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Tenure Clarification Amendments

Level of Government: State

Dear Legislator;

As an educator and constituent, I am asking for your support of tenure language that clarifies accountability provisions put into place last year by the Legislature and the governor.

These amendments will not restrict local control or make it more difficult to deny tenure. Tenure recommendations and decisions will continue to be made at the district level by administrators, superintendents and school boards.

These amendments simply clarify the accountability provisions you put into place last year to establish statewide standards for granting tenure. This includes how a teacher uses available student data -- such as state test results, student work, school-developed assessments and teacher-developed assessments -- to provide and adjust instruction.

Student tests are not designed to evaluate individual teachers. Using student test scores as a blunt instrument to evaluate teachers would penalize educators who take on difficult teaching assignments and those who work in the neediest, most hard to staff schools.

The standards you established last year are part of the Legislature's commendable multi-year commitment to providing additional resources and quality instruction to close the achievement gap for students in need.

I am calling on you, as my elected representative, to support this important legislation that results in a fair tenure determination process and high standards for the teaching profession.

Thank you.

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