“Research confirms that teachers are the most important factor in a child’s education. But unlike ot

These suggestions implemented could go a long way in promoting competency among teachers and an incentive to excel in teaching practices.

From on site evaluators to institutes for policy making, from students to parents, from teachers to school boards, all know a problem exist when it comes to removing incompetent teachers from the classroom. To improve teacher quality, a study by the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy recommends:

Reform Act challenges teachers as a group to be totally responsible for student performance. This collective responsibility requires that incompetence among individual teachers be confronted” (Holland). A period for retraining / remediation and correction is mandated. However, KERA clearly stipulates that if the inproficient teacher does not take advantage of these opportunities for professional growth and demonstrates improved skills then the teacher will be dismissed. Kentucky also has an view board for teacher competency that is independent of the courts. Other states have also done this. California for example, created a separate venue - The California Commission on Professional Competence - which has authority over teacher competency hearings. These types of panels statically uphold incompetence dismissals more than courts (Ellis).

Some may disagree with doing away with tenure. Tenure may have incentive pay and continual professional growth opportunities, but why would any teacher want to receive the same pay as someone that does half the work. The better job one does the better pay one should get. That is how it works in other professions. One bad teacher can give a school a poor reputation. Being subject to one bad teacher, can give a student years of trouble. Competency is the most important feature a teacher can possess.

According to the Tennessee Allocate (2000), section 49-5-511 on page 246, “The causes for which a teacher may be dismissed are as follows: incompetence, inefficiency, neglect of duty, unprofessional conduct and insubordination.” But teachers must be given due process, they cannot just be fired without written notices, interview, appeals board, and allotted a period of time for correction. Only if these long drawn out procedures are followed may an incompetent instructors be justifiably dismissed. But what constitutes incompentancy?

Expand parental choice in education (“Despite”).

The National Teachers Exam (NTE) has changed over the last decade. Now known as the Praxis, it continues to be a national professional assessment for teachers and administrators. Cost may range for one test from $25 to $140 dollars. Beginning teachers must be assessed at three levels: academic skills, subject area, and classroom performance. Expectable score levels are determined by the individual state. But can a test determine whether or not the person will be an effective teacher? According to Lois Weiner, Ed.D., “I failed the essay portion of New York’s Teacher Certification Exam that measures professional knowledge...My doctorate in education is from Harvard...The company that creates, administers and grades the tests [National Evaluation Systems] has refused to consider the challenge I’ve lodged against my score”(Wiener). While standardized test are supposed to assess knowledge, they do not assess the ap

Some topics in this essay:
Incompetent Teachers, Public Policy, Professional Competence, Principal Moser, School Board, School District, Sequoyah School, Evaluation Systems, Reform Act, David Alexander, incompetent teachers, school district, incompetent teacher, professional competence, school board, teacher competency, teacher dismissed, near impossible, formally observed times, impossible dismiss, okay teacher, near impossible dismiss, california commission professional, removing incompetent teachers, commission professional competence,