Research by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) shows that in 1993 to 1994, over 60 percent of all public educational institutions had academic tenure systems. The percentage of schools from 2009 to 2010 with tenure was only 47 percent. Clearly, the tenure system is slowly declining in the U.S., but the merits of this program are still valid in contemporary classrooms.
Public Ignorance
Research conducted by Gallup regarding teacher tenure comprehension revealed that over half of American adults do not fully understand the concept of tenure. Around 20 percent of adults polled support tenure, but another 20 percent oppose tenure. Education advocates and school system reformers push for legislative changes when they should be more focused on public awareness and community outreach programs. The only way to increase public support for tenure is to publicize the processes, standards and milestones that teachers must successfully reach and navigate to achieve tenure status. The dictionary defines tenure as the act of granting permanent employment status to public school teachers.
The Pros and Cons
People who support tenure are usually found within teacher unions and school board associations. They usually feel that tenure protects teachers from being unexpectedly terminated because of arbitrary decisions or unfair public opinion. The biggest benefits of job security include job security for teachers, experienced teachers for schools and quality teachers for students. People who oppose tenure feel that it encourages educators to become complacent about their work quality. It can also empower incompetent teachers to stay in classrooms for longer periods of time. In the end, tenure systems must be merit-based in order to weed out the unqualified and retain the qualified teachers.
Tenure Doesn’t Guarantee a Lifetime Job
Teaching tenure actually refers to the legal right to due process within academic and administrative systems. Tenure means that an educational facility cannot directly terminate a teacher without presenting substantial, fact-based evidence of incompetency or inappropriate behavior. Other valid factors include budget limitations and the closure of academic departments. Ideally, it should be equally intentionally difficult to become a tenured professor and terminate a tenured professor. The probationary period for tenured professors is around three years for community colleges and seven years for universities.
Tenure Is a Career-long Process
Teachers and professors who achieve tenure still remain accountable through period performance evaluations. Professors with tenure are not guaranteed promotions and salary increases at most colleges and universities. Instead, most educational facilities favor merit-based reward systems that recognize individual achievements. Many research universities routinely scrutinize the number of grant applications submitted and the number of articles published in distinguished journals. The continual process of grading teacher performance ensures that due process rights are observed and that appropriate accountability is implemented.
Tenure Doesn’t Increase Idleness and Waste
Many critics of tenure claim that it results in teachers becoming lazy and schools wasting money. Some feel that tenured professors in universities are forced to conduct meaningless research instead of spending valuable time in classrooms teaching. In reality, tenured professors statistically publish more than their peers and serve on more committees. This is because full-time, tenured professors are required to serve on academic committees while also conducting research and teaching. Most tenured professors actually prefer teaching because it is more interesting and rewarding than research and office work.
Overall, academic tenure is when teachers and professors gain enhanced job security, which increases the quality and quantity of their educational activities like teaching and research.
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