Gov. Christie signs teacher tenure overhaul bill?

by ~ The Rebel ~ Posted 2012/08/06 21:13:37

Related Topics: Chris Christie, School, Teacher, Unions, Teachers, Public School Teachers, Tenure, Public School, Union, New Jersey, Grades, Layoffs

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Gov. Chris Christie today signed a contentious bill aimed at toughening the path to tenure for the state's public school teachers, hailing it as a rare sign of bipartisanship.

Christie acknowledged the crucial role the teachers' unions played in getting the bill passed, and he thanked them.

"The fact of that matter is nothing gets done without their input, support and their help," he said. "I know it 's not everything they wanted to have happen,and it wasn't everything that I wanted to have happen."

Teachers will have to wait at least four years instead of three — and they will have to earn consistently good grades — to gain tenure. Conversely, they can face firing of they get poor evaluations.

However, seniority still has its privileges under the law. New Jersey continues to be one of only 11 states with a last-in, first-out policy for teachers in the event of layoffs.

Christie wanted to eliminate those protections, but agreed to the compromise, which was embraced by the teachers' union.