polifrog
Tenure. Polifrog understands the concept and the basic argument for it; new knowledge is often "edgy" and teachers should feel free to teach new and often questionable material without risk of loosing their position. Polifrog agrees.
Our nation's colleges and universities are more than centers of
education, they are sources of knowledge exploration. Ten minutes of
NOVA with their regular referencing of university research can confirm this with anyone. Often these forays into new areas of learning will conflict with conventional understanding. This conflict often leads to a desire by those wedded to an existing mode of thought to protect their turf by squelching the exploration and dissemination of new threatening knowledge. Tenure stands as a bulwark for our explorers of knowledge against the undue influences of the status quo.
But there are costs inherent in tenure as well. A person, once tenured, has employment that is not wedded to performance and as a result their productivity may drop without repercussion. This can have a detrimental effect on the cost of education, but Polifrog believes that in higher education the costs of tenure should be tolerated as they are more than offset by the advances generated under this form of research liberty.
But what of our nation's public schools? How does tenure apply? Just what material is being presented that is so new, so potentially disruptive socially as to call into question a teacher's position? Like our colleges, our public schools are national sources of knowledge dissemination. They are not, however, sources of new knowledge that may call into question current views. Our current schools are simply purveyors of basic knowledge and as such our public school teacher's jobs do not threaten to run aground upon what is socially acceptable.
The argument for tenure is absent in public schools, yet there tenure remains protecting shiftless, unresponsive teachers that should, by any standard, be fired.
Enter Colorado:
Tenure. Polifrog understands the concept and the basic argument for it; new knowledge is often "edgy" and teachers should feel free to teach new and often questionable material without risk of loosing their position. Polifrog agrees.
Our nation's colleges and universities are more than centers of
education, they are sources of knowledge exploration. Ten minutes of
NOVA with their regular referencing of university research can confirm this with anyone. Often these forays into new areas of learning will conflict with conventional understanding. This conflict often leads to a desire by those wedded to an existing mode of thought to protect their turf by squelching the exploration and dissemination of new threatening knowledge. Tenure stands as a bulwark for our explorers of knowledge against the undue influences of the status quo.
But there are costs inherent in tenure as well. A person, once tenured, has employment that is not wedded to performance and as a result their productivity may drop without repercussion. This can have a detrimental effect on the cost of education, but Polifrog believes that in higher education the costs of tenure should be tolerated as they are more than offset by the advances generated under this form of research liberty.
But what of our nation's public schools? How does tenure apply? Just what material is being presented that is so new, so potentially disruptive socially as to call into question a teacher's position? Like our colleges, our public schools are national sources of knowledge dissemination. They are not, however, sources of new knowledge that may call into question current views. Our current schools are simply purveyors of basic knowledge and as such our public school teacher's jobs do not threaten to run aground upon what is socially acceptable.
The argument for tenure is absent in public schools, yet there tenure remains protecting shiftless, unresponsive teachers that should, by any standard, be fired.
Enter Colorado:
Colorado is changing the rules for how teachers earn and keep the sweeping job protections known as tenure...
...
The new law requires teachers to be evaluated annually, with at least half of their rating based on whether their students progressed during the school year. Beginning teachers will have to show they've boosted student achievement for three straight years to earn tenure.
Teachers could lose tenure if their students don't show progress for two consecutive years.
...
Under the old system, teachers simply had to work for three years to gain tenure, the typical wait around the country.
Imagine the uncommon common sense required of Colorado...
incentivizing individuals to perform.
out
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