Tenure Is the Main Drag

If there is any urgency about raising student achievement in the nation’s big cities (and there should be), it is utterly absurd that a public-school principal cannot remove an incompetent teacher from a classroom for two years or longer because of union-negotiated agreements.
 
Education writer Jay Mathews identified a drag on school reform that can be summarized in one word: tenure. (“For Kids’ Sake, Power to Fire Teachers Crucial,” Sept. 29) High-performing charter schools don’t have that drag because they hire on an “at will” basis. A principal can dismiss teachers for non-performance, and, just as importantly, reward them for helping their students achieve at high levels.
 
Ideally, all public schools should be run like charter schools.

Robert Holland (rholland@heartland.org) is Senior Fellow for Education Policy at The Heartland Institute.