Put the Kids First is a proposed initiative for California schools that would make it easier to fire bad teachers:
...the idea of reducing teachers' job protections is popular with many principals and parents concerned about the difficulty of removing poor-performing instructors...Under state law, school districts can dismiss teachers during their first two years on the job without providing any reason. After two years in the classroom, teachers earn the more protective "permanent status." Before dismissing a permanent-status teacher, district officials must meticulously document poor performance over time, formally declare the intention to dismiss the teacher and then give the instructor 90 days to improve.
Schwarzenegger's measure — known as the Put the Kids First Act — would authorize school districts to dismiss teachers summarily during the first five years. The initiative also would simplify the process for dismissing teachers with permanent status, allowing district officials to fire a teacher after two consecutive unsatisfactory evaluations without declaring their intentions in advance or waiting 90 days.
The teachers' unions, unsurprisingly, oppose this, claiming it fosters a "phenomenon of anger" against teachers. Not as much as the horror stories of bad or inept teachers do. And the Education Wonks wonder when we're going to start getting rid of bad administrators as well.
Posted by kswygert at August 4, 2005 09:24 AM