Vote no on 74

Currently, new teachers in California can be dismissed for any reason during their two-year probationary period. Once permanent, they can still be dismissed, but only after due process. They can be suspended from work in the meantime. 

Prop. 74 extends the probationary period to five years and takes away a teacher’s right to due process: a teacher could be dismissed after only two consecutive unsatisfactory evaluations without even a review of the accuracy of the evaluation.   Weak or new principals are often intimidated by the influence of the best teachers. A few bad principals could unfairly impact many good teachers.   Prop. 74 could also be improperly used to cut school budgets. Poor evaluations could be used to replace experienced teachers with less expensive ones. When a teacher transfers districts, most will only credit four years of experience. A 15-year veteran teacher could be dismissed and forced to apply elsewhere. The teacher would not only have two—possibly unjustified—poor evaluations on file, but the teacher would also lose 11 years on the salary scale. The old district hires a cheaper teacher in his/her place, and the new district gets an experienced teacher for a good price. Want to be a teacher?

Say you’re a principal. Two unsatisfactory evaluations means that a teacher could be dismissed and you’re unsure how “unsatisfactory” is defined. 

Do you include weaknesses in otherwise good teacher evaluations? Document them and anyone could pull the file and claim that the teacher should be fired. Don’t document them and the weaknesses may remain or worsen. 

Prop. 74 puts principals between a rock and a hard place too.   We need teachers and proactive principals. Prop. 74 isn’t going to encourage good people to the profession, and it isn’t necessary. Districts are already implementing BTSA and other new support and accountability programs for beginning teachers, and if a teacher needs to be dismissed, he or she can be. If lazy districts won’t pursue due process, blame them, not teachers.  Kim Marra Stephenson Teacher, Conejo Valley Unified School District