Last year, the State Board of Education approved a plan that ties teacher licenses to student test performance, but the number of complaints is leading the board to consider alternative plans.
Officials with the Tennessee Education Association, Tennessee's largest teachers group, are touring the state in an attempt to reverse that policy, saying it puts jobs on the line and livelihoods at risk.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that members of the Board of Education will consider other plans because of mounting complaints. The issue is on the board’s agenda for January 31st.
The Tennessee Department of Education says the policy keeps the lowest performing teachers out of schools. Under the current system, some teachers that repeatedly fail automatically get their 10-year licenses renewed. The agency predicts as many as 200 of the state’s 65,000 teachers could lose their licenses annually because of poor performance.
