Narrative 4.1

We All Need Somebody

I hate air conditioning in cars.  I always prefer windows, but especially in our family minivan, the AC makes the car smell like stale bread.  So even on a sunny, 85 degree August afternoon in the summer of ‘09, I’ve got all my windows down, my “Favorites” playlist on my iPod blasting tunes, and I’m as happy as can be while doing my daily deliveries.  This is my first time doing this particular route, even though I have been working now for almost two months.  Following the directions on my GPS, I pull into the driveway of an old but relatively well kept house.  I turn off the car and pop the trunk to unload the meals for the day.  The smell of processed food combined with plastic fills my nostrils as I retrieve the hot meal and soup, and then the cold bag lunch. 

After walking up the path and knocking on a screen door, an elderly man in his 70’s appears in the doorway, wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt with a long brown pipe hanging out of the corner of his mouth.  His name is Edmund Pesta.  I can barely see ten feet into the room because of the think smoke puffed from his pipe, but I could make out a TV on with the news in the background, and that was about it.

I introduce myself and tell him that I am a courier for the Meals on Wheels (MOW) program in association with the American Red Cross and ask if I should put the meals in any specific location, as some clients do.  He takes the meals and just puts in next to him on a desk.  Before the customary “thank you” and my reply of “your welcome” and “have a good day,” Edmund asks me where I go to college.  This throws me off initially because if the other regulars tried to start a conversation, it would be “wonderful day out” or some other generic conversation starter, not my personal life.  Of course I oblige him, and all clients who engage in conversation for that matter, and inform Edmund that I am still in high school and looking at colleges presently.  I told him the list of schools and it seemed that he wanted to continue talking, but since I had waiting patrons, I cut the conversation cut and continued on my route.

I did not know it at the time, but I would be running that route for the remainder of my three weeks while working for MOW.  “The Meals On Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest national organization composed of and representing local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs in all 50 U.S. states, as well as the U.S. Territories” (Meals, par. 1).  I was brought into this program as soon as I had a license by a family friend, Debbie Hoagland, who is the coordinator of the Hightstown, East Windsor and the Greater Princeton Area in central New Jersey.  I delivered hot and cold meals to mostly elderly people who were either unable physically or unable financially to afford it.  When I met the other couriers in my area, I was honestly surprised at the demographics of the group.  Most would be considered senior citizens themselves, but they were the most dedicated and kindhearted people I have ever met.  There was one man in his 80’s named Cliff, who said he was going to quit because he was getting too old—he has been saying that for 30 years.  The MOW group, consisting of about a million to just fewer than two million participants, is the largest all-volunteer mass in the nation (Meals, par. 3).  The mission statement and purpose for the MOW is so that “no senior goes hungry” (Meals, par. 1).  Any senior can sign up for this service; there is a set fee, but no one is denied due to financial troubles.

Three weeks later after my first encounter with Edmund, I turn onto the familiar side street in Princeton Junction and pull into dude’s driveway.  Over the weeks, our conversations have grown in matter and length; so much that clients later on in the route asked if I was injured in a car accident or got lost because I was so late.  Our conversations consisted of what my plans were for college and sports, and life in general.  We spoke of ways of living life to the fullest and having no regrets in choices we consciously make.  Trying not to choke on the tangible fog of fumes in the living room, we spoke about my family; and then we talked about his family.  We talked about how his entire family had moved away from him, leaving his only contacts in the outside world the TV, the occasional neighbor sighting—and me.  On the last route that I did before heading back to school, I told Edmund that he would be receiving meals from another courier and what he did that afternoon brings out emotions that I still recall today.  He simply shook my hand.  But it was a handshake with meaning. I felt the deep need for connection and thanks for the time I have spent with him.  It was at this point that I understood that the reason he talked for so long was not just that he enjoyed talking, because he did, but that there was no one else for him to talk to.  This realization was very emotional for me as I understood the importance of togetherness and the values of having someone to talk to always close by.

When i take the last of the meals of out the trunk i understand what i have just done and immense satisfaction comes over me.  Not only have i delivered the sustenance necessary for two meals, but i have brightened up everyone’s day on my route.  I can confidently say this because of the smiles and friendly conversation we make, and not just for a second, but for the rest of their day.  I believe this relates to all the elderly people living alone without the opportunity to have someone brighten their day or even just keep them company.  Thomas Coleman is the Executive Director of Unmarried America, a nonprofit information service for unmarried employees, consumers, taxpayers and voters.  In 2006, he published his article, “Home alone: more seniors living solo,” dealing with the increased number of one person households.  According to the 2006 Census Bureau, there are about ten million men and women above the age of 65 who are living alone; three quarters of that ten million are senior women (Coleman par. 3).

