Academic Tenure Essay

Academic tenure has allowed under-performing teachers the privilege of keeping their job no matter what. Some feel that they do not have to properly teach after they have earned tenure. Students do not get a proper education because of this and teachers cannot be fired because of the job security that tenure has granted them. Brian

Dr. Todd Cherner is an Assistant Professor of English Education in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program in the Spadoni College of Education at Coastal Carolina University. Dr. Cherner has completed his third academic year at Coastal Carolina University as a pre-tenured faculty and has submitted his documentation for third year review. As the Chair of the Department of Master of Arts in Teaching, Middle Level Education, Special Education and Physical Education in the Spadoni College of Education, I have completed my evaluation of Dr. Cherner’s documentation for retention beyond the third year, in accordance with the University’s 2012-2013 Faculty Manual Promotion and Tenure Guidelines and the Spadoni College of for Education Promotion and Tenure Performance Expectations Elaborations document (adopted 12/9/2011). Also, the definitions of descriptors defined in the Promotion and Tenure Faculty Annual Evaluation Rubrics (cited in 2013-2014 Spadoni College of Education Policies and Procedures Handbook) were used to make the determinations of “outstanding,” “very good,” “good,” and “needs improvement.” The following comments and rating are derived from my review of Dr. Cherner’s documentation for third year review. I have my evaluation of Dr. Cherner’s documentation in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service.

Removing a teacher from his or her position is very difficult to do. “Tenure benefits the state by helping to create a permanent and qualified teaching force” (Underwood, Webb 36). This makes it difficult to let a teacher go even when it is to make the school a better environment for the students. Although teachers do have the right to freedom of speech and are able to exercise their First Amendment right, that freedom is in a way limited by the school board. Pickering v. Board of Education (1968) is a great example of this. A high school science teacher was terminated by the board of education because a letter he wrote was published in one of the community’s newspapers. The letter discussed the unequal funding between academics and athletics. After

Webster's dictionary defines tenure as, “the act, right, manner, or term, of holding something (such as a landed property, a position, or an office); especially :a status granted after a trial period to a teacher that gives protection from summary dismissal. In other words, educators receive due process protection from accusations or charges against them.Years ago, educators who acted in destructive and abusive demeanor sidestep meaningful ramifications due to tenure safeguards .However, the supreme protection granted to tenured teachers diminished greatly as of July 2011. Michigan stripped the unassailable security of tenure and the world of education in Michigan altered permanently.Forlornly, educator Kathleen Goulouze failed to adhere to modifications of the updated teacher tenure decree.

This paper will effectively detail the issues surrounding policy as it pertains to teacher reform for New Jersey Tenure Laws. I will discuss why this new reform has made it impossible to terminate non-effective teachers because of the protection that TEACHNJ provides. I will also discuss inaccuracies as it pertains to accountability and transparency under the new tenure laws. Lastly, I will discuss the teacher rating system and evaluation system that rates teachers in four categories, from highly effective to ineffective. Teacher evaluations would be based on measures of student learning, such as improvement of state test scores, student work, and other practices linked to student achievement. The New Jersey Education Association has proposed streamlining the legal process for removing teachers, but has adamantly defended the basic job protection of tenure, saying it prevents unfair dismissal, favoritism and attempts to save money by firing expensive veterans. The state’s largest teacher’s union also vehemently opposes judging teachers largely on test scores, saying that doing so penalizes teachers with the most difficult students, and that the data is unreliable. Teachers are fearful of losing their jobs if they don’t raise test scores, teachers will redouble their test-preparation efforts, and quality instruction will be sacrificed,” NJEA President Barbara Keshishian said in a statement. “Parents should be alarmed and dismayed at this proposal.” (Brody)

Moreover, teacher tenure will be "reformed" so that principals and superintendents will have additional decision-making "discretion"; in other words, power will be taken from unions and given to bureaucrats within the state educational system, and tenure for teachers will be based on a new strategy that is, teachers will have earn "highly effective ratings" five out of six years to achieve tenure (Brennan, p. 2).

