Tackling Issues

Let's see...tenure, unions, vouchers, school closings, school reform, charters, selective schools, merit pay, standardized testing and more.  They are hot botton issues and I've made some passing comments on them in the past.  One thing is certain, and no one should be confused, these issues are very much related to one another.

For example, take a look at tenure.  Many people say it is outdated and protects poor teachers.  Of course far too many people don't understand that tenure protects excellent teachers.   Too few people recognize that fact.

Tenure exists because of the existence of local associations of teachers as well as the AFT and NEA.  These organizations of teachers saw a problem with constant teacher turnover many years ago.   Decades ago, school districts constantly let veteran teachers go with the knowledge that they could save money by hiring someone right out of college.  Unions saw a wrong and worked to right it through tenure legislation.

By the way, tenure laws were agreed to in collective bargaining.  It's not as if unions proclaimed tenure without school districts weighing in.

As I start writing about these various issues, it ought to be clear, from the above illustration, that adjusting one facet of education will impact other educational vehicles and issues.  I will endeavor to deal not with just a single issue but its impact on other critical elements dealing with education.

Dick