By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina may join the growing list of states that have tackled the teacher tenure problem.

And the proposed reform looks like it may be one of the toughest yet.

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Legislation recently introduced in the state Senate would limit teachers to working under performance-based one-year contracts, which would make it much easier for schools to fire ineffective educators, according to an article published by the Asheville Citizen-Times. The same legislation would also introduce merit pay for outstanding teachers.

“There are 90,000 teachers in North Carolina and less than 50 (per year) are let go for cause,” said state Sen. Tom Apodaca, a sponsor of the legislation.  “You can’t tell me we have 90,000 outstanding teachers …”

Some critics say the legislation is designed to get even with teachers due to their opposition to recent state budget cuts that affected public schools. Democratic state Sen. Martin Nesbitt desribed the legislation as part of the Republican majority’s “all-out assault on the public school system in the state.”

“That is absolute, total nonsense,” Apocada said. “It’s people who just want to say ‘we need need more money in education.’ We are just trying to get the debate going on how we can improve what we have.”