It's good to see some teachers rallying to support ending automatic tenure...

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SHE'S SEEN HOW THIS SYSTEM HURTS KIDS

By CARL CAMPANILE

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01182007/news/regionalnews/shes_seen_how_this_system_hurts_kids_regionalnews_carl_campanile.htm 

 January 18, 2007 -- Even some teachers, such as Washington Irving HS math teacher Rachel Kessous, oppose the tenure system that provides instructors with lifetime job protection after three years.

Kessous is a probationary instructor who is eligible for tenure at the end of this school year - if she receives satisfactory ratings from her supervisors.

But she supports Mayor Bloomberg's merit-based system and opposes tenure as undermining academic accountability and professionalism.

"I don't believe in tenure. Tenure doesn't set a very high standard. No one should get lifetime tenure," Kessous told The Post.

She said all teachers should be re-evaluated every few years instead of having a tenure system that nearly guarantees lifetime employment by making it difficult to get rid of poorly performing instructors. Tenure rules are covered by state law.

"Teaching is a very difficult profession. It should be held to the same standards as other professions," Kessous said.

She said tenure tempts teachers to get lazy and lapse into mediocrity.

"I've seen that more often than I like to admit," said Kessous.