Llewellyn Boyle: Instead of keeping teachers hanging on, help them grow in their field

Re “Good school leaders track teacher progress in timely way” (Page A7, June 12): Thanks to The Bee’s Mike Dunbar for his articulate and intelligent outing of AB1220. This bill, if it were to become law, would extend a new teacher’s probationary period from two years to three.

The real intent behind this bill, as Dunbar correctly notes, has little to do with developing better teachers. It does, however, have everything to do with a long-standing but ill-conceived attack on teachers’ unions. In reality, any competent, diligent school administrator has nearly two years to identify and, if necessary, dismiss a probationary teacher who is not performing up to standard.

Our legislature would be far better advised to work cooperatively with all stakeholders in public education – including the teachers’ unions – to make teaching a more attractive profession rather than work to undermine their unions.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Llewellyn Boyle: Instead of keeping teachers hanging on, help them grow in their field."