Bloomberg Rips Teacher Tenure Protection Bill

By RICHARD STEIER

Mayor Bloomberg April 6 called a bill that would protect Teachers from being denied tenure on the basis of students' test scores "an outrage" and "unconscionable."

MAYOR BLOOMBERG: Tie tenure to scores.

The Assembly had approved the measure four weeks ago as part of its budget bill that is now under consideration among both houses of the Legislature and Governor Paterson. It is supported by the United Federation of Teachers, although union President Randi Weingarten denied being a force behind its drafting.

'An Insult to Teachers'

The Daily News quoted Mr. Bloomberg as saying that the bill was designed "to prevent school boards from judging Teachers on whether or not they teach, and whether or not their kids learn. All of us are judged on whether or not we do a good job, and to not judge Teachers the same ways, it's an insult to the Teachers."

Ms. Weingarten had previously asserted that it was the Mayor who was trying to change the rules of the game after the state Board of Regents last spring established tenure standards that did not include student test scores. She told the News that Mr. Bloomberg was seeking to place an added burden on "the shoulders of Teachers at the same time that he is cutting the education budget."

JOSEPH L. BRUNO: Key to bill's fate.

The Assembly bill prohibits local school districts from imposing their own criteria for deciding tenure if it is not specifically required in the standards set by the Regents. Under those standards, Teachers' use of student-performance data to improve instruction could be considered in the tenure process, but actual student test scores could not.

In January it was revealed that the Department of Education had implemented a pilot program tracking the test-score performance of Teachers at 240 schools throughout the five boroughs. Department of Education officials said at the time that they believed they could use that data as part of the decision-making process for granting Teachers tenure. They scoffed at the UFT's assertion that such a change had to be negotiated with the union.

It was not clear what position the State Senate would take on the bill. Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno has had strong relations with Ms. Weingarten, but Mr. Bloomberg has provided significant financial aid to Republican State Senators in their bid to preserve their slim majority in the Legislature's upper house in the November elections.