On Tenure
Year 4 Tenure affords important protections to New York City educators. Probationary teachers work with integrity and care to put together applications demonstrating effective practice and professional growth. They showcase classroom projects where students weave creation stories with historical events, or certifications to teach students with disabilities. Tenured teachers can’t be fired without due process and are entitled to a hearing if faced with disciplinary action. This is only granted with principal recommendation and superintendent approval. Student learning is a mandatory component of success to receive tenure. It is measured through improved performance on state and classroom assessments, metrics meant to be objective and confidential. One teacher was directed to grade their own students’ Regents exams. On schoolwide diagnostics, they were encouraged to inflate scores as the year progressed. To compile data for a report on student achievement, a school administrator advised ...