How many good teachers have we seen come and go in the time that we’ve been here? A number of these departures we’ve truly regretted and, further, we know little about the reasons behind their leaving. On the other hand, how many times have we wished we could have some “say” in a teacher’s assessment? Why do American teachers come and go so much?
The administration is often blamed for this, but the