Pilot Lights: Making Teacher Tenure Meaningful

April 10, 2011

Every year in New York City, some 7,000 teachers are considered for tenure.  It’s a far-reaching decision, and a critical opportunity to shape the city’s teacher workforce.

Yet until recently, these decisions were made with little scrutiny. Principals could grant the equivalent of lifetime job security by simply ticking off a box, with no rationale or supporting evidence.

In 2010, New York City principals made the most rigorous teacher tenure decisions on record, defying a history in which teachers typically received tenure by default. What caused the change? Clear priorities, accountability for principals and good management of existing district data.

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