Teacher Tenure Changes Get One Step Closer

A measure that would make tenure harder for teachers to get and easier to lose has been unanimously approved by the New Jersey Assembly.

It was passed Monday on a 79-0 vote.

Under the bill, teachers would need at least four years on the job to be granted tenure — up from the current three. And they wouldn’t get it automatically — they would also need high marks on their evaluations.

However, it doesn’t do something many education reform advocates want to see done: Make seniority a smaller factor in deciding which educators would lose their jobs in case of layoffs.

But dropping that provision helped get support of teachers unions.

The Senate unanimously passed a similar bill last week, but has not yet considered the latest amended version.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)