Coda Greg Bean

Coda
Greg Bean

At the end of last year, my youngest son learned a hard lesson about the unfortunate realities of the tenure system in our schools when two of his favorite educators were let go after three years.

Under the current tenure system, that’s as long as nontenured educators can remain employed. They’re used for three years, they come to love the students and the community, and then — if they’re not granted tenure — they’re unceremoniously dumped with little reason and no recourse.

We wrote a letter to the administration on behalf of one of these teachers, a letter that was not even acknowledged for many weeks and did no good. And this year, when school began again, we gritted our teeth as educators around the state bemoaned the difficulty of attracting and retaining qualified teachers to staff their classrooms.

Last night, my son handed me a letter he’s been pondering for a long time. I said I’d share it with you, so here it is:

* * *

My name is Padraic Bean and I’m a student in the East Brunswick school system.

I write this not as a complaint, but maybe a wake-up call to the school board.

Throughout the last couple of weeks, I have heard several times that East Brunswick and its school system have had trouble "restaffing" and finding "good teachers."

I think that East Brunswick has good teachers — teachers who touch the students as friends and educators. But after three years, we let them go by denying them tenure, not even congratulating them for their undying will to teach.

I feel bad for the students who are going into the eighth and ninth grades. This past year, the East Brunswick school system let go two young teachers that touched the students … especially me.

My eighth-grade health teacher, Mr. Paxson, was let go at the end of last year. He was a fun and pleasant teacher, and there was not one student in any of his classes that didn’t love his class. He was a teacher who gained the trust of students and, in turn, their respect. In doing this, he earned the students’ willingness to learn — and they did.

I also feel bad for the students who are going into the ninth grade at Churchill Junior High School. Last year, one of the ninth-grade math teachers, Mr. Szelingoski, was let go after teaching there for three years. He was a teacher who was loved by his fellow teachers and the students. He was another teacher who loved to teach, and made kids love to learn. He was a dedicated teacher who stayed with me during his lunch period every day for four months, giving me extra help so I could keep up with the class.

I, like many students, loved his class because it was a place to be able to relax, not be yelled at constantly, and to learn. We will all miss him.

I have only one more thing to say to the East Brunswick School Board. Being able to see the school through a student’s eyes gives me an inside view. I don’t see a school system that is having trouble "restaffing." I see a school system full of eager young teachers who love their jobs and may be gone next year because they aren’t granted tenure.

So I have a word of advice. Don’t worry about restaffing next year, or the raises in the teachers’ paychecks if they get tenure. Keep the good teachers, because as we are beginning to see, they are priceless.

* * *

I think he speaks for many former students of these teachers, and many teachers like them.

The tenure system in our school districts is shameful and unfair. Unfair to the students, who are denied the opportunity to learn from such wonderful educators. Unfair to school boards and administrators, who find it almost impossible to remove tenured teachers who are no longer doing their jobs. Unfair to teachers like "Mr. Ski" who can’t even fight for the jobs they’re about to lose because they don’t want to make waves and jeopardize their chances of finding work in another district. Unfair to taxpayers who are constantly asked for more money to attract new teachers. Unfair to new teachers coming into the district with hopes of making a home and career here, with a three-year sword of Damocles hanging over their collective heads.

This is the dirty little secret of public education, and it must be changed. But if it isn’t, at the very least we owe it to young educators in our system to be honest.

Our administrators should know after one year if a new teacher will make the grade. They should certainly know after two. That’s just good management, and as a manager myself, I know it’s possible to evaluate an employee’s potential, and let them know their long-term prospects in well under a year, much less two.

To use these teachers, their skills and energy for three long years, and then tell them they’re not good enough for serve for four is indefensible, no matter what rationale their administrators and evaluators use.

And that’s something to keep in mind the next time you hear a principal, school board member, or administrator singing the blues about the difficulty of staffing our classrooms with qualified teachers.

Gregory Bean is executive editor of Greater Media Newspapers