Natalie Gonnella
This week, in pursuit of improvements to state education systems, three Republican governors announced their aims to eradicate teacher tenure.
In "State of the State" addresses in New Jersey and Idaho, and at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's economic summit in Florida, Governors Chris Christie, Butch Otter, and Rick Scott called for serious changes to teacher pay systems.
This controversial topic is always, one way or another, at the center of the debate over education reform. If Florida, Idaho and New Jersey go forward with the governors' proposals on tenure, they "will join more than a dozen states that have recently changed their teacher evaluation and dismissal systems or are considering such moves."
With support and criticism from both sides of the political aisle on this issue, here's what the governors had to say about ending teacher tenure:
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie:
The time for a national conversation on tenure is long past due. Teaching can no longer be the only profession where you have no rewards for excellence and no consequences for failure to perform. Let New Jersey lead the way again. The time to eliminate teacher tenure is now.
Idaho Governor Butch Otter:
We need to refocus from how much we are spending to how much our children are learning - learning in large measure due to responsible parenting and the excellence and sustained efforts of our fine public school teachers.
That excellence should be rewarded – which is why Superintendent Luna and I are committed to establishing a pay system for teachers that emphasizes their performance, not their tenure.
You make sure you measure the effectiveness of teachers
You make sure you measure the effectiveness of teachers and you make sure the teachers who are most effective are paid the most so they continue to teach.
Next, you get rid of tenure. All tenure does is prevent principals from letting teachers who can't or don't do a good job anymore.
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