Teacher tenure up for discussion in Pinellas?

Well, maybe. The Pinellas District Monitoring and Advisory Committee, which was established by court order to make recommendations to the school board, will be discussing several potentially sweeping ideas tonight, including that one.

"Employees could opt for traditional tenure track and step system, or annual contracts with higher pay and no tenure guarantees," says recommendation No. 4 on a list of discussion items that DMAC Chair Adrien Helm sent to fellow members. Schools chief Michelle Rhee has proposed something similar in Washington D.C.

Also up for discussion: Exit surveys for teachers who transfer. Seeing if Pinellas can become a participant in the Teach for America program. And allowing more principals at struggling schools to annually decide which teachers they want to re-hire.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in Room 134-135 of the school district administration building, 301 4th St. SW, Largo.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Comments

[John Meeks (Duval Teachers United member)]

As long as the government runs the school system, politics will be the driving force behind educational decisions. If politics pervade the management of our schools, teachers need the right to due process.
The rights of due process are not meant to protect or harbor 'bad' teachers but these rights are meant to ensure that all teachers receive a fair shake from their administration.
Unfair and arbitrary management has no place in education.

That would only make sense if the principals were required to have their MBA as well as ed. leadership. That way we know that somewhere along the line they were trained in how to run a business- even if they're no good at it.

[Matt]

Ok, So what happens when the system sends all the less then desirable teachers packing and there are not enough "Good" teachers to teach?

The good teachers remaining now will have classes of 50-60 to make up the difference and then your good education goes down the drain.

How about we make education important and put our money on the line. Increase the salaries of teachers. Would you go to a doctor who made $35,000 a year or the one who made more? Why is it in education ok to pay less for a more important service?

[John]

Since I was a member of the "union" for 36 years I think I can put my 2 cents worth in the discussion. The NEA-FEA-AFT-or whatever other acronym you want to use NEVER presented my political views. More often than not, I was 180 degrees from the "union" stand.

Where I needed the "union" help was in local representation. I, bymy self, was unable to fight contractural issues with the administration. While I was busy preparing lesson plans, filling out free lunch forms, writing discipline referrals, running several clubs, writing tests, evaluating student performance, preparing students to take the test dojour (FCAT,SAT, Functional literacy, etc.), placing phone calls to parents, conferring with colleagues, meeting with APs, doing lunch duty and along with about a hudred other things, TEACHING STUDENTS. Oh yeah, all with a research based and ethically sound approach. I did not have the time to weave my way through the legalese wording of a contract,and the "union" was the only game in town.

[Sam]

As a teacher, this is cool with me. I'd like the extra pay and I actually do my job properly, unlike 60% of my colleagues.

Sounds like a good idea to add accountability. If a teacher knows he or she is a slug - don't accept the raise and keep the tenure. Simple solution.

[George]

I think we should put in more and more unions in the schools. Unions have done a great job with the US auto industry.

1:49

Why didn't you sign your name?

Mary - I sure hope so!

[Mary]

Could they be trying to "bust" the teachers' union just like the Republicans are trying to do with the American workers' unions?

[truth]

keep good teachers, train the rest...and if they fail to improve, send them PACKING!! For the sake of higher quality education, our children's future, and the future of our economy, we must improve the quality of our teacher workforce and teacher unions should be the biggest partner in making this happen. Who would want to represent bad teachers?

[John]

I see, offer teachers $5 more and then the system can let them go and hire first year teachers for much less. Then they can give a raise to the fine administrators who came up with this plan.

Tenure is not a K-12 concern. It was originally used to encourage professors at colleges and universities to think and publish outside of traditional thinking, without fear of retaliation. Job security IS a concern of teachers in K-12 systems. The longer termed teachers have had experiences first year teachers never even thought of having.

[John]

and as if all this was not enough the PCTA now has to find a new director! we could all use Jade Moore right about now that's for sure!

[terminator]

and just where do these bozos think they'll get the money for the supposed "higher track"?
they've never paid teachers what they're worth before don't believe they'll start doing it now!
this is just a lame attempt to take away job security rights won through hard fought collective bargaining over many years.

[mike]

How about getting ride of some of the administrators, like the ones that retire and Julie Jansen keeps bringing back all these people.