You may want to look in to this topic while searching for schools to learn if teachers or professors are offered this benefit. Read more about what it is below.
Teacher tenure provides job security for teachers who have successfully completed a probationary period. For colleges and universities, this period of time usually averages around seven years. The purpose is to protect good teachers from being fired for issues such as personal beliefs or personality conflicts with school board members. There are also many other benefits from going to a school where teachers are offered tenure. Here are some of the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself!
Possible Pros to Tenure for Teachers:
Prohibits school districts from firing teachers who are experienced in order to bring in less experienced teachers who cost less and save the district money on salaries.
· Protects teachers from being fired for personal or political reasons.
· Protects teachers from being fired for teaching unpopular or controversial material. Teachers have more freedom to push the envelope or be courageous in their curriculum choices.
· The promise of a secure job attracts teachers to the profession.
· Allows teachers to advocate on behalf of their students and can feel confident openly disagreeing with school administration.
· Encourages the careful selection of qualified teachers who are effective in the classroom. It is extremely difficult to remove a teacher with tenure. The administration has to go through due process, involving courts. Because of this, the school board makes thoughtful decisions before hiring.
· Many teachers work better when they do not have to worry about being fired. Without this anxiety, they can focus on providing the best education for their students.
Possible Cons to Tenure for Teachers:
· Teachers know it is unlikely for them to lose their jobs, which can remove incentive for them to put in more than the minimum effort.
· Can be difficult to remove under performing teachers because the process to do so involves months of legal work by the school administrators and courts.
· Costly to fire a teacher with tenure. Can cost up to $250,000, which takes money away from other areas of academics.
· Does not promote fair evaluations. A teacher in the probationary period can be disciplined worse than a teacher with tenure although the offense is exactly the same.