The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

Search site

Wake County school board votes to oppose legislature’s action

The new resolution comes in response to the NC General Assembly’s plan to rid of teacher tenure

The Wake County school board unanimously passed a resolution March 4 to oppose North Carolina’s current plan to give pay raises to the top 25 percent of teachers in the state in return for giving up their teacher tenure rights.  During the meeting, teachers gathered in the board room wearing red, a color that in recent months has come to signify support for public education.

“This is more than just words. We will take this document to our Wake County delegation, to the governor, because this needs to be more than just words. We need action. We need to repeal that law,” said Jim Martin, school board member, during the meeting.

The current tenure law in place was passed in 1971, giving North Carolina teachers a “career status” after a four year probationary period.  This status, more commonly known as tenure, gives teachers job protections, including the right to a hearing in the event of their dismissal.  The North Carolina legislature holds the stance that tenure for teachers keeps bad teachers in the school system and protects their jobs, while Gov. Pat McCrory acknowledges that the bill has its flaws.

“The intent of the rule is very good.  The implementation process needs to be more clarified, and I think that’s maybe something we can work on between now and the [upcoming legislative] short session,” said McCrory.

The state’s plan to offer pay raises to the top quarter teachers is part of a law passed by the North Carolina legislature to eliminate tenure for teachers by 2018.  Instead, the top teachers would be offered four year contracts with “a $500 annual pay raise for each year of the four-year contract” according to the resolution.

“We work together a lot as teachers. We plan lessons together; it’s a joint effort.  I feel like it could tear some departments apart overall, bring the morale down and discourage those who don’t get it. What if you’re in the top 30 percent?” said Breanna Tapp, math teacher, to WRAL.

Twelve other counties in the state have also passed resolutions opposing the plan, and according to the N.C. Association of Educators, another twelve counties are in the process of drafting their own resolutions.

“[Getting rid of teacher tenure] will result in teachers leaving the NC schools.  That along with other missing incentives (masters pay no longer financially rewarded, etc.)  might deter qualified candidates from entering the field.  Tenure doesn’t guarantee a job at all – instead it only offers workers due process.  You must have an actual reason to fire someone,” said Tonya Hinton, Psychology teacher.

The legislature’s defense for the riddance of tenure says that it protects bad teachers and keeps them in the school systems.

“…the Board does not believe designating an arbitrary percentage of teachers to receive pay raises together with the requirement that beginning July 1, 2018 school districts employ teachers pursuant to one-, two-, or four-year contracts is an effective way to promote collaboration and to reward its valued and highly skilled employees…” said the resolution.

According to the resolution, the General Assembly has only provided funds for the first year of the proposed four-year contracts, leaving the possibility that the funds will not be available at a later date for the ensuing years.

“So, we hope Wake County public schools will accept these additional state dollars and embrace the opportunity to recognize and reward greater numbers of top-performing teachers who make a lasting impact on the lives of their students,” said Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger in a publically released statement.

As for the $10 million currently set aside to fund the first year of $500 pay increases, the board requests that the funds instead be used “as a part of a locally-developed compensation plan that will be used to recruit and retain professional teachers.”

 

More to Discover
Donate to ATHENS ORACLE
$0
$500
Contributed
Our Goal