The news story on the argument on teacher tenure before the North Carolina Court of Appeals shed light on the issue of judicial activism.
In 2013,the Legislature replaced the teacher tenure system with four year contracts and pay increases for high performing teachers. Tenure or career status makes it harder to remove ineffective teachers. A lawsuit by the North Carolina Association of Educators teachers union blocked the law, getting a judge to rule tenure is a contract property right that can’t be taken. Now the case is on appeal.
Let’s ignore the facts behind the Judge’s statement, how tenure reform is linked with higher pay and the average raise of $3300 teachers just got. Isn’t Judge Stephens stating an opinion of teacher pay rather than addressing contract law? If teachers are paid one salary, is tenure job protection a right when it wouldn’t be at another salary?
Isn’t it the job of the Governor and Legislature to set pay, not a judge’s job?
If the Judge is concerned about policy like salaries, here are some facts related to the impact of teacher tenure protection on students.
Stanford professor Erich Hanushek says “My own research suggests that replacing just 5% to 8% of the least effective teachers with an average teacher would noticeably boost the achievement of our current students and would pay off lavishly in the future, through their enhanced productivity and faster economic growth.”http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/06/12/school-reform-california-teacher-tenure-k-through-high-school-column/10321913/
38% of teachers oppose tenure because they think it makes it harder to dismiss ineffective teachers. http://educationnext.org/files/2014ednextpoll.pdf
If Judge Stephens is going to consider evidence on teacher pay, will she consider the damage ineffective teachers can do to a child’s future?
The special interests will never stop opposing change. They have everything invested in the status quo. But if we stand firm beside them, you can bet conservative reformers in the State Senate will keep fighting for change for the better.