There is a lot of controversy in the United States surrounding teacher tenure, as well as how many shots education needs to turn it around. While the debate rages on, here are three benefits of having teacher tenure that is often overlooked.
Here Are Three Benefits of Having Teacher Tenure Pros and Cons
Firstly
Teachers have job stability because they know their term will be renewed every year. Â This makes it so that they can focus on teaching students and not worry about keeping their jobs for more than a few years at a time. The downside to this is that the longer teachers stay at their jobs, the less experience they gain. This might sound like a small thing, but the more experienced teachers are the ones who teach difficult students and handle harder cases. These are the types of teachers that lead reforms because they can give their students extra help. Â Without tenure, these challenging classes could end up with no teacher at all. Without them, schools could become corrupt and teach students with little or no care.
Secondly
Teachers can be held accountable for their work. Â Without tenure, a teacher could leave the school at any time. Since they are not guaranteed continued employment, they might stop giving the students enough extra help because they don’t feel like they have to anymore. Â There is also a chance that a teacher might take extreme measures if he feels his job is in jeopardy or he doesn’t care about his students anymore. This can be a problem if the teacher is becoming more and more careless as his tenure date gets closer. Â The students in his class might suffer for it.
Thirdly
Teachers want a career like everyone else. Â While it is true that not all teachers are motivated by accolades or pay raises, there are some who want to feel accomplished and proud of the work they do. Â The thought of being rewarded for a job well done in the form of tenure is motivating for any dedicated teacher.
Here are some pros of tenure for teachers:
- Teachers are given job security. Â They will not just be fired because they are not doing well or do not fit in with the school’s new curriculum. They will be able to maintain their jobs, as long as they are not being paid too much or are doing something illegal.
- Teachers can feel secure about their jobs, which in turn will help them do a better job at the subject they are teaching and in the classroom.
- Teachers are able to work hard at their jobs knowing that they will be rewarded for it. They know that if they put in the extra effort, then they will be able to keep their jobs, as long as they are not doing anything illegal or against school policy.
Here are some pros against tenure for teachers:
1) Tenure
- Teachers can become complacent in their job if they don’t have to worry about losing it. They won’t need to do anything extra, because they know that even if the students are failing and parents are complaining, they will not be fired.
- If a teacher does a poor job, then it may be hard for the school board to get rid of them. This could lead to a problem where the schools and teachers don’t get along well at all. This could cause problems with a variety of issues. It could affect the students, issues with school funding, and teacher unions.
Cons of Teacher Tenure
Here are a few arguments against tenure:
- Tenure can cause complacency. It can cause teachers to stop trying as hard for their students because they do not have to worry about losing their jobs if the students fail or parents complain.
- Tenure affects teachers and administrators equally. Teachers and administrators could disagree on issues and should not be treated the same. The administration has more power over things like the budget, curriculum, standardized testing, and other things that affect the school as a whole. Tenure for teachers and administrators should not be united. Too many issues affect the school differently.
- Tenure lowers the number of teachers that quit at their jobs because they do not like the way things are run there. Â this could be a reason why a school has so many problems.
- A lack of tenure hurts the education of students. Â It could cause teachers to stop teaching their students extra help because they are worried about losing their jobs for something stupid.
Underperforming Teachers are Difficult to Remove:
When a school has a teacher that is not good at his job, then it can be hard to get rid of them. Since they are granted tenure, there are a lot of things that must be done before they can get fired. If they get fired, then the kids and parents in that class will be forced to move on and make new friends. This can cause problems for the students because if they are close with their teachers or if the teacher was popular, then there could be issues during class time. Also, the class could be put with a teacher that might not be so great at his job. This could cause problems with standardized testing scores and the reputation of that school. Tenure can hurt the education of students because students may have to move class and could have issues with their new teachers at the new school they are transferred to.
1) Education Funding
One argument against tenure is that it reduces the amount of money education receives from government subsidies and budgets. While the education system does not completely depend on money, it does help. Â This can be a problem, especially if the funds are cut too often or too much. Â Schools that receive no money at all will also struggle. They cannot support programs that they require to teach their students.
2) Standardized Testing:
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), “standardized testing can hurt children’s ability to learn when poorly designed, implemented and interpreted. This includes both high-stakes tests. Tests that are taken with significant consequences attached to the outcome, and low-stakes tests, those without significant consequences”. Standardized testing can be a problem because it puts too much blame on the students, teachers, and even schools. They are being tested on things they may not have learned in class or have never been taught. Â Things like standardized testing could be used against schools to prove that they are failing.
Conclusion:
While there are many issues with tenure as a teacher, there are also some great things about it. Teachers want to be rewarded for their hard work, and this can be done by granting them tenure. If a school does not want its teachers to get fired for not doing their jobs well or complaining about school policy. Then they will do something about it. If a teacher is doing something wrong, then they will either be fired or reprimanded by the administration. This can help improve the education system.
