ly to discuss the future of teacher unionism, with an eye toward school quality rather than employee protections and benefits. But in some cases, the unions are seen as an obstacle. Many people, including some teachers, are frustrated that pay scales are so rigid. But union opposition has stifled attempts to institute merit-pay programs, which would give administrators the ability to reward teachers they consider to be performing well. Union members believe that might result in arbitrary decisions. And the next big educational battle may be over the issue of teacher tenure. Teachers usually earn tenure after two or three years of acceptable service, giving them tremendous job security. A district that wants to fire a tenured teacher must typically undergo a lengthy process of hearings and appeals. One purpose of tenure laws is to protect teachers from being dismissed because of political or personal views. Opponents, however, argue that tenure makes it difficult for districts to fire unqualified teachers. On a similar front, several studies are also now being conducted to examine ways to dramatically overhaul the entire teacher-compensation system--not just change a bit of it here or there. Undeniably, much remains to be done. A major report issued in September by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future offered a scathing indictment of current practices, including inadequate teacher education, bureaucratic hiring procedures, and the placement of unqualified teachers in classrooms. The report set the price tag for remedying these problems within a decade at nearly $5 billion a year in new federal, state, and local money which should be spent on upgrading teacher education, subsidizing people to teach in high-need fields and locations, reforming the licensing and induction process, and better professional development. ...
