Teachers in North Carolina usually apply for tenure after four years of teaching. If granted — barring some violation of any of the thirteen specific criteria used to remove permanent employees — teachers essentially have a job for life.
Many principals and education reform advocates have criticized tenure because it ties the hands of administrators and because there is no linkage between teacher salary and student performance. The Excellent Public Schools Act, (SB-795) sponsored by Sen. Phil Berger hopes to correct this problem. The bill includes a provision to allow local superintendents and principals to hire teachers on an annual basis. The bill also ties teacher salaries to student performance. The tenure provision is likely to be the most controversial provision of the entire package and may undergo revision before final passage.
In January 2012 and March 2011, the Civitas Institute Monthly Poll questions on teacher tenure. Results seem to indicate strong support improving the current system. Questions and poll results are included below.
When it comes to public education, the policy of tenure protects long-serving teachers from being fired regardless of student performance. If a principal or superintendent wishes to dismiss or demote or change an employment status, he or she must follow a strict set of guidelines to do so. Some say tenure limits a school’s ability to pay teachers based on performance and ties the hands of administrators who want flexibility to balance budge and staffing decisions. Tenure supporters say it protects teachers from outside the classroom influence and allows them to teach free from the fear of losing their jobs. With that information, please tell me if you support or oppose the elimination of tenure? (January, 2012 Civitas Institute Poll)
Total Support for Elimination of Tenure – 50%
(Strongly Support -30%)
(Somewhat Support – 20%)
Total Opposition for the Elimination of Tenure – 33%
(Somewhat Oppose 13%)
(Strongly Oppose – 20%)
Don’t Know –16%
Refused to Answer. –1%
Teachers can receive tenure after teaching for four years. Tenure means a teacher has a job essentially for life and can only be removed for very specific reasons. When reducing staff due to budget cuts teachers last hired are usually first fired without regard for performance due to tenure requirements. Do you support or oppose the concept of teacher tenure? (March 2011, Civitas Institute Poll)
Total Support – 30%
(Strong Support – 17%)
(Somewhat Support – 13%)
Total Oppose — 64%
(Somewhat Oppose – 15%)
(Strongly Oppose – 49%)
Don’t Know – 5%
Refused to Answer – 1%
The Civitas Poll is poll of 600 registered general election voters in North Carolina. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. For purposes of this study, voters interviewed had to have voted in two of the past four general elections or were newly registered to vote since 2008.
If you’re interested in further breakdown of responses,access poll cross tabs here.
The problem with tying teacher salary to performance is that teachers have no control over who their students are. Is it fair to withhold a raise from a teacher who works very hard, simply because she happens to have a class full of dumb kids?
A salesman can be judged on performance, because he can go out and find better customers. Teachers have not control over who is going to consume their product (education).
so teachers who are so subject to bullying by parents and administrators for trying to do their job would have no protection from outside threats… sounds like bs to me.
also I have a problem with your loose interpretation of tenure… research why it was instituted (to protect black teachers from racist parents and teachers who reported their superiors for abusive or dishonest dealings and also because back in the good-ol-boy days of education with protection you had to be related to someone to get a job -skill or education did not matter your political affiliation or you last name did… so thanks for taking NC backwards again…conservatives are quickly wearing out their welcome in NC
Redmakesncblue:
The number of factual errors in your post makes it difficult to respond. The bill (SB 975) contains due process provisions for teachers and administrators to ensure people’s rights are protected, so your first comment has no validity. Secondly, the tenure system has created as many problems as it was intended to correct. There are better, fair and more efficient ways to handling the specific problems you raise.
factual errors what a joke Bob your site is built on factual errors and leaded trinkets- the right to due process will be gone and as you well know Bob NC is a right to work state which of course means you have the right to be fired for no reason
I’m a teacher here in NC and I have to say…Georgia is looking better and better right now. We are already losing good teachers to Ga. and Tn. NC will be picking up the left overs very soon if things don’t change.
Tenure in NC does not afford job security. If a teacher is seen as a threat or does not fit the “do as you are told” mold, administration will offer them a choice. Mediocre evaluation if a resignation is submitted or below average evaluation and subsequent action plan if resignation is not tendered. Since the teacher is placed on an action plan, they can fire the teacher the following year for whatever reason they can conjure. The fact that ones entire career performance has been well above average to outstanding means nothing.
Hmmm, I wonder where those 600 registered voters came from? 600 certainly isn’t a good cross section of the electorate.