NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The state’s teachers have serious reservations about a measure that would make it tougher for them to get tenure, but they’re not going to “adamantly oppose” the changes, a lobbyist for their union said Monday.
Gov. Bill Haslam speaks to the Tennessee chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business in Nashville on Tuesday. The Republican governor said he’s pleased the House will take up his education package before delving into a measure aiming to strip teachers of collective bargaining rights. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)The proposal by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam would require a teacher to be on the job five years instead of three to secure tenure and also would create a way for job security to be revoked for poor teaching performance.
Despite the controversial proposal, Haslam said during his State of the State address Monday evening to a joint session of the General Assembly that his goal is “to make Tennessee a place where great educators want to teach and feel rewarded and appreciated for their efforts.”
“At the end of the day, there is nothing that makes as much difference to a child’s educational experience as the teacher standing in front of the classroom,” said Haslam, who lauded a Chattanooga teacher in attendance for her innovative teaching style. “It is more important than background, zip code, race, gender or any other determinant.”
Critics say the evaluation system for tenure isn’t in effect yet and that it has not been determined how best to rate educators whose subjects aren’t covered by the state’s value-added test scoring program.