Comments on: New Jersey Teacher Tenure

By: Maria

Maria — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:50:03 +0000

Thanks for the response. The president of his Union was in the meeting but did not say one word on his behalf.

By: Brandon Horn

Brandon Horn — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:48:05 +0000

Not all positions are equivalent. Your friend would need to hold a certification in an area for which a teacher is needed. The nuances of your friend’s case require that he get answers from his union representatives or from an attorney.

By: Maria

Maria — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:43:24 +0000

Question for my friend. He has tenure. His school is closing so he is waiting to see what school he will be transferred to. He had a meeting with HR and President of his union. Instead of him getting a position in a school he is on a TBD list. So, as of right now, he has no job. There are teachers with no tenure under him but they have a position. Shouldn’t he be able to get a position before them? Is there a tenure law that states he would get first choice before a non-tenured teacher? He has been in the district for 8 years.
Thanks,
Maria

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:00:36 +0000

Some Building and Grounds supervisors that have been given multiple three year contracts have been told that tenure is assumed and tenure guidelines need to be followed for dismissal purposes, is this true??

By: Brandon Horn

Brandon Horn — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:19:47 +0000

Most support staff are not covered by NJ tenure law. I believe nurses are covered. I remember from one of my masters classes that if custodians are appointed in a certain uncommon way, they would be covered too. Most support positions are not covered though.

By: Jessica Andrews

Jessica Andrews — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:11:06 +0000

What about support staff such as aides, maintenance workers and so forth? Who protects these job?

By: Brandon Horn

Brandon Horn — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:44:26 +0000

Tenure does not prevent a district from firing a teacher if their position is eliminated. My guess is that your district has structured this as the elimination of a class and the introduction of a new class. If the new class requires dual-language certification and you don’t hold it, they would not be required to offer you the position. In NJ, tenure is not part of the constitution but is part of state law. I can’t see how any law except tenure would offer a teacher protection in this case.

By: susan flanagan

susan flanagan — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:58:30 +0000

At my school, we are starting to offer a dual-language class which speaks spanish one week and english the following week. This program is intended to be gradually increased one grade per year til we reach 5th grade. My question is: can a teacher (tenured) be RIFed or fired for not being a fluent spanish speaker with dual-language certification? If a Teacher’s asst has seniority can she/he be let go for the same reason? Actually, it sounds unconstitutional to me. How can a teacher be penalized in America for not speaking Spanish?

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:20:59 +0000

Thanks for the much-needed and clear information you’re providing here, Brandon! Tenure is an especially important issue now, and I’m glad you’re willing to make the process clearer for people.

By: Brandon Horn

Brandon Horn — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:25:14 +0000

Tenure does not transfer between districts in NJ. Most districts count prior NJ experience toward initial placement on the salary guide. Initial placement is often negotiable as well.