Berger again seeks end of NC teacher tenure laws

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Senate leader Phil Berger is again pushing legislation that would change public school tenure laws that he says would make it easier to remove poorly performing teachers.

The Eden Republican co-sponsored a bill Tuesday that by the fall of 2014 would end certain job protections for veteran public school teachers and let school districts offer contracts of from one to four years. Most current teachers get career status after a four-year probationary period working in the same district.

Tenure changes backed by Berger in 2012 passed the Senate but died in the House.

Berger also wants to keep developing a merit-pay system that rewards the most effective teachers with more pay and to make it easier for parents to know whether schools are meeting student achievement goals.