A Wall Street Journal editorial discusses the consequences of putting job protection ahead of learning, with a nod to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
School reformers generally agree that the most important education resource is the teacher. But one of the biggest obstacles to putting a good instructor in every classroom is a tenure system that forces principals to hire and retain teachers based on seniority instead of performance.
[snip]
The good news is that school reformers are making progress in some areas. Charlotte, North Carolina, allows teachers to be fired for poor performance. Chicago limits the amount of time a teacher without a job can continue receiving pay and benefits. Starting next year, teachers in Houston can lose their jobs if students fall short on standardized tests. Florida and Louisiana have moved to strike last-in, first-out provisions from collective-bargaining agreements.
The Obama Administration has made teacher accountability a major theme of its education agenda. Let’s hope its Race to the Top selections reward school districts that are actively working to reform the teacher corps and change a tenure system that puts job protection ahead of learning.
Of course, North Carolina does not have the problem of teacher union obstructionism that prevents many school districts from firing bad teachers.
