Tenure
When I was young I thought that tenure was something teachers received so that they could be free to speak their mind. Teachers needed to be a voice that spoke the truth without censorship. I still believe in tenure, I have just changed my thinking on why I think it is necessary.
I think that tenure has become more like civil service protection. In a system that has ever changing waves of politically motivated people and radical changes in philosophical approaches to education, civil service protection becomes a necessity. This type of protection creates a stability that serves the educational community. Schools are not like businesses. They can not easily become bankrupt and go out of business. The affect of what a 2nd grade teacher does may not be immediately apparent. If I design a line of shirts that no one wants I know it in less than six months. Not true of teaching.
Teaching is also subject to the type of budget balancing that needs to be controlled. A mayor with a fiscal crisis may decide to chop off the top 10% of salaried teachers. Tenure keeps that from happening.
This is of course a self serving argument. I an still gainfully employed because of tenure protection. I do feel that I was a political prisoner for the past year. It is not that I believed in evolution when the school board didn't. I would love it to be that noble. I do believe in doing what ever is necessary to help students. This is a small political point, but it got me in trouble.
I hear that my ex-principal is trying to get rid of another AP. I guess getting rid of me did not cause a dramatic improvement in her school. I wonder how many AP's she will have to get rid of before someone in the DoE realizes it is her.
9 comments:
Friend, I arrived here via Mike In Texas. I have really enjoyed your blog.
And I am, once again, sooo glad I don't teach in New York. It is a shame what was done to you.
You wrote:
> Teaching is also subject to the
> type of budget balancing that
> needs to
> be controlled. A mayor with a
> fiscal crisis may decide to chop
> off the top
> 10% of salaried teachers.
> Tenure keeps that from
> happening.
Tenure does not have any impact on budget cuts. Just look back to the mid 1970s when tenured teachers were excessed and some tenured teachers were unable to find positions.
Tenure only does one thing. It guarantees due process before a teacher or administrator may be removed from their position.
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Ed, I recently found my way back to your blog (I took me a while as I had been a little remiss in my blogging for a bit). I am so glad you've finally gotten yourelf back into school and out of that horrid room.
Good luck.
Civil service protection is granted after only six months on the job. Teacher's need to work three years. How about we increase all civil service protection to three years and see how many people can hold on to their jobs. I doubt many.
Amomynous
The other AP at your old school should have been gone before/instead of anyone. She is a crazy,vile,despicable person who the principal is afraid of. She yells and screams and calls staff members, including the principal, horrible names. She is in total control because the principal is so afraid to deal with her. She is unable to get rid of her the way she got rid of you. The school is being run by morons and despots.
Thats inaccurate, she is a very nice lady who sometimes has a reaction which is too emotional. The principal however ought to be fired. Perhaps when they see the faculty surveys
those faculty surveys will figure into the school's report card, so whatever satisfaction gotten in sticking it to the principal will be tempored by the ammunition the city needs to shutter the school. And it is not a teacher's or administrator's market out there. There must be a better way to improve the school without getting it closed down? The varying views on that AP, by the way, just show how subjective all this chatter is, and is indicative of how split the staff is.
Tenure is precisely for people like you.
And me too.
NYC Educator said...
> Tenure is precisely for people
> like you.
Whom do you mean?
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