The Christian Science Monitor had this short article about Prop 74 in California, which would lengthen the probationary period for new teachers from two years to five years. The idea is that teachers are difficult to dismiss once they have “tenure,” which requires only two years of full-time service in California. Once a teacher has tenure, it can take two or more years to complete the 12 step process to fire the teacher. Predictably, the teachers unions are opposed to Prop 74.
Prop 74 is not a bad idea, but it will not solve the problem entirely. What about tenured teachers who get worse or lazy as they get older? What about the poor teachers that remain because they gain favor with the principal? What about the successful sports coach that cannot teach? The point is that “tenure” for K-12 teachers should be abolished, so that bad teachers can be fired at any time during their career.
