Michigan House Approves Teacher Tenure Proposals

LANSING (AP) - The Republican-controlled Michigan House has voted to change the tenure system for teachers in the state.

Sponsors of the legislation approved Thursday say it's aimed at removing ineffective teachers from the classroom unless their performance improves. A main bill in the package passed by a 70-37 vote and next goes to the Senate.

Current Michigan law places teachers on probation for their first four school years. The House proposal would lengthen the probationary period to five years. That could be shortened to three years for highly rated teachers.

Teachers would have to be rated as "effective" or better on the majority of their performance evaluations to get off probation.

Tenured teachers could be returned to probation if they are rated as ineffective and continued poor ratings would result in dismissal.

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