Coleman continues to say that the main problems with seniors living alone are poor nutrition, lack of public transportation and psychological effects.  Due to lack of support and care in their lives, seniors rarely have the time or effort to make a full meal and therefore, become malnourished; this only worsens serious health issues.  Lack of public transportation is a major problem, especially in suburban or rural areas, because it denies the seniors contact with other people and live independent lives.  If the senior is living alone because of death or divorce, there are psychological side effects that need to be addressed (Coleman, par. 5-11). 

There is always the option of assisted living, which can eliminate all the problems above.  Retirement Living Group is Utah’s most experienced Assisted Living provider.  On the site, there are videos explaining the changes that have occurred in their lives since moving to these assisted living centers.  Although this center is in Utah and not representative of the entire nation, the residents speak of the assisted living centers in general, not specifically about this community.  The first video is about what would have happened if seniors had not moved to assisted living.  These people admitted to not eating properly and talking care of themselves, therefore they did not want to move, see anybody, do anything or go anywhere.  One man spoke of how he could not drive to get to a shopping center, the movies and dances or see friends.  They all spoke of the difficult choice it was to move from their original residence, but their increased enthusiasm, quality of life and personality burst out of them through the video.  One woman got very emotional and started to cry on camera as she explained that if your loved one passes away, it is very difficult to overcome alone.  She explained that having some place to be with people that support you is the best sense of togetherness she has ever felt (Retirement, n.p).

In another video on the how the physical limitations have been removed since moving to assisted living, the seniors explained that they were not alone or isolated anymore; they could enjoy companionship of others and live life to the fullest.  They also spoke of public trips to zoos, shopping malls and other events in town that were of interest to residents (Retirement, n.p).

            My grandpa, Cal Prine, is now 83 and living in an assisted living community in Granville, OH.  The summer before I delivered MOW in ‘08, my grandma passed away from cancer in the medical facilities at the center.  Talking into consideration now distraught he was, the center helped immensely with the coping of his loss.  In reaction with this, he created The Muggers, a monthly men’s gathering for breakfast and special presentations.  He is currently the President of the Residence Council, which has responsibilities over internal funds, government of the community and new groups that express interest.  I fully believe that his access to all that these communities have to offer helped in the mourning period and without it, he would be lost all alone in a world of hurt. 

The awareness of seniors living alone and the struggles they have to undergo every day could be much less draining if they knew family was close by or even if they had friends in a community to support them.  The increasing numbers of senior single residences needs to be addressed before we lose our loved parents or grandparents, and regret how little we were involved with their lives.  Consider helping your loved ones out and move them into community centers where they can live their own lives.  If not, then a simple visit, phone call or gesture of compassion is better than nothing. Who knows, you might brighten up their day. It worked for me.

Works Cited

Coleman, Thomas. Home alone: more seniors living solo. Unmarriedamerica.com. 17 Jul 2006.

Web. 19 Apr 2011.

The Meals On Wheels Association of America. Mowaa.org. 2011. American Red Cross. Web.

19 Apr 2011.

Retirement Living Group. Rlg.net. n.p. Web. 19 Apr 2011.

Reflection 3.2

I still believe that this essay was a difficult one but I think my topic of teacher tenure was an appropriate one for this format.  I did a lot of work on the paper since the firs draft was due.  After comments were posted on the first draft, I revised my draft based and then went to the writing lab last week.  There i received even more instruction on my paper and things that did not flow as easily as I intended.  I was told about points in my essay that we not clear and places where I needed to change the language or style. I took the block quote out of the paper and decided to paraphrase the paragraphs.  It allowed me to illustrate my true feelings for the excerpt as well as explain the complicated nature of the model that the author proposed. 
I think the final draft is a true representation of my work and I think that it covers the format of a Rogerian essay effectively.  I clearly displayed both sides of the arguments and then established common ground with the facts that all Americans want what it best for students.  I then proposed a revised tenure law that adds thoughtful and better ways to incorporate tenure in school systems. Overall, I enjoyed writing about this topic and in this writing style.

