The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

This is a good thing.It is absurd to have to go through a costly trial to fire a tax payer funded employee. Teachers are no more special than any other tax payer funded employee and should be subject the same way of firing that any American is.

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Okla-Senate-Panel-OKs-Changes-To-Teacher-Firings/GsUCxzIhu0ibe9KitYIvOA.cspx

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A bill that would make it easier for school districts to fire teachers has cleared a Senate committee.

The Senate Education Committee voted Monday to eliminate a process known as trial de novo that allows fired teachers to go before a state judge who determines if a school board followed proper procedures during the dismissal. Proponents of the Republican-backed bill maintain it will save districts tens of thousands of dollars in court costs.

Democrats maintain the plan is an "assault on public education" in Oklahoma.

Thanks for the link. But, you will need these now:

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRjQA5Fq9Xb-uxp1TbEb7vMgFQsLTkfZuiN5Wc4CNEQ5zVJzHFK7A)

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdSb9zVe6XcY7Jpm-gb9LcapLYfatn3qM6IjcK0Jwo0fhkleQf)

You are probably right. The opposition to this will probably make up some BS claims that those of us who support teachers being fired just like any other employee is in American can be fired the must somehow hate teachers, do not appreciate the job teachers do, must want teachers subject to political firings or fired two days before their retirement so that they can't collect retirement or some other baloney .

Educate me. What exactly is the normal process for firing a teacher here in Oklahoma, and when do they get the first trial? Is that something that has to be done before firing a teacher, or is that like the teacher suing the school board for wrongful termination after the fact?

No, I think it's just an AW duo being created.  Sort of like the Dynamic Duo, but not so Dynamic.

All kidding aside, I have no idea the process.  I'm sure RM might be able to speak to that, since he does have family in teaching (?).  My cousin's wife is a teacher, so I might be able to find out from here through him.

Here is another article about the subject. Still no deep information about details.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OK_XGR_OKLA_LEGISLATURE_OKOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OK_XGR_OKLA_LEGISLATURE_OKOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)

Basically, they are making sure teachers have no recourse (other than getting a new job) if they are fired.  I am interested to see how many teachers fired vs # of trial de novo.  Of those, how many are found in the favor of the teacher?

"Teachers are no more special than any other tax payer funded employee and should be subject the same way of firing that any American is."  One thing that you are missing is that it varies based on the state.

If it's like other union shops where you just can't be fired without cause (say, like AA mechanics), I don't really see the problem. It's called a contract.

I find the people complaining about teachers and what they get paid a little funny. If it's such a good gig, why aren't the folks complaining about what teachers get paid..becoming teachers? You have a college degree? You too can get a teaching certificate and get on the gravy train!

Of course, nobody does that because they don't actually think that teachers or any other public employee makes too much for the job they're doing. Note how Dewey spends a ridiculous sum to employ his syncophants, precisely because nobody in their right mind would work for a state or local government under the normal pay scale. It's not about what they're getting paid, it's about them being employed by a taxing entity, which many of our esteemed fringe think shouldn't exist in the first place.