LANSING (AP) -- Governor Snyder signs some ground breaking legislation Tuesday afternoon that signifcantly change the teacher tenure system in Michigan.
7&4's Kate Fox breaks down the changes.
The four bills Governor Snyder signed to law Tuesday afternoon now require school districts to rate teachers as "highly effective", "effective", "minimally effective", or "ineffective."
The goal is to make teachers performance rather than seniority the key factor for awarding tenure and deciding lay offs.
Marlowe Franklin is a parent who supports the new changes saying, "I don't think there's anything wrong with holding teachers accountable. In my job I’m held accountable... everyone else is held accountable. Our kids are the future, they’re going to be taking over this country one day -- wouldn't we want to make sure they have the best?"
But union members say it is another legislative attack on teachers.
President of Traverse City Education Association Mary McGee-Cullen says, "I think this is mean spirited and I think it's over kill...he's just ruining the profession of teaching!"
The law also introduces a new teacher year-end evaluation that will be based on student performance and progress.
It also prevents the union's collective bargaining in terms of negotiating teacher placement, recall, or layoffs.
To get even more details check out the video above.
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Gov. Rick Snyder is preparing to sign into law changes to the state's teacher tenure system that supporters say will make it easier to remove ineffective teachers from the classroom.
Supporters say the legislation to be signed Tuesday makes teacher performance rather than seniority the key factor in awarding tenure and deciding layoffs within a district.
Democrats say the proposals are part of a continued legislative attack on teachers and union rights and won't improve the state's schools.
Teachers already are reeling from state budget cuts to education that could force layoffs in many districts headed into the next academic year.
GOP lawmakers also are working on legislation that would require many teachers and other public employees to pay a larger share of their own health insurance costs.
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