I've never been a big fan of tenure. I understand the premise behind it, to help encourage teachers to stay and provide them with job security. I am not sure it's anything more than a two-edged sword, not because of the intent, but because of how the people who seek it apply it in their own lives.
Tenure can punish students. Imagine a world where all the teachers have tenure. Imagine that all of those teachers are not very good at their jobs. Imagine what that will do for the students, their egoes, their tuition, and their futures.
Tenure can punish teachers. Once you have tenure, it can be very tempting to stay somewhere even if it's bad for you. After all, tenure can be difficult to obtain, and if you lose it by moving to another institution, that might prevent you from doing something better for yourself.
People like to think tenure is a magic pill to cure the ills of our educational malaise. Yes, it is true that teachers move around under other conditions, and so you may always have your teachers in a learning curve. Considering that the students are also always learning, why do we assume that keeping teachers in a learning mode is bad? It has promising possibilities to those who are inclined to avail themselves of the opportunity and necessity of continuing education.
Tenure, like most things created by man, can be good and useful. It depends on the people involved in its use- those who grant it, those who gain it, and those who are influenced by it (students primarily). Yeah, I like that conclusion, that it depends, which is true of so many things up for discussion. In any case, I hope that when I'm far closer to retirement that I retain the excitement, engagement, and proclivity to investment in the success and lives of my students as I have today. I know it's possible, because some of my coworkers managed it, and they are those I most admire. Time will tell.
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