IEA Fires Back at Tribune Editorial Lies.
To the Editor:
No one, especially another teacher, wants bad teachers in classrooms. Yet, based on a recent newspaper series that argued that "teacher tenure" keeps insufficient numbers of Illinois teachers from being fired, some might think otherwise. They would be wrong.
The false premise is rooted in a lack of understanding of what "teacher tenure" means.
Every new teacher has a probationary period, during which the teacher can be dismissed for any reason. This safeguard winnows out those incapable of teaching at a "satisfactory" (the term used in the state statute) level. Every year thousands of people not cut out for a teaching career leave Illinois classrooms during their probation.
The reality of "tenure" is far from the myth of "a job for life." Teachers who survive the probationary period: a) qualify for an opportunity to improve if found to be "unsatisfactory," and b) can have a hearing if targeted for dismissal.
When a teacher's evaluation is "unsatisfactory," the local teachers' association works with the administration to develop a plan spelling out what the teacher must do, over a 90 day period, to improve. Each year, teachers having difficulty in the classroom benefit from the support of their fellow teachers and are able to become good and oftentimes outstanding teachers.
Non-probationary teachers who fall short of "satisfactory" are entitled to a hearing, but these are rare because teachers incapable of improvement nearly always resign voluntarily. Again, it needs to be said: No one, especially a teacher, wants a bad teacher in a classroom. It's also worth mentioning that no one wants to be a bad teacher.
Just as there are doctors, lawyers and other professionals who should leave their profession, scattered among the 95,000 teachers in our state are some who should leave the classroom. The Illinois Education Association is proud of the role our members play in enhancing teacher quality by encouraging school districts to modernize their evaluation instruments and by supporting better evaluation training for principals.
Teachers always will need protection, whether it is from arbitrary firings by administrators, parents seeking to intimidate teachers, or school boards that would cheat students by firing a good, experienced teacher to save money. But protection needn't be an obstacle to the goal of having a high quality teacher in every classroom.
As administrators and teachers increasingly work together for the good of the students, Illinois public schools are improving. Those of us who care deeply about public education look forward to reading stories about that in the newspaper.
Ken Swanson, President
Illinois Education Association
No one, especially another teacher, wants bad teachers in classrooms. Yet, based on a recent newspaper series that argued that "teacher tenure" keeps insufficient numbers of Illinois teachers from being fired, some might think otherwise. They would be wrong.
The false premise is rooted in a lack of understanding of what "teacher tenure" means.
Every new teacher has a probationary period, during which the teacher can be dismissed for any reason. This safeguard winnows out those incapable of teaching at a "satisfactory" (the term used in the state statute) level. Every year thousands of people not cut out for a teaching career leave Illinois classrooms during their probation.
The reality of "tenure" is far from the myth of "a job for life." Teachers who survive the probationary period: a) qualify for an opportunity to improve if found to be "unsatisfactory," and b) can have a hearing if targeted for dismissal.
When a teacher's evaluation is "unsatisfactory," the local teachers' association works with the administration to develop a plan spelling out what the teacher must do, over a 90 day period, to improve. Each year, teachers having difficulty in the classroom benefit from the support of their fellow teachers and are able to become good and oftentimes outstanding teachers.
Non-probationary teachers who fall short of "satisfactory" are entitled to a hearing, but these are rare because teachers incapable of improvement nearly always resign voluntarily. Again, it needs to be said: No one, especially a teacher, wants a bad teacher in a classroom. It's also worth mentioning that no one wants to be a bad teacher.
Just as there are doctors, lawyers and other professionals who should leave their profession, scattered among the 95,000 teachers in our state are some who should leave the classroom. The Illinois Education Association is proud of the role our members play in enhancing teacher quality by encouraging school districts to modernize their evaluation instruments and by supporting better evaluation training for principals.
Teachers always will need protection, whether it is from arbitrary firings by administrators, parents seeking to intimidate teachers, or school boards that would cheat students by firing a good, experienced teacher to save money. But protection needn't be an obstacle to the goal of having a high quality teacher in every classroom.
As administrators and teachers increasingly work together for the good of the students, Illinois public schools are improving. Those of us who care deeply about public education look forward to reading stories about that in the newspaper.
Ken Swanson, President
Illinois Education Association
posted by Fred Klonsky at 12/15/2005
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