Teacher Tenure Reform Catching On Across States

Rachel Sheffield / February 04, 2011

Education reform is taking shape across the nation, and for many states, the next wave of change is coming as state leaders push for teacher tenure reform. Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, and New Jersey have proposed to eliminate or dramatically restructure the current form of teacher tenure.

Additionally, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg “has campaigned aggressively for the state to end ‘last in, first out’ protections for teachers.”

At present, public school teachers receive tenure after a few years of teaching, at which point they can be fired only for misconduct, requiring a hearing for dismissal. As a result, many incompetent teachers are left in the classroom, and schools are sometimes forced to dismiss good teachers. Said Governor Chris Christie (R–NJ): (more…)