TEACHY KEEN
Low & behold: Tenure rate steady
THE NUMBER of city teachers granted tenure has stayed low for the second year in a row after the standards were changed under Mayor Bloomberg’s reform push.
Just 55% of teachers earned tenure this year, down from 97% in 2007, when the job protection was granted to nearly all third-year teachers.
Roughly the same percentage — 58% — earned tenure last year.
But at the same time, the city hasn’t increased the number of teachers denied tenure outright.
Just 3% of teachers in 2011 and 2012 were denied tenure. Instead, the city has encouraged principals to weigh the matter carefully and postpone decisions if they’re not certain.
In all, 42% of the nearly 4,000 teachers up for tenure this year were told they must wait another year before a decision is made.
Last year, 39% had their tenure decision postponed. But after waiting a year, 77% of teachers first considered for tenure last year have now been awarded the job protection.
“Receiving tenure is no longer an automatic right, and our new approach ensures that teachers who are granted tenure have earned it,” said Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott.
“But our work is not done. We must improve the tenure process even further, and a teacher evaluation system will do just that and ensure our children are taught by the best.”
United Federation of Teacher President Michael Mulgrew said the low tenure numbers suggest the city isn’t helping its new teachers stay on the job or improve their craft, noting that one-third of teachers hired four years ago have already left the system. “These numbers . . . demonstrate that the administration has yet to figure out how to provide new teachers with the proper supports that will help them become more successful,” he said.
Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Dennis Walcott