NJEA: Meaningful reform is more than evaluation, tenure | NJ.com

NJEA: Meaningful reform is more than evaluation, tenure | NJ.com:

NJEA: Meaningful reform is more than evaluation, tenure

Published: Sunday, November 06, 2011, 7:23 AM

By Star-Ledger Guest Columnist

By Barbara Keshishian

If the New Jersey Education Association’s position on education reform was as obstinate as The Star-Ledger believes, our union would deserve the criticism it has received.

But the truth is, NJEA supports real education reform, including changes to tenure and evaluation that will help districts identify which teachers are performing at a high level and make it easier to remove those who do not do their jobs.

So as legislators, educators, parents and others prepare to debate education reform, let’s stipulate one thing: No one wants to keep ineffective teachers in New Jersey’s public schools, because students come first. The debate then