Following President Obama’s proposals to improve America’s school systems, multiple state governors have called for the elimination of teacher tenure. Obama’s Race to the Top program (RTTT) grants $4 billion to states that have achieved federal goals for education, including improvements in student achievement. Some governors suspect that ending tenure will allow school administrations to remove incompetent teachers and reach the goals of this program.

Tenure ensures that a teacher is given due process and is protected from being fired because of race, gender or political views. MCPS teachers are put on probation during the first two years of employment. During this time period, they are observed and evaluated by Principal Joan Benz based on their performance and teaching skills; they are later given tenure and evaluated every five years.

“The CHS teacher evaluation system is a very fair and reasonable process,” Benz said.

The Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) is a MCPS teacher assistance program created 10 years ago to help teachers become more successful at school. According to Benz, the PAR program allows teachers to assist their colleagues who are not performing well.

Hoping to obtain $250 million from the RTTT program, Maryland governor Martin O’Malley recently proposed more rigid rules for tenure. Teachers will now receive annual evaluations on student growth and student test scores will determine the effectiveness of in-class instruction. Highly effective teachers will be determined based off 50 percent of students’ test scores.

MCPS has consistently had a high ranking of National Board certified teachers and was recently granted a high achievement award for testing and evaluating teachers. According to department of communications specialist Lesli Maxwell, MCPS has more of a speculative stance on state tenure issues.

“I doubt that tenure elimination laws will be passed in Maryland because we have strong unionized educational groups,” Benz said. “Even if they were to be passed, CHS has great teachers so the elimination would probably not affect the growth of [our] professionals.”

Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of the D.C. public schools system, founded the New Teacher Project in 1997 to hire and train new teachers. Offering $20,000 to $30,000 and 20 percent pay raises for more efficient student achievement, Rhee tried to end tenure.

Though many parents and teachers disapproved of Rhee’s agenda, student achievement percentages skyrocketed: nearly 90 percent of students scored in the 90th percentile or higher and graduation rates improved from three percent to 72 percent.

Although some governors believe tenure should be eliminated, others believe it must be slightly reduced by reforming seniority.

According to Florida Governor Rick Scott, teachers should know that they only need tenure if they do not perform tasks properly and need protection. However, Scott also believes that eliminating tenure might take away teachers’ freedom.

“I would, and so would others, lose the right to be treated fairly,” social studies teacher Arthur Bescher said. “Teachers would be terrified to say anything, especially if they are not popular with the administration.”