Possible Change To Teacher Tenure
Sacramento, CA — Teachers groups and some law makers held a “Teach-In” to support a new bill that would change the requirements for tenure.
AB 1220 the Teacher and Student Success Act would give teachers up to five years to earn tenure. Author of the bill, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), has the backing of a coalition representing 9,000 California public school teachers. Weber shares that schools do not have enough time to make teacher tenure decisions and has proposed giving teachers additional years to prove they deserve permanent status. She argues that the current two-year process is too short and not flexible enough.
“There is consensus among teachers, administrators, and the public that the 18-month timeline is too short for teachers to demonstrate effectiveness,” said Assemblymember Weber. “K-12 teachers deserve to have adequate time to demonstrate their skill in the classroom and to have tenure recognized as a benchmark of their professionalism and effectiveness.”
The bill would make teachers eligible for tenure after three years, and school districts would have the option to give them another year or two. Fourth- and fifth-year teachers not granted tenure would be provided additional mentoring and support from their school districts. Weber also points out that 42 states have a longer, more substantial process to determine whether a teacher should be given tenure and California should too.
(Click here for a survey of state teachers regarding tenure.)
