Lawsuit Challenges Teacher Tenure Policies: Ineffective Teachers End Up In Many Public Schools

A lawsuit challenges teacher tenure in Minnesota. The lawsuit questions the policies and rules implemented by the state in choosing which teachers are retained and which are laid off. Parents who filed the lawsuit are clamoring against the fact that many inefficient teachers end up teaching in public schools, leaving many children disadvantaged.

Veteran Teachers Favored

The parents filed the lawsuit to the district court of Ramsey County in St. Paul. New York Times reported that Minnesota's teacher tenure laws favoring retention of veteran teachers unduly harm the learning process of children. Such teacher tenure law indiscriminately lay off possibly good teachers, thereby depriving students of learning from skilled teachers.

The Star Tribune said that the Teacher Tenure Act, which grants protection to teachers from being laid off after three years of service, is at the core issue of the lawsuit. This law implements Last In First Out principle where new teachers are fired first regardless of their skill or abilities as a teacher.

Teacher Unions Oppose

While this lawsuit stems from the concern of parents over their children's education, teacher unions are expected to oppose the parents' claims. Hardly will these unions agree that the ones left to teach in classrooms are the inefficient and unskilled teachers.

"Stripping teachers of workplace protections will harm, not help, those students most at risk," said Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers president. She also said that recruiting and supporting teachers is the way to go. Firing teachers is not a very good option.

Impeding Children's Learning

Parents who filed the lawsuit strong believe that the Teacher Tenure Act impedes their children's learning. They feel that inadequate teachers are retained to teach their children.

"This is a conversation about students' fundamental right to an education and the laws that get in the way of that right," said Jesse Stewart, one of the counsels of the parents who filed the suit. As expected, the state's education commissioner defended Minnesota laws. She said that due process is observed in firing teachers.

Those who oppose the lawsuit said that the school districts in the country have more problems that teacher tenure. Indeed, while teacher tenure may be an issue but bigger problems like inadequate funding and insufficient preparation of new teachers must also be confronted.