Rogerian 3.2

Teacher Tenure: The Holy Grail of the Teaching Profession

Since I truly believe in my mind that anyone reading into this subject initially has the attributes of a scholar, I hope to set forth an intellectual and reasoned plan to effectively negotiate the future of teacher tenure.  I have had first-hand experience, from kindergarten to twelfth grade, with both proficient and incompetent tenured teachers.  Looking back now, I realize that my eleventh grade AP World History teacher and my eighth grade U.S. History teacher both had tenure and responded in two very different ways.  My eighth grade teacher seemed to have no incentive to continue teaching.  She had lost all joy by continuing to teach without changing her curriculum and her students suffered from the lack of enthusiasm.  On the other hand, my eleventh grade teacher was the most out-going and energetic person I have ever met.  Despite being an elderly woman, it seemed that her desire to share all of her knowledge just burst out of her.  I was always captivated in class as she switched styles of teaching to introduce our class to more involved critical thinking.  Those are the kind of teachers that we want teaching students today.

In an article published in Public School Review, Grace Chen says that “a changing world economy and increased focus on our nation’s education system are bringing teacher tenure into the spotlight, and some say it is a tradition that may be outdated” (Chen, par. 1).  This is currently an important and relevant topic as the economy is currently in a recession and the need for steady jobs is always increasing.  Tenure is a form of job security for teachers and its “primary purpose is to protect competent teachers from arbitrary nonrenewal of contract for reasons unrelated to the educational process -- personal beliefs, personality conflicts with administrators or school board members, and the like” (James, par. 2).  Clashes of private matters should not be involved in schools at all, let alone the matter of jobs, as it negatively affects the students.  “The intent of tenure is to allow original ideas to be more likely to arise, by giving scholars the intellectual autonomy to investigate the problems and solutions about which they are most passionate, and to report their honest conclusions” (“Tenure”, par. 2).  In all professional jobs, the ability to have autonomy of judgment and research is a requisite.

Tenure was formed on the foundation of supply and demand, and “just as steel and auto workers fought against unsafe working conditions and unlivable wages, teachers too demanded protection from parents and administrators who would try to dictate lesson plans…” (Stephey, par. 4).  Teachers quickly saw the positive implications of tenure and over two million teachers had tenure by 2008 (ProCon, par. 1).  The growing numbers of teachers with this support system displays how significant this controversy is.

The population that is unconvinced with applying tenure nationwide claim that once educators are rewarded, it “inadvertently protects incompetent teachers from being fired” (Stephey, par. 2).  Administrators become afraid to punish tenured teachers because of the extremely high cost and effort associated with letting them go.  A nonpartisan source that presents facts and studies that address the issues of tenure at the K-12 level states that tenure “removes incentives for teachers to put in more than the minimum effort and to focus on improving their teaching” (ProCon, par. 11).  These are all valid reasons for the removal of tenure, but the one that should be addressed the most is the opinion that tenure is more involved with the teachers and their welfare than with the students, which is truly where our concern as promoters of the educational system and student welfare should lie (Chen, par. 5).

There are a few common misconceptions about tenure that need to be understood before any negotiations can be made. Many people believe that tenure is the problem to more educational problems than it can possibly take credit for.  “Eliminating tenure will not reduce class sizes or make schools cleaner and safer.  If tenure is abolished, problems of underfunding, overcrowding, and lack of control over students’ home lives will persist” (ProCon, par. 7).  The stereotype that tenure guarantees a teacher a job for life is false.  The use of tenure really only serves two purposes: job security and non-restricted research or beliefs for the teachers.  It has no effect on the educational system’s problems that are listed above.

The most common reasons for firing teachers are economic and political, not inability on the teacher’s behalf, as one might believe.  The feeling that a spot is reserved for you alone makes you feel confident, which is exactly what tenure does to teachers—for a certain period of time.  “Teachers work better when they do not have fears of being fired.  Without the anxiety and fear of losing employment, teachers can focus their efforts on providing the best education for students” (ProCon, par. 13).  This displays the opposite of the basic argument that the skeptics of tenure were trying to convey; they stated that tenure caused teachers to be presented above students, but in actuality, the system causes students to become the main focus.

