Originally Posted by elchivito

My state has not had tenure for many years. It's not universal, as some would have you believe. When a teacher signs his or her third contract, they are considered "continuing" rather than probationary, and there are a few more hoops administrators need to jump through before getting rid of an unperforming teacher. It's certainly not impossible though, and I've seen it happen quite a few times in 30+ years, participated in the process as an administrator more than once. It does provide a modicum of job security, but doesn't guarantee it.
It's a hazard of the job that teachers will always get the total blame for underperforming students, and they do bear considerable responsibility, without question. What I wonder is why parents are never held accountable? I witnessed household after household where there were no reading materials available, where I was met with blank stares by the simple question "do you read to or with your child?" I saw kids on a daily basis who came to school poorly dressed and not fed breakfast. Their parents were "too busy" to feed them in the morning, or made excuses for them. "She sleeps too late, and doesn't have time or want to eat breakfast." Nonsense. In my opinion, a parent who would let a child out of the house without a good breakfast is guilty of child neglect.
Read to them
Put them to bed on time, and get them up early. You're tired? Too bad. You're the grownup.
see that they're clean and appropriately dressed.
FEED them BREAKFAST
Just try teaching a sleepy, hungry kid anything meaningful. I dare you.
Blame tenure all you want. Nothing will change until parents JOIN teachers in an effort to educate their kids instead of laying blame for their failures and otherwise being absent from their kids' education.