The Education Wonks
I'm in the wrong line of work.
F*ck up in my jobe you're gone. Big difference between public sector and private sector.
I am one of a select few who play devil's advocate when it comes to the topic of tenure. As a student I recall MANY a teachers who had their jobs merely bc tenure kept the there. Now, unfortunately, I have some of these people for colleagues. But then again, since I am a non-tenured teacher myself, I must admit I am looking forward to the job security tenure brings. This is by no means an excuse to be lazy. So I propose a revision be made to the process instead of doing away with it completely.
Assuming, of course, they don't dismiss the process before I get there. 
Agree. Something needs to be done about tenure being an issue for dealing with "teachers" who are not being professionals. However, many professional teachers NEED the tenure laws to protect them from unprofessional administrators and other pitfalls that can create havoc for a professional teacher.
When I was on the school board back in the late '90's, we were told that to bring charges against a teacher, we had to figure approximately $100,000 in legal fees, plus the loss of supervisory personnel time for prep, hearings etc.
$100,000.
Even then, we were rarely successful--the state regularly reinstates dismissed teachers. The biggest problem though, was lack of "paper"-- administrators who got too close to their employees, and who, while informally recognizing a teachers faults, would routinely give the teacher an acceptable, or even good review.
We one time demanded that the Super identify a few failing teachers, and tighten up the paperwork. The first time he did, and the teachers got accurate, though bad, reviews, it engendered greivances, law suits, etc.
The system is broken--I don't see how it can be tinkered with--I think it has to go.
Vouchers. Vouchers. Vouchers.
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