MCS Tenure Process demonstrates progress according to plan

Memphis City Schools announced yesterday that approximately 40 out of 499 teachers having completed three years of service were denied tenure. This represents an 8% denial rate, up from a 3% (18 denied out of 448) denial rate last year. See article here: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/apr/07/40-teachers-not-tenured-face-firing/

Please take note of the following...

MCS' Teacher Effectiveness Initiative (TEI), funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, local investors and the MCS, is committed to four strategic initiatives:
(1) Using a common process to define and measure effective teaching;
(2) Improving the quality of teachers in the classroom;
(3) Increasing the support and compensation of existing teachers; and
(4) Improving the culture in schools for both teachers and students to foster effective teaching and learning.

Within #2 (Improving the quality of teachers in the classroom), there are four key initiatives:
(1) Improving the recruitment and hiring of high-potential teachers (of which the MTR is a strategic partner);
(2) Raising the bar and improving the process for granting tenure;
(3) Increasing the retention of effective teachers; and,
(4) Increasing the turnover of the most ineffective teachers.

I bring this to your attention so that the community may know a couple of things...
1. MCS has a clear plan for improving teaching and learning (see TEI plan above); and
2. There is real progress being made. The tenure process, in one year, has improved measurably.

We're moving in the right direction. Press on.