Chen explains that “a tenured teacher cannot be fired on the whim of a school administrator; charges will need to be filed, evaluations submitted, and hearings held” (par. 2).  The lack of motivation that some say go hand-in-hand with the increase of job security is always possible, but that is why a revised tenure law should be admitted.  This new addition would keep teachers honest, assuming they are all worthwhile, until the uncommitted ones are weeded out.

Having these secure jobs in the tenure system would stop the excessive firing of teachers with dissimilar political views and therefore increase the flow of capable educators into school systems.  Since knowing that job security is within reach, there would be more college students aspiring to be teachers.  The more teachers applying for each position, the less chance a corrupt principal could find a way to only hire close family members, friends or parallel voters.  “Tenure encourages the careful selection of qualified and effective teachers.  Since it is difficult to remove tenured teachers, tenure encourages school administrators to take more care when making hiring decisions” (ProCon, par. 11).  Removal of tenure would allow the irresponsible and hasty hiring of new teachers, and then consequently the abrupt firing of the old educators as well.

I think there should be a higher regard for the importance of teacher experimentation in the classroom.  Teachers that incorporate different styles of instruction often receive the best results because the students are more engaged.  The educators without tenure that yearn to go above and beyond admit to being afraid to introduce their students to provocative ideas or new critical thinking concepts.  To give students the proper schooling they need, how can we as Americans let teachers instruct only generalized topics and not think “out of the box”?

Fellow promoters, it is obvious that we care about the welfare of students in the educational system.  We can agree that we want to teach students with the best teachers.  Parents are always encouraging their kids to reach for the stars and follow whatever path in life intrigues them.  They are always there to help to the best of their ability with whatever their kids are having difficulty with.  They know the importance of school and how instrumental the educators are in the learning process.  So why would any parent want the principal’s sister-in-law teaching their kids when there are fully licensed, capable and experienced educators standing around?  Teacher tenure can help by assuring teachers with consistently good records that a job is secure for them and no one can take that away for political or economic reasons.

The debate over how or if teachers are reevaluated for tenure is a major component in the controversy.   Dan Goldhaber is a professor in interdisciplinary arts and sciences at the University of Washington, Bothell.  His work focuses on K-12 educational productivity and addresses the role that structure plays in teacher recruitment.  Goldhaber explains his VAM, or value-added model, which involves an extremely complicated formula for the assessment of teachers that incorporates family background characteristics, teacher, grade, year, math and reading tests.  He states that evaluations based solely on accomplishments are not fully representative of a teacher’s full capability, and that his model is more accurate in determining future effectiveness (Goldhaber 5).  Goldhaber states that observable qualities of the educator, such as number of years of experience, type and level of degree, college selectivity and licensure test scores are not as important as actual student improvement.  This finding reinforces that these estimates are a reasonable scale to use as a factor in making personnel decisions.  This is again reaffirming that tenure focuses overall on the students, not the educators.

The fundamental question comes down to, “how do you get rid of bad teachers without breaking the bank and how do you reward good teachers?”  We need to come up with a long-term fix, coming not just from student test results or just from teacher characteristics, but from a number of methods.  This will add more time and effort into the process, but I believe it is necessary for the success of student education nationwide.  The mutual resolution comes from a mixture of both extremes, and the best possible solution involves the combination of evaluations tied in with student performance results. 

Tenure should not even be considered until after the educator’s fifth school year has been completed at a single location.  Evaluations should be conducted every four years after the initial tenure reward to determine if the educator is eligible for a renewing of the tenure agreement.  This promotes creativity in the classroom and new styles of teaching, including debates and creative thinking exercises.  The evaluations would have a guideline and would be conducted by a third party.  If deemed necessary, an arbitrator, not a judge, would rule the dismissal case (ProCon, par. 17).

Another problem with the educational system today is the incentive for the teachers.  Teachers interested in helping special needs students or working for impoverished schools should be compensated accordingly.  “In 2008, DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee proposed giving teachers the option of linking pay to performance in exchange for teachers giving up tenure.  The vote in June of 2010 showed that eighty percent of teacher’s voted in favor of the option” (ProCon, par. 15).  Having teachers declining tenure is their personal decision and balance between the risky nature of potentially being fired suddenly and the higher pay grade that would be received. 

