Think back to a teacher who made learning exciting. Someone who explained things clearly, challenged you to think and truly cared about your success. These teachers not only make learning easier, but they also make learning more enjoyable. Now think about the opposite: the teacher who barely taught, handed out meaningless busywork, or worse, lashed out at students in inappropriate ways. Students have witnessed these outbursts firsthand, violating the trust and safety that every student should feel in a classroom. Yet repeatedly, those teachers remain employed and protected by outdated tenure procedures.

Tenure was intended to prevent the unjustified firing of teachers by providing job security after two years of evaluation. However, today, tenure acts more like a shield for underperforming teachers, allowing them to keep their jobs regardless of how poorly they treat students or how little they teach. It’s a broken system that prioritizes job security over student safety and learning.

One unintended consequence of tenure is that it can encourage teachers to lose their drive and stop putting in their best effort. When teachers know they have strong job security, they are less motivated to improve their lessons and classroom environment.

When students around campus were asked about their experiences, countless students came forward, describing stories that should never happen in a classroom.

One anonymous student recalled a teacher stealing food from a student’s hand and throwing it out the door in front of the class. This act received no disciplinary action, and the teacher continued their lesson.

Another student with a bathroom emergency asked to go to the bathroom early in class, only to be told no by their teacher. When she asked again later in the period, the teacher replied no, and asked the student to sit back down.

Additionally, a student described how a teacher would not allow them to use their 504 plan, a legally required document that provides accommodations for students with educational disabilities. When the student spoke to the teacher and the school board, the teacher was forced to accept the terms but remained sour about the topic, grading that student extra harshly out of spite.

Another anonymous student explained how a student was accused of sharing test answers with other classmates during the period before. Rather than speaking with the student privately, the teacher confronted them in front of the entire class. Not only was the teacher deemed wrong, but the student ended up crying, embarrassed, in front of the whole class, begging the teacher to believe them. The student was not offered an apology, despite the nature of the incident.

These are just a few examples of teachers actively harming students’ academic and emotional growth. Teachers under tenure have their unacceptable behaviors excused from punishment, causing their students to experience shocking events that should not happen in a classroom. These teachers remain untouchable because firing a tenured teacher is such a long, expensive and draining process.

According to Innovate Public Schools, it can cost a district between $50,000 and $450,000 to bring a dismissal case to a conclusion, whether it wins or loses. Most schools cannot afford to go through this process. Rather than addressing the problem, schools often resort to “passing the trash” – transferring ineffective teachers to new classrooms, where they continue to harm students’ futures. Their low level of engagement, outdated methods or low expectations can hold students back from reaching their full potential.

One student was taught by a teacher who failed to cover the class material, resulting in a very chaotic class. The students weren’t taught enough curriculum during the class, and when it came to tests, students often shared answers because the content had not been adequately covered. This learning environment is unproductive and unacceptable. Teachers should be able to control their classroom, teach the material and prevent students from cheating.

In fact, some teachers rely on “busy work” or YouTube videos instead of engaging in the lessons, which can lead to surface-level learning that hurts the students. Students are left without the guidance and inspiration that great teachers provide, causing them to underperform, fall behind or not enjoy the class.

Yes, job security is important, but permanent job security without accountability is dangerous. Every other profession requires performance reviews and standards — why should teaching be different?

Stricter evaluations wouldn’t punish all teachers; instead, they’d identify teachers who are struggling and offer them a chance to improve. Challenges like lack of support, personal issues or limited resources would be taken into consideration. However, if a teacher shows no progress despite support and feedback, it may become clear that they are not well suited to remain in the classroom. Giving teachers time to improve ensures fairness while maintaining high standards for education.

Teachers can change lives, but only when they actually teach, care and grow. It’s time to raise the bar. Tenure must be earned, not granted. Even when tenured, teachers should still be held to a high standard. To create safe, effective, and inspiring classrooms, we must hold teachers accountable.

Students can play a decisive role in pushing for this change. These unacceptable events happening in classrooms need to be shared with counselors or trusted adults in order to make a change. Enough of these stories will spread awareness and prove that what’s happening in some classrooms is not okay. When students speak up, they could change the standard, creating a safer, more supportive and effective learning environment for everyone.