A July 1st law change will make it more difficult for teachers to keep their tenure. Under the old law a teacher who might be fired would have the opportunity to plead their case to the school board. They also would have 20 days to respond. The new law has completely changed that.
"We don't go to the board with this process at all. It's basically the superintendents call on whether we uphold the termination request by the principal," Lafayette Parish Schools Superintendent Dr. Pat Cooper said.
The new process will allow the fired teacher seven days to challenge the firing. After that, the teacher will go in front of a three person review board consisting of the principal of the school, the superintendent and a teacher of their choosing. Then they will have 60 days to make a final ruling on the teacher.
Karen Martin, President of the Lafayette Parish Association of Educators, sees some problems with this.
"Two out of three votes on that little panel, could be your undoing," Martin says.
If the principal initiates the firing process, you could have one vote against you going into the meeting. Dr. Cooper sees this new law as a way to make his own schools better.
"I think it gives the power where it needs to be from the superintendent to the principal because basically in the end our necks are on the line. We have to make sure that these children succeed."
Martin does see this new law effecting both teachers and administrators.
"They're as concerned as we are because what happens in our classrooms and at their schools will greatly effect their performance as well. They can lose their job over what happens at their schools."