The solution for the tenure controversy is not that far off.  It will just require the collaboration of respected policymakers to bring the proposed resolution to reality and the assistance of all who care for the greater good of America.  If the controversy of teacher tenure is delayed further, the negative effects on students will be hidden; students cannot afford to wait for responsible teachers.  My purpose is to bring light to the different vantage points within teacher tenure and increase awareness to the ongoing problem within our own nation.  Hiring politically or economically friendly teachers over the tenured and captivating teachers helps no one.

Works Cited

Chen, Grace. “Teachers and Tenure: Both Sides of the Heated Debate - Public School Review.”

Public School Review - Profiles of USA Public Schools. 2 Mar. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Goldhaber, Dan, Michael Hansen, and National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in

Education Research (CALDER) Urban Institute. “Using Performance on the Job to Inform Teacher Tenure Decisions. Brief 10.” National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (2010): ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 30 Mar. 2011.

James, Scott. “Teacher Tenure.” ERIC Digest, Number 19. 1986. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.

ProCon.org. “Teacher Tenure ProCon.org.” teachertenure.procon.org. ProCon.org, 14 Feb.            2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Stephey, M.J. “A Brief History of Tenure - TIME.” Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs,  News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. 17 Nov. 2008. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

“Tenure.” New World Encyclopedia. newworldencyclopedia.com. 5 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 Apr.

2011.

Prewriting 4.2

I'm really having trouble thinking if a climax scene because there really is only one scene, just repeating each day with altered dialogue.  I could go into more detail about the story in general and climax with the handshake at the end of the conversation, but i feel that it would really be drawing it out too much for a 1200 word paper. I could use the story of other families like on academy street with how grateful they are (but have contact with a lot of people), woman in apartment complex on hill, hoarder (creepy), and then climax at the point when I'm done with the route and the feeling of satisfaction comes over me.

At the time when i open the cooler and see myself take the last of the hot meal and soup out, retrieve the cold lunch from the cooling bag, i understand what i have just done. Not only have i delivered the sustenance required for two meals per day on the weekdays, but i have brightened up everyone on my route's day. I can confidently say this becuase of the smiles and friendly conversation we make, and not just for a second, but for the rest of their day.  I believe this relates...then relate this to all elderly people living alone without the opportunity to have someone brighten their day or even just keep them company.

Prewriting for Essay 4

So for the narrative argument, I'm thinking about my job over last summer as my topic. i delivered meals on wheels for the red cross in the greater princeton area.  close family to us asked me if i wanted to help with the job as she coordinated it. i delivered hot and cold meals to mostly elderly people who were either unable physically or did not have the money for it.

i did meet a lot of people and i have had memorable and ongoing conversations that have changed me personally (find names from mrs. hoagland, and interview her for extra clarity) i remember one guy who smoked pipes a lot (sensory here) and we have had many long conversations that made my awaiting list of people ask if i got into a car accident.  we talked about his family and how they all moved away and his rare contact with his neighbors.  we talked about my life and what my plans were for college and what sports i planned on playing.  while trying not to choke on the fog of fumes, we discussed more in depth concepts about life in general and ways to live the best life and not regretting anything about it.

i remember at points during my routes when i looked down at my list and saw ___'s name and immediately started to think of thinks to talk about. after a few months of this every weekday, i realized that the reason he talked to me so long was not just that he enjoyed talking, because he did, but that there was no one else for him to talk to.  this is very emotional for me. i understood the importance of togetherness and the values of having someone to talk to.

i will talk about how important it was that my grandpa lived in a senior living center so as to cope with the death of his wife in summer of 09.  if it wasnt for the new responsibilities he took by creating the muggers and new title, he would be lost in a world of hurt.

end with better and more awareness for elderly living and importance of togetherness. go talk to family now!

Reflection 3.1

I think this essay more than the other two required more of a plan.  Pre-writing was very instrumental in organizing your argument and keeping in mind that it is not a rebuttal, but a much softer and psychological case.  I feel that my use of the Rogerian "words" in the essay was almost forced, and that they did not flow easily.  I need to concentrate on having my entire essay based on acknowledgment and response.  I did like the scholarly source that I found, but I did not feel as if I used it to its full extent. Either I need to find a new excerpt from the source or find a new one all together.  All of my sources are recent, and so they help immensely with conveying my claim that there should be a revised law that incorporates evaluations for the renewal of tenure and a longer time before tenure is considered.  I think that overall the essay is effective and explains both sides of the argument well. I plan on attending the writing lab again to help with my revisions.

