Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced dramatic plans yesterday to end automatic tenure for the city’s teachers.
Principals decide if teachers make tenure after three years in the classroom. But starting this year, Bloomberg said teachers must show they have made progress, such as improved test scores, in order to get the lifetime job protection.
“Our policy will be very simple. Only teachers who help students and schools move ahead significantly for at least two consecutive years will earn tenure,” said the mayor.
Bloomberg said he would do away with the “first-in, first-out” layoff policy, under which the most recently hired teachers are the first to lose their job in layoffs.
He’s unlikely to get the required approval of the state Legislature for that part of his plan, said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers.
“Given that body’s lack of enthusiasm for many of the mayor’s plans — like congestion pricing — we expect an appropriate amount of skepticism,” said Mulgrew.
Bloomberg will also use a recent $36 million federal education grant to implement a unique form of compensation: He’ll give 30 percent raises for “master teachers” who mentor others and 15 percent raises for turnaround teachers.
