Luna: Cut Tenure For New Teachers

State Supt. Tom Luna said his “second pillar” of reform also includes “focused, meaningful professional development and continuing education” for educators, along with more flexibility in hiring both for school districts and school principals, who would have veto power over hires at their school. He also said he’s proposing “fair and effective labor practices,” which he defined as a two-year rolling contract for all new teachers to replace tenure. “We can no longer permit a forever contract in our schools,” he said, saying that no research shows tenure improves student achievement. Existing teachers, however, would retain it, he said/ Betsy Russell , Eye On Boise. More here .

• ‘No correlation’ between student-teacher ratio, student achievement
• 3rd pillar: Limit all collective bargaining agreements to one year
• Increase class sizes in grades 4 to 12 to save millions
• Luna: ‘Age, longevity don’t define quality teaching’
• Luna outlines pay-for-performance plan
• Every ninth-grader would be given a laptop
• Luna’s ‘three pillars’
• Luna: Current education system is ‘financially unsustainable’, must change

Question: Will the elimination of new teachers prompt new teachers to go to other states for work? And/or: What do you think of Luna’s ‘three pillars’?