Rogerian 3.1

Teacher Tenure: The Holy Grail of the Teaching Profession

Since I truly believe in my mind that anyone reading into this subject initially has attributes of a scholar, I hope to set forth an intellectual and reasoned plan to effectively negotiate the future of teacher tenure.  Being a student myself, I have had first-hand experience with proficient teachers as well as untested teachers, both with tenure, from kindergarten to twelfth grade.  Looking back now, I realize that my eleventh grade AP World History teacher and my eighth grade History teacher both had tenure and responded in two very different ways.  My eighth grade teacher seemed to have no incentive to continue teaching.  She had lost all joy by continuing to teach without changing her curriculum and her students suffered from the lack of enthusiasm.  On the other hand, my eleventh grade teacher was the most out-going and energetic person I have ever met.  It seemed that her need to share all of her knowledge just burst out of her.  I was always captivated in class as she switched styles of teaching to introduce our class to more involved critical thinking.  Those are the kind of teachers that we want teaching students today.

In an article published in Public School Review, Grace Chen says that “a changing world economy and increased focus on our nation’s education system are bringing teacher tenure into the spotlight, and some say it is a tradition that may be outdated” (Chen, par. 1).  This is currently an important and relevant topic as the economy is gradually dropping and the need for steady jobs increases.  Tenure was formed on the foundation of supply and demand, and “just as steel and auto workers fought against unsafe working conditions and unlivable wages, teachers too demanded protection from parents and administrators who would try to dictate lesson plans…” (Stephey, par. 4).  Teachers quickly saw the positive implications of tenure and over two million teachers have tenure by 2008 (ProCon, par 1).  The growing numbers of teachers with this support system just displays how significant this controversy is.  It also puts into perspective how large the effect will be from whatever mutual understanding is made.

The population that is unconvinced with applying tenure nationwide claim that once educators are rewarded, it “inadvertently protects incompetent teachers from being fired” (Stephey, par. 2).  They also state that tenure gives a negative reputation towards the teaching profession (Chen, par. 6) and that it “removes incentives for teachers to put in more than the minimum effort and to focus on improving their teaching” (ProCon, par. 11).  These are all valid reasons for the denial of tenure to be established in the entire nation, but the one that should be addressed the most is the fact that tenure is more involved with the teachers and their welfare than with the students, which is truly where our concern should lie (Chen, par. 5).

There are a few common misconceptions about tenure that need to be understood before any negotiations can be made. Many people believe that tenure is the problem to more educational problems than it can possibly take credit for.  “Eliminating tenure will not reduce class sizes or make schools cleaner and safer.  If tenure is abolished, problems of underfunding, overcrowding, and lack of control over students’ home lives will persist” (ProCon, par. 7).  Other stereotypes that tenure guarantees a teacher a job for life is false.  The use of tenure really only serves two purposes: job security and non-restricted research or beliefs.  It has no effect on the educational system problems that are listed above.

The most common reasons for firing teachers are economic and political, not inability on the teacher’s behalf, as one might believe.  The feeling that a spot is reserved for you alone makes you feel confident, which is exactly what tenure does to teachers…for a certain period of time.  “Many teachers work better when they do not have fears of being fired.  Without the anxiety and fear of losing employment, teachers can focus their efforts on providing the best education for students” (ProCon, par. 13).  This displays the opposite of the overall point that the skeptics of tenure were trying to convey; they stated that tenure caused teachers to be presented above students, but in actuality, the system causes students to become the main focus.

Chen explains that “a tenured teacher cannot be fired on the whim of a school administrator; charges will need to be filed, evaluations submitted, and hearings held” (par. 2).  The lack of motivation that some say go hand-in-hand with the increases of job security is always possible, but that is why a revised tenure law should be admitted.  This new addition would keep teachers honest, assuming they are all worthwhile, until the uncommitted ones are weeded out.

Furthering on the secure jobs aspect of tenure, it would “attract more qualified teachers and eliminate political favoritism” (ProCon, par. 4).  The more teachers applying for each position, the less chance a corrupt principal could find a way to only hire the close family member or friend.  “Tenure encourages the careful selection of qualified and effective teachers.  Since it is difficult to remove tenured teachers, tenure encourages school administrators to take more care when making hiring decisions” (ProCon, par. 11).  Removal of tenure would allow the irresponsible and hasty hiring of teachers and then consequently the abrupt firing of the educators as well.

