had issues that affected patrons, the teachers were not on one side and the board on the other which made it easier to get patron approval on such things as attendance boundary changes, and bond and levy proposals.
while tenure is not the perfect answer, is does emphasize the first four years should be used to get a new teacher to a point where they can become a good teacher and help them to learn skills not learned in their formal education.

By: Audrey Spalding

Audrey Spalding — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:25:03 +0000

I think I agree with both comments. Fixing teacher pay and tenure is no panacea. But it is a start, and one that the legislature may consider seriously in 2012.

The problem with the state law is that it makes teachers nearly untouchable. Dieckhaus’ 2011 legislation may have been a little flawed by over specifying what how teachers are to be rated and the rewards/punishment.

In theory, I like expanding the authority of school districts. In practice, there may be other systemic problems that would mean that even if districts had greater authority to terminate failing teachers, districts wouldn’t.

Consider that many school board elections have 10 percent voter turnout or less — with the greatest turnout coming from current teachers. School board members may know that if they choose to reform teacher pay, they may lose the next election.

Administrators often have their salary increases tied to teacher salary increases, meaning they may suggest across the board salary increases for teachers, even though that may not be the best decision for the district.

Do we reform state law and hope for the best? It’s an open question. I think it would be a start.

By: Papillon

Papillon — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:11:00 +0000

‘Indefinite contracts’ have got to go, but the these changes would be better implemented at the district level. If state law commands that teacher become untouchable employees, then the state should fix it. However, those people closest to the problem are usually better equipped to solve it, without people from far, far away coming in to ‘help’.

By: Lisa Jones

Lisa Jones — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:41:04 +0000

Sometimes “conservatives” can’t seem to see “the forest for the trees” when it comes to education.

I appreciate their efforts to improve schools at the local level, although I don’t believe that targeting teacher pay will get the job done.

The problem is that while they are focusing on pay/budget issues, for the last THREE YEARS the federal government has been UNDERMINING LOCAL CONTROL and STATE SOVEREIGNTY through Common Core [National Education] Standards and RttT.

Conservatives should ask themselves why in the world would the GOP support these efforts??
http://concernedabouteducation.posterous.com/gop-supports-liberal-education-agenda

Conservatives should gather information on the quality of these standards and ask themselves whether or not these will improve outcomes FOR STUDENTS and American competitiveness in general in the future.
http://concernedabouteducation.posterous.com/us-competitiveness-at-risk-milgram-and-stotsk