California Special Election : Proposition 74.
Public School Teachers Waiting Period for Permanent Status
[ Official Initiative Information ]
- Increases length of time required before a teacher may become a permanent employee from two to five consecutive school years.
- Modified the process by which school boards can dismiss a permanent teaching employee who receives two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations.
Under current state law, teachers serve a probationary period during their first two years on the job. At the end of the first or second year, the district can choose not to rehire them without offering specific reasons. At the start of their third year, they teachers are considered permanent or tenured. If a permanent teacher is dismissed for unsatisfactory performance, the process encompasses about 12 stages.
Proposition 74 would extend the probationary period from two to five years for new certified teachers. The initiative would also reduce the dismissal process for permanent teachers. Two consecutive unsatisfactory evaluations would constitute unsatisfactory performance and allow the district to dismiss the employee. The effect of these changes would be to reduce requirements in the initial stages of the dismissal process and potentially place greater focus on the evaluation process.
The fiscal effects on school districts would vary. The district may experience lower teacher costs if they choose to replace teachers before they reach permanent status. This would allow the district to replace higher salaried teachers near their five year mark with less experienced, lower salaried teachers. Conversely, the school districts may have increased costs as the modified dismissal process translates into incentive and upward pressure on teacher compensation costs.
Argument For: [ http://www.joinarnold.com ]
Supports call this real education reform. Spending on education accounts for about 50% of the overall state budget. This money can be spent more wisely on better teachers while eliminating the poorly performing ones more easily. The outdated 'tenure' law that makes it almost impossible and extremely expensive to replace poor-performing teachers. A greater probationary period will allow teachers to demonstrate worthwhile expertise and that they deserve tenure.
Argument Against: [ http://noonproposition74.com ]
Opponents say that Proposition 74 is deceptive, unnecessary, and unfair. They say that real reform is needed but this is not it. The proposition does not provide new textbooks, reduce class sizes, improve teacher training, or fix crumbling schools. This proposition is unfair because it takes away their right to a hearing before they are fired. Finally, this proposition is anti-teacher because it was put on the ballot for only one reason-to punish teachers for speaking out against the governor's poor record on education and criticizing him for breaking his promise to fully fund our schools.
My Conclusion: Undecided on Proposition 74
I am undecided on how to vote on Proposition 74. I appreciate the governor's attempt at education reform and am very sympathetic to any attempt to break-up the teacher's union, easily the most corrupt political organizations in existence (save maybe Ethanol lobby). However, I am concerned that the move from 2 to 5 years coupled with relaxing procedures on removing unwanted teachers will result in poorer teacher performance and high turnover.
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