To Tenure or Not to Tenure

I agree with the statement I heard earlier, that tenure is a system that has been earned by those who have demonstrated they have been in the profession for a certain number of years. The reality is that if a system earns tenure based upon years and not on performance then we have a mute point on how we can assess and retain the best and brightest in the profession. The children deserve more than just someone who has earned the number of years of service and our system of STULL is not the greatest in dealing with people who slip through the cracks. To blame this process solely on the fault of administration not evaluating people before they reach tenure is not a fare judgment. Many times administrators inherit these problems because people are more concerned about saving someone's job and helping to keep a full time staff roster than finding and retaining professionals that actually believe the children can learn.

Now I have compassion for adult who are working to better educate the students. These are the people who have gained tenure and still are working to perfect their craft. They are working with updated technology to communicate with parents and utilize all available resources to provide students with a quality education. These individuals who have earned their tenure should be commended and receive bonuses for their contribution to society.

Realistically we have a work force that has true professionals and staff members who need to refocus their efforts to becoming more effective with classroom practices. Stop with the complaining and find the solutions to make the student's become better in every way. The job of an educator is very complex, but like the old saying goes on George of the Jungle, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it!"

Enjoy!