High
school is an awkward stage of life where you evolve from a brace-faced kid to
something that resembles an adult. The
people you meet and the decisions you make during this time hugely influence
who you will become. We all had friends
who helped us discover exactly how mad our parents could get, but hopefully we
have also had friends and teachers that helped us discover our potential. I want to be that kind of teacher. I want to help my future students become
their best self, just as many of my teachers did for me.
I was blessed with many, wonderful teachers,
but I also had teachers that neglected my education. Most of my teachers are members of the
Teachers Union. I respect that, however,
when I become a teacher I will not join
the union, in large part because of teacher tenure. Tenure does not distinguish between good and
bad teachers, and as a result has a negative impact on the education system,
and neglects children's education.
I'm
sure you have had many experiences similar to that of my brother,
Derek. Derek was a straight A student
who was always found with a book and loved playing with his friends and school. One of his favorite
subjects was math, at least until 6th grade year.
Years earlier I had taken math from the same
teacher Derek was. Instead of teaching
however, the teacher would pass out the assignment, then proceed to play computer
games at her desk while us students struggled lone. She made very little effort to conceal her
games from her students, and after our parents learned of what was going on,
they immediately contacted the principal, who ensured that it would be
addressed with the teacher.
Three years
later however, Derek was taking math from the same teacher, and she was playing
the same games. Derek came home from
school frustrated, and his love for math slowly disappeared.
Tenure
had made it almost impossible for the principle to ensure disciplinary
action. The purpose of tenure is to protect
good teachers from wrongfully losing their job.
However, tenure also protects bad teachers from losing their job, and
many teachers take complete advantage of that, like Derek's teacher.
Yes, tenure still allows for teachers to be
removed, but through a process that is even more costly to the school. According to USAToday, "In New York
City, it often costs taxpayers $250,000 just to fire one incompetent
teacher". In addition a teacher may
stay on pay roll even after being accused, costing additional money. The process to remove a teacher with tenure
is so daunting that many administrators do not even attempt to do so--even when
a teacher seriously needs to be let go.
The
Education system should be focused around students. With policies such as tenure, however,
students are neglected. Many suffer more
than even Derek did. I hope our students
are worth more than allowing an undeserving teacher to "teach".
I completely agree that tenuring is a serious problem with our education system. I had a very similar experience in middle school where a teacher that was great when my sister was in his class but had received tenure by the time I was his student and therefore he showed movies every day in class instead of teaching. I thought the graph you had was very interesting and really illustrated your point. I had no idea that there were such significant facts to prove your point! The numbers alone should be enough to prompt a change in our schools. I support your argument 100% and you do a great job of persuading your audience to agree with you, especially since I think many of us have had similar experiences and would gladly join your cause to change the tenure policy that our education system has put in place. I'm curious what efforts have already been made to get rid of tenure? Are there any sort of campaigns or states that are removing this policy?
ReplyDeleteEspecially because of the recent election, a lot of attention has been given to Tenure. In Washington DC, Michelle Rhee has become the face for people against tenure. She proposed that teachers who did not accept tenure would receive a higher pay. This would hopefully motivate teachers to continue to preform well in their jobs. However, the union did not allow her proposal. There are many similar movements nationwide, but very few have been successful.
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ReplyDeleteI really liked your post overall! I'm sorry your brother Derek had such a bad experience in Grade 6 - I can definitely relate! I think you did a really good job of getting the reader interested and engaged - I loved your introduction. Your visual modes also helped to tie everything together and keep it entertaining. You did a really good job of persuading your audience, especially with your use of statistics!
ReplyDeleteWhat might be interesting to note is that this is not just a problem in the United States. What other countries are experiencing similar problems in the education system? (I'm Canadian, and our school system has the same problems!) Is tenure mandatory in every state here? I understand that tenure is meant to protect good teachers against being fired. However, if tenure was to be removed, what would happen to these good teachers? What other measures could be put in place to protect them instead? Does this affect university students and professors? How long has tenure been a policy?
Tenure has been around since the 19th century, in response to many teachers who were losing their jobs for unfair reasons. You are exactly right in that good teachers still need to be protected, but I believe this should be done at a local level, so that the needs can circumstances can be adjusted according to each school.
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