THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170331
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 86 lines
Although his School Board colleagues offered little support for pursuing change in the state tenure law, Daniel Arris said he plans to ask for a vote on the issue at the board's next meeting on Nov. 5.
Arris said Wednesday that he will ask his fellow members to approve notifying the city's General Assembly delegation that the board backs the Governor's Commission on Champion Schools in its call for renewable contracts rather than continuing contracts for teachers. He also plans to ask the board to encourage the Virginia School Boards Association to offer a resolution supporting the Governor's Commission on renewable contracts.
``I'm going to make (the Beach board) vote it down,'' said Arris, recognizing a lack of support for the measure on the board.
During Tuesday's board meeting, several members said the division should look internally at the process for evaluation of teachers and providing additional training rather than going to the General Assembly to change tenure law.
Several board members said responsibility for student success extends beyond the teachers and that a strong evaluation process, good ongoing teacher training by the division, and proper enforcement of existing policies would be a more practical alternative than attempting to change state law.
``I think we need to look in-house before we look to the legislature,'' said board member Donald Bennis. He suggested the board look at the policies, bylaws and evaluation process governing a principal who is reviewing a teacher's performance.
Board member Nancy Guy suggested looking to other school districts that have particularly successful evaluation models for ideas on how to better assess teachers. She suggested that the issue be looked at beyond tenure.
Arris also said Wednesday he would bring forward a second proposal for a board vote which would boost the priority of looking at the current teacher evaluation system, studying other districts with effective systems, and starting immediate training for principals to reinforce how the evaluation process works.
By offering two measures, Arris said he hoped ``to get one of them passed.''
Retired teacher Betty Hotchkin told the board that teacher training provided by the division has dropped off sharply. Hotchkin said she was a mediocre teacher starting out, but that support from her supervisor and access to training changed that and helped her learn ``what great teaching was all about.''
``This tenure dialogue does nothing to encourage excellence,'' she said.
And teacher Judy Goodman told the board, ``I fear (a move to change tenure) would result in lower morale from an already distressed staff.''
Arris had first broached the subject two weeks ago. He later said that while existing tenure law was effective in removing poor teachers, it did not work well when the teachers were marginal or mediocre. He, and others on the board, have said repeatedly that most city teachers do their jobs well, and that only a small percentage present a problem.
He favors a plan which would allow school officials simply not to renew the contract of a problem teacher rather than going through the dismissal process. Arris said the plan could be ``grandfathered'' in to affect new teachers as they join the system but not those already employed.
Most organizations and states that have looked into such plans would allow the hearing and appeal process for dismissals during the term of the contract. But appeal of a non-renewal would have to be pursued through civil courts on the grounds of discrimination or the like.
Arris would also want a local option in such a law so that only divisions that wanted to switch from traditional tenure would do so.
Supporters of the renewable contracts plan say it would give teachers protection without insuring continuous employment for those who do not deserve it. Critics say, however, a renewable contract would leave effective teachers vulnerable to dismissal if they clashed with their principal. They say the existing system works well, guaranteeing teachers a fair hearing but not lifetime employment.
Currently, if a Virginia teacher successfully completes a three-year probation, he is awarded ``continuing contract status.'' That means, barring a finding of incompetency, immorality or a handful of other reasons including a blanket category ``other good just cause,'' a teacher remains employed. He is supposed to be evaluated periodically throughout his career by his school principal and other administrators.
If a teacher is dismissed for cause for one of those reasons, he is entitled to due process, which is a hearing by the school board or a fact-finding panel with both sides supporting their positions with documentation. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Daniel Arris will ask his board to support the Governor's Commission
on Champion Schools. by CNB