Recently North Carolina has been questioning the purpose and effect of offering teachers tenure rights; however, as a result of the state ridding itself of the tenure, counties like Guilford and Durham are threatening to sue the state altogether.
In the past the North Carolina education system has offered tenure to reward teachers who stay committed to a school for at least ten years and are in good standing with the school board. The tenure allows teachers a type of safety blanket that can protect them from being easily eliminated from their position at their school.
“It is just human nature to know you’re protected or have the feeling of being protected we back off, so I don’t know if the tenure plays into that but it potentially could,” said Margaret Edwards, Career Technology Education teacher.
With the proposed elimination of tenure, the state has created a new special deal for teachers in North Carolina. The state is allowing schools to select 25% of their teachers who they believe are the best representation of their school. These teachers must have been at that school for three consecutive years, demonstrate exemplary character in and outside of school and must be productive in the classroom.
Those selected will receive a $500 raise in salary and a four year contract with their schools as a trade for their tenure rights. Some counties are arguing that the legal documents in this development are very loose. Many teachers and districts are debating that the new law is not specific enough. These individuals are stating that since the law only describes two clear qualifications for that 25% and therefore is not ready to become a law.
“Since I came from industry work we didn’t have tenure, we worked based on performance. So I am all for ending tenure,” said Edwards.
Still those teachers and districts who are worried over the risk of losing their tenure right do not have much to worry about. For instance, teachers who currently hold the tenure title will maintain their title until 2018. The only way to lose one’s right to tenure before then is by forfeiting it by taking the state’s special deal to the top 25% of teachers.
The elimination of tenure is not meant to punish teachers or insult their ability to educate. Instead, the law is meant to remind teachers that they cannot get comfortable. The state is trying to find a way to motivate all of their teachers to work a little harder and with a little more determination. The state’s hope would be that the students, in turn, would become just as dedicated.
All school boards must issue a list of teachers who will be offered the new contract by June 30 and Governor Pat McCrory wants to completely eliminate teacher tenure by 2018. Still, the law has many loose-ends, will involve many more discussions and will be revised multiple times before being put into effect.
Furthermore, those schools or teachers who are concerned for the security of their job can educate themselves on all the aspects of this bill by visiting http://www.newsobserver.com/.
