Q5) After watching the film and our class discussions about it, what have you learned about the concept of TENURE? What didn’t you know prior? What are your thoughts about it now? Is it a viable way to retain good teachers? What are the problems with tenure as you see it? Be sure to address how you would measure quality/poor teaching in your answer.

Before taking this class I honestly had no clue what "tenure" meant. Now that I've watched "Waiting For Superman" and from class lectures I have learned that tenure is basically a way for a teacher to have their job secured. It is not impossible to fire a tenured teacher but it is extremely difficult to do so. It would also require a long process that goes through court. I'm not really sure that I like the process of tenure because just because a teacher has been teaching for a long time doesn't mean they are extremely good at it. I do not think it is a worthwhile way to retain teachers because as I previously said, it doesn't guarantee that they are good. Tenure could be made good if it was measured possibly by students taking a survey where the teachers don't know what is on it because if they do then they will purposely do better in those areas. As I see tenure, I think a problem with it is that once teachers know they have a secure position then they may tend to slack off and not try as hard to give the children the proper education that they need to succeed in life.