When discussing a topic such as this, there are an abundance of possible solutions that are worth taking a look at. Michelle Chen, however, only decides to closely examine one: unionization of faculty. She says, “[Layfield] hopes that organizing with her union for a fair contract can ensure future generations of faculty will face a richer career horizon.” While unionization is certainly not a bad idea, Chen puts too much focus on this one solution. She fails to even acknowledge other possible solutions, such as making cuts in administrative budgets

A former teacher, Lacey Bishop, who taught at Hillcrest Elementary School was not awarded tenure even though she had received good evaluations from her principal for two consecutive years. In addition, Mrs. Bishop was showered with compliments about her performance by her former principal Katrina Overton (Carroll, 2010). When Mrs. Bishop made it to her third year which made her eligible for tenure, the principal’s views about her performance had changed. In February 2010, when the principal was deciding to grant tenure, the principal complained about Mrs. Bishop’s classroom management, her lack of being prepared, and as a result; she was rated “Proficient” in nine areas, “Developing” in three, and “Unsatisfactory” in one on her Comprehensive

A non-tenure employee is a temporary worker. They can be fired, and rid of very quickly. On the other hand, there is the tenure employee who is a permanent worker with job security. Over the years the number of non-tenure employees at the university almost doubled and the number of tenure employees is slowly decreasing. The reason for this is because it is way cheaper to have non tenure employees than tenure ones. Also,

Dr. Cynthia Watcher, an RST instructor, said “Why this is important to me, I would say it is really about respect…. I would like to see a place on the table for the non-tenure track faculty members to discuss at an equal footing.” This points to the inherent issue at hand, that a less qualified or less experienced professor at UIUC could be safer in terms

There is a consensus among the concerned stakeholders that the quality of teachers is the leading factor in determination of student performance. In the case of United States, the student performance can only be given an impetus by the efforts which the state can make, under all costs, to develop and retain high quality teachers. The measures undertaken determine the level of turnover of the school teachers. Lazear (2009) similarly argues the length of employment is a critical factor in averse risks of employment a trend contrary to teachers treatment. The turnover of public school teachers will refer to the rate at which the state, which is the teacher’s

For the longest time I could not decide on a major and a career to study throughout college. When I came to Georgia Southern University I discovered that they had a major that was very interesting to me. Sport Management id the ideal major for my interest and me. Since I love sports I figured that this would be the career for me. A degree in Sport Management helps to prepare for success in sport related occupations.

Most would ask, "What exactly is teacher tenure?". Well, in short teacher tenure is a permanent job contract for school teachers. Teachers can earn tenure by proving their teaching skills over a specific number of years while working at the same school. In most cases the number of years a teacher must work at the same school is anywhere from two to seven years. After receiving tenure a teacher cannot lose his or her job without just cause, for example obvious incompetence or severe misconduct. Tenure offers job security to teachers that have successfully completed their probational period of teaching. (Heard)

     The first day of class for a college student is like drawing cards in a poker game. Just as the cards that one receives determines their outcome in poker, the types of professors a student gets on the first day will determine the success of their year. The difference between a helpful and a harmful professor can easily result in a much lower grade. College professors have a wide range of personalities and backgrounds. However, professors fall into one of 3 categories: helpful, malicious, or uncaring.

Going back to the tenure and teacher union issues, I agree that everyone has the right to unionize in order to protect their self-interests, but the idea surrounding tenure is something that needs to be re-evaluated, and the teacher’s union needs to jump on board in order to get the education system moving in the right direction. The writers hint at a way in which tenure can be changed, and that is by offering rewards for high student grades instead of the current rule of once tenure is reached, a teacher can keep their position regardless of their efforts in the classroom. The way the movie presents this alternative method is by showing a challenge between the teachers of the school to earn the highest student grades on the state test; winner earning a bonus of $5,700. This type of evaluation based on student grades can also be taken to the opposite end of the spectrum, and teachers who have unacceptable student scores should be evaluated on their teaching methods, and if seen