Good way to get rid of bad teachers

We all know that Illinois’ state budget crisis has had a devastating impact on our schools. Student well-being should be at the center of every decision superintendents make, yet when we face massive deficits and must make hard decisions about cutting teachers, we have long been forced to follow a simple rule: last hired, first fired, regardless of a teacher’s performance.

The Illinois House joined their Senate colleagues May 12 in passing historic legislation to change this situation. Senate Bill 7 will make it possible for me and other district leaders across the state to consider a teacher’s track record of performance when we must make the hard decisions about layoffs.

SB7 will also change the teacher tenure process. In the past, all teachers who “survived” for four years in a classroom were awarded tenure. Under SB7, tenure will be restructured to ensure teachers earn it through strong performance.

Finally, it will create an efficient process for dismissing ineffective teachers in Illinois. Currently, it can take as long as five years to remove an ineffective teacher and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars sorely needed in our classrooms. Research shows that if an elementary schoolchild has three weak teachers over three years, his/her education is likely to be permanently compromised. SB7 will streamline the removal process so our students have the chance to learn from the best educators in our schools.

Education management, governmental agencies, education reform activists and the teachers unions all came together to negotiate this bill in the Senate and now stand in support of its student-centric policies.

SB7 will make a great difference for the children of Aurora and Illinois. And it was the leadership of our representative, Linda Chapa LaVia in hearings last December that put education reform at the top of the agenda for this General Assembly.

Jim Rydland

Superintendent

West Aurora Unit District 129