House Bill 576 and Senate Bill 438 both look to end the continuing contract system for the teachers and administrator of Virginia. Under the current system, teachers are not guaranteed a job, only due process and documentation in order to be terminated. If we move to annual contracts or three years contract with a large portion of the evaluation tied to student performance, we could see some unintended consequences. I think teachers should be held accountable and student achievement should be part of the evaluation, but there is more to it. With limited resources, intervention resources are scarce. Administrators rely on teachers to give and take and share intervention resources. A teacher worried about an annual contract will be less likely to collaborate and share those resources. What about the current teacher training process, “student teaching.” If I am a classroom teacher, I might think twice about wanting a student teacher. If I am worried about an annual contact, am I going to be willing to turn my classroom over to a “student” for a good portion of a semester. The same could be said of veteran teachers taking the time to mentor newer teachers. I can see this type of system creating a very competitive, non-collaborative work environment. I think we need to proceed with caution and realize the unintended effects of all the current legislation. I think there is a middle ground where we can hold teachers accountable, but also show them the respect and appreciation of a continuing contract.
