Teacher Tenure
64% of teachers quit to have more freedom at work
Is education a commitment-phobe?
Teacher tenure was established in the early 20th century to protect teachers from district politics and favoritism, giving them intellectual autonomy with job security. In March 2009, President Obama called for sweeping reforms to the public school system and the issue of tenure has received a large amount of media attention.
Critics of the institution argue that it is part of an antiquated system that is contributing to the failure of U.S. public schools; tenure makes firing bad teachers both difficult and costly – so much so that most administrators do not even bother to try. Proponents believe that most institutions exercise great care in offering tenured positions and that they are necessary for innovation and courage in teaching.