The other half of my opinion is the importance of teacher experimentation in the classroom.  Educators admit to being afraid of supporting controversial issues or teaching controversial novels such as Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Catcher in the Rye.  Administrators become afraid to punish tenured teachers because of the extremely high cost and effort associated with letting them go.  But the revised tenure laws would allow the educator’s eligibility for the renewal of the agreement to be decided again, after a set period of time.

My friends, it is obvious that we care about the welfare of students in the educational system.  We can agree that we want to teach students with the best teachers.  Parents are always encouraging their kids to reach for the stars and follow whatever path in life intrigues them.  Parents are always there to help to the best of their ability with whatever their kids are having difficulty with.  They know the importance of school and how instrumental the educators are in the learning process.  So why would any parent want the principal’s sister-in-law teaching their kids when there are fully licensed, capable and experienced educators standing around?  Teacher tenure can help.

               The debate over how or if teachers are reevaluated for tenure is a major component in the controversy.   Dan Goldhaber is professor in interdisciplinary arts and sciences at the University of Washington, Bothell.  His work focuses on K-12 educational productivity and addresses the role that structure plays in teacher recruitment.  Goldhaber explains that:

There has been immense debate over policies designed to enhance the quality of teachers.  Recent evidence that observable teacher characteristics are only weakly related to teacher productivity makes current teacher quality policies elusive, leading some education policymakers and researchers to call for using more direct measures of teacher performance to determine employment eligibility (or compensation).  The evidence presented here shows that VAM [*] measures of teacher effectiveness are stable enough that early-career estimates of teacher effectiveness predict student achievement at least three years later, and that they do so far better than observable teacher characteristics. This finding reinforces the notion that these estimates are a reasonable metric to use as a factor in making substantive personnel decisions.  (Goldhaber 5)

*Value-added model, which involves an extremely complicated formula that incorporates family background characteristics, teacher, grade, year, math and reading tests, etc.

Here, Goldhaber states that observable qualities of the educator, such as number of years of experience, type and level of degree, college selectivity and licensure test scores are not as important representative as actual student improvement.  This is again, reaffirming that tenure focuses on the students, not the educators.

The fundamental question comes down to, “how do you get rid of bad teachers without breaking the bank and how do you reward good teachers?”  We need to come up with a long-term fix, coming from not just test results, but from a number of ways and incorporating new approaches in the classroom.  This will add more time and effort into the process, but I believe it is necessary for the success of student education nationwide.  The mutual resolution comes from a mixture of both extremes, and the best possible solution involves the combination of evaluations tied in with student performance results. 

Tenure should not even be considered until after the educator’s fifth school year has been completed at a single location.  Evaluations should be conducted every four years after the initial tenure reward to determine if the educator is eligible for a renewing of the tenure agreement.  This promotes creativity in the classroom and new styles of teaching, including debates and creative thinking exercises.  The evaluations would have a guideline and conducted by a third party.  If deemed necessary, an arbitrator, not a judge, will rule the dismissal case (ProCon, par. 17).

Another problem with the educational system today is the incentive for the teachers.  Teachers interested in helping special needs students or working for impoverished schools should be compensated accordingly.  “In 2008, DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee proposed giving teachers the option of linking pay to performance in exchange for teachers giving up tenure.  The vote in June of 2010 showed that eighty percent of teacher voted in favor of the option” (ProCon, par. 15).  Having teachers declining tenure is their balance between the risky nature of potentially being fired abruptly and the higher pay grade that would be received.

The solution for the tenure controversy is not that far off.  It will just require the collaboration of respected policymakers to bring the proposed resolution to reality.  This needs to be resolved in the near future because right now we could have the principal’s cousin teaching your kids the wrong material.

Works Cited

Chen, Grace. "Teachers and Tenure: Both Sides of the Heated Debate - Public School Review."

Public School Review - Profiles of USA Public Schools. 2 Mar. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Goldhaber, Dan, Michael Hansen, and National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in

Education Research (CALDER) Urban Institute. "Using Performance on the Job to Inform Teacher Tenure Decisions. Brief 10." National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (2010): ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 30 Mar. 2011.

ProCon.org. "Teacher Tenure ProCon.org." teachertenure.procon.org. ProCon.org, 14 Feb.            2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Stephey, M.J. "A Brief History of Tenure - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs,  News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. 17 Nov. 2008. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.