So You Think Tenure Is A Bad Thing?

In case you missed it the other day, Whoopi Goldberg pulled a Jenny McCarthy on The View. Only she wasn't talking about vaccinations, she was talking about due process rights for teachers. And with a platform that big, one would hope that she would have done her research.

But alas, she did not. She repeated every single myth and lie about due process rights.

Naturally, teachers were not happy. And they responded. So much so, that Whoopi had to make the following video:

Now. Before we go further, let me tell you what tenure is NOT.

TENURE IS NOT PERMANENT LIFETIME EMPLOYMENT

Let me repeat that:

TENURE IS NOT PERMANENT LIFETIME EMPLOYMENT

Tenure simply means that a teacher has earned the right to not be fired without cause. That teacher has earned the right to an evidential hearing in front of an arbitrator. And more often than not, when a teacher is brought before the arbitrator, that teacher is fired.

BAD TEACHERS GET FIRED ALL THE TIME

Let me repeat:

BAD TEACHERS GET FIRED ALL THE TIME

Now listen to one of the responses to Whoopi's remarks:

I hope you watched all six and a half minutes of that video. It encapsulates everything perfectly.

Also, there was a Twitter explosion using the hashtag #WithoutTenure

#WithoutTenure schools will need to recruit cheap, untrained, unqualified FAKE teachers off Craig's List. http://t.co/...#WrightvNY

— Susan DuFresne1 (@GetUpStandUp2) August 6, 2014

#WithoutTenure kids lose adult advocates in schools. .@theviewtv bashing bargained rights of due process 4 Tchrs .@IATSE .@sagaftra

— Badass Teachers Asso (@BadassTeachersA) August 6, 2014

#withouttenure teachers cannot advocate for their LGBT students in conservative communities @WhoopiGoldberg

— Badass Teachers Asso (@BadassTeachersA) August 6, 2014

When child abused at home tells her story, reporting it to authorities could get me fired #WithoutTenure.
@WhoopiGoldberg@BadassTeachersA

— Steven Singer (@StevenSinger3) August 5, 2014

#WithoutTenure you can be fired for exposing corrupt practices that cheat children out of money that is meant for them @WhoopiGoldberg

— Martha Infante (@AvalonSensei) August 5, 2014

And it goes on and on.

Jump below the Chee-to for more, including the answer to the question "What's so special about teachers that they get these due process rights and other workers don't?"