2005 California Proposition 74

none Proposition 74 (2005) was a ballot proposition in the 2005 California special election that intended to extend probationary periods for the state's public school teachers from two years to five before attaining tenure. It failed at the polls, with 55% of voters rejecting it. Background New Jersey became the first state to pass tenure legislation when, in 1910, it granted fair-dismissal rights to college professors.Stephy http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859505,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20081219084712/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859505,00.html dead December 19, 2008 Time Magazine Writer Time Magazine 31 October 2011 Tenure 2008-11-17 The Incumbent law, passed in 1983, required that teachers be evaluated for performance during a two-year probationary period before gaining tenure.https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/national/20tenure.html In California, a Fierce Battle Is Joined Over Teachers Janofsky Michael 2005-10-20 The New York Times 2009-06-26 In the winter of 2004, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sponsored a bill to amend the state Constitution to require merit pay for teachers. The state legislature voted against the bill in February 2005.https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/ELECTION-2005-Teacher-job-security-fuels-Prop-2605658.php Teacher job security fuels Prop. 74 battle Asimov Nanette 2005-09-30 San Francisco Chronicle 2009-06-26 The following month, Governor Schwarzenegger formally endorsed the Put Kids First Act, written and submitted by Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia (Republican, Cathedral City). That act laid out the conditions for Proposition 74, including increasing the probationary period from two to five years and allowing school districts to dismiss teachers who receive two consecutive negative job evaluations. It qualified for the ballot on June 6.http://igs.berkeley.edu/library/htTeacherTenure.html Proposition 74: Teacher Tenure 2005 University of California, Berkeley - Institute of Governmental Studies 2009-06-27 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090506055956/http://igs.berkeley.edu/library/htTeacherTenure.html May 6, 2009 Summary (From the State Attorney General) Proposition 74: Public School Teachers. Waiting Period for Permanent Status. Dismissal. Initiative Statute. Increases the length of time required before a teacher may become a permanent employee from two complete consecutive school years to five complete consecutive school years The measure applies to teachers whose probationary period commenced during or after the fiscal year 2003–2004. Modifies how school boards can dismiss a permanent teaching employee who receives two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Changes in teacher tenure and dismissal practices have an unknown impact on school district teacher salary costs. Fiscal impacts could vary significantly district by district. Campaign Support Governor Schwarzenegger, former United States Secretary of State and economic advisor to the governor, George Shultz, and Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Pete Mehas supported Proposition 74. Prop 74 was one of four propositions (the other three were 73, 75, and 76) that the governor touted as his reform package. One major point the proponents constantly cited was a horror story: A Riverside teacher swore at her students, showed them R-rated movies, and generally was a bad teacher; however, due to tenure rules, the district had to pay the teacher US$25,000 to quit. They said Proposition 74 would make it easier to fire these kinds of teachers because they had a longer tenure period and less paperwork and procedures to fire a teacher.http://vote2005.sos.ca.gov/voterguide/prop74/args_rebuttals.shtml Arguments and Rebuttals - Proposition 74 2005 Official Voter Information Guide California Secretary of State 2009-06-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20090430190231/http://vote2005.sos.ca.gov/voterguide/prop74/args_rebuttals.shtml 2009-04-30 dead Opposition California's two teachers unions, the California Teachers Association and California Federation of Teachers, and state superintendent of education Jack O'Connell, opposed the measure. The union's arguments against Proposition 74 included that its new requirements would discourage new teachers and encourage school districts to lay off older teachers, who cost more in salary and benefits, while doing little to nothing to improve classrooms. Result On November 8, 2005, California voters soundly rejected the proposition, with 44.8% voting for and 55.2% voting against. 300px|thumb|Proposition 74 results by county No: #8B8B54 70–80% #BCBC83 60–70% #DEDEBD 50–60% Yes: #7D9CBB 60–70% #B6C8D9 50–60% References External links Proposition 74: Teacher Tenure, Institute of Governmental Studies Library, UC Berkeley California VoteCircle.com Non-partisan resources & vote sharing network for Californians 74 Category:Initiatives in the United States