Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy is calling for the state’s teacher tenure laws to be completely overhauled. He has proposed that teacher tenure should be linked to student performance and teacher evaluations, and that the new law apply to new and veteran teachers alike.
Malloy claims the time has come for bold action: “I’m a Democrat. I’ve been told that I can’t, or shouldn’t, touch teacher tenure…I do what I think is right for Connecticut, irrespective of the political consequences.” His plan would give tenure to teachers after two and a half years of teaching only if they have exemplary grades on two teacher evaluations based largely on student achievement. Teachers may also earn tenure after four years with three “proficient” evaluations.
Teachers who do not meet these standards will be deemed ineffective, and given a one-year probation to improve. The standard will also apply to teachers who already have tenure. In order to keep tenure, teachers must continue to show they are effective in the classroom.
However, Mary Loftus Levine of the Connecticut Teacher Association believes that the governor is acting on a mistaken understanding of tenure practices. “It’s not a job for life, and it’s not just earned by showing up,” she said. “You are constantly evaluated.” For those who are not meeting the standard expected of a tenure teacher, principals “counsel them out of the profession.” However, Patrick Riccards from ConnCAN, a school reform group, local school leaders cannot dismiss or require training for these teachers—they cannot be forced out without a long, drawn out struggle.
If the state legislature approves the tenure overhaul, it will join 19 other states that allow teachers to be dismissed based on evaluations, according to the National Council of Teacher Quality. Riccards believes up to 15% of teachers will be flagged as needing improvement, but only those who do not improve through training will be let go.
The reaction from the education community has been mixed. The Connecticut Educators Association has said they need to see the full details of the governor’s plan before they can determine whether to support it. They have their own plan, recommending that the time it takes to dismiss a non-tenured teacher be reduced, but that the default tenure after four years of teaching should remain in place. Conversely, Acting Superintendent for Bridgeport schools, Paul Vallas, has publicly supported the governor’s proposal. “Anything that brings greater accountability to the profession is a positive step.”
To read the full story, please visit http://ctmirror.com/story/15375/malloy-teacher-tenure-will-have-be-earned-and-reearned
