NEA+Says+Tenure+Should+be+Earned

=By Dave Murray= =//Published in the Grand Rapids Press//= =//5/11/11//= = = = = =One of the nation's largest teachers unions is proposing sweeping changes to evaluation and tenure plans, saying “accountability systems are in need of reform.”= =[|The National Education Association today released a policy statement] saying that tenure should not be automatically bestowed upon teachers, but earned. And teachers who don't meet the grade should be counseled out of the profession “or be subject to a swift and fair dismissal process.”= =The move comes after [|NEA President Dennis Van Roekel told education writers last month] that the unions “have failed to lead on quality issues,” and he planned to step up.= =Van Roekel said at the Education Writers Association gathering that no incompetent teacher should remain in a classroom – “The price for students is too high” – but said there also needs to be a better evaluation system so administrators can better identify which teachers aren't cutting it.= =On Wednesday, Van Roekel issued a statement he called the union's “first broad endorsement” of evaluation and accountability reform, saying it was “signaling a commitment to a new, prestigious profession of teaching.”= =“As more states and districts seek to improve teacher evaluation, the risk is that reform is done to teachers rather than with them,” Van Roekel said in a statement released by the union.= =He said the proposal “was written by and for teachers while heeding other expertise. It outlines a system to help teachers improve instruction and meet students’ needs. It offers sweeping changes to build a true profession of teaching focused on high expectations. This is what our members want from NEA – and we answered with a fresh vision for the teaching profession grounded in ideas that are realistic, doable, and will ensure that every student has access to a high quality teacher.”= =Under the proposal, teachers would receive “regular, comprehensive, meaningful and fair evaluations by trained evaluators, based on multiple indicators, including teacher practice, teacher growth, and contributions to student learning.”= =The intention is to give educators ongoing feedback to identify and correct problems.= =The evaluations would include classroom observations, interviews and lesson plans, but also measures of student progress including “reliable, high-quality standardized tests.”= =Teachers falling short would receive “clear notice” of the problems and an improvement plan developed by the teacher, union and administrators, with teachers given training, mentoring and time – but not to exceed one year.= = = =The proposal calls for probationary teachers to receive ongoing support during their first two years. “No beginning teacher should go for weeks, much less years, without receiving any feedback on their practice.”= =New teachers should only receive tenure only if they meet or exceed expectations for two years prior to when they are eligible, which varies from state to state.= =However, the union recommends that once teachers obtain tenure, they could not lose it, and it would be transferable within the state.= =Delegates to the 2011 Representative Assembly, NEA’s highest policy-making body, are expected to vote on the statement in July.= =While the union has to power to mandate its proposals, leaders hope the plans could be used as templates for lawmakers or by local units negotiating contracts.= =[|Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder last month] called the state's tenure law “antiquated,” and wants to change it so teachers would be on probation for five years instead of four, and must be rated effective three consecutive years. Even tenured teachers would have annual evaluations, and could be shown the door with two straight poor performances.= =Snyder also called for teacher evaluations to include multiple measures, with at least 40 percent based on “student achievement growth.”= =Van Roekel's plan could carry weight in Michigan. While Detroit teachers are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the majority of the state's teachers are linked to the NEA's Michigan Education Association.= = = = = = = = = = = =News= =home=