Teachers weigh in on tenure, evaluations

More than half of teachers believe it's too difficult to weed out ineffective teachers who have tenure, and nearly half say they personally know such a teacher, according to a survey being released Wednesday by the Education Sector, a nonpartisan think tank.

Tenure provides teachers with job security and generally is awarded a few years after educators enter the profession. It is supposed to ensure teachers can't be fired at the whim of a principal or angry parent.

But it also can make it extremely difficult to dismiss a teacher who is doing a bad job, said Sabrina Silverstein, a Chicago pre-kindergarten teacher.

"Even in the best schools, you'll find one teacher who probably shouldn't there. It takes a lot for a principal to get rid of a teacher," Silverstein said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Most teachers think the evaluation process for new teachers should be strengthened, so that weak teachers don't become entrenched.

About 70 percent of teachers in the Education Sector survey said receiving tenure was just a formality that has little to do with teacher quality.

Only a quarter said their own most recent evaluation was "useful and effective."

Teachers are generally observed in class one or two times a year by busy administrators. In many districts, tenured teachers aren't observed annually.

Even when they occur, teachers say their evaluations are rarely rigorous.