Expanding on principles he has described in a series of town hall meetings this spring, including Tuesday's meeting in Cape May County, Gov. Chris Christie offered seven bills to the legislative caucuses Wednesday
Among the proposals, failing teachers would lose tenure protection if they were ranked ineffective one year, or partly ineffective for two years. They would be assessed through a new system of monitoring and measuring test scores, he said.
Teachers who lose tenure would remain employed but unprotected. They could earn back tenure through demonstrated improvement.
"Good teachers have no fear of accountability," Christie said.
He says the change will also affect the rules known as "last in, first out." Any staff reductions would first affect failing, not the newest, teachers under Christie's proposed system.
He also calls to end forced placement, where tenured teachers must be placed at other schools in the case of school closings.
Compensation would be adjusted to reflect better teacher performance, the governor said. At the same time, he said pay should be higher for teachers in struggling districts and to encourage the teaching of understaffed subjects.
Tenure proceedings should be resolved in 30 days. Finally, he proposes letting districts opt out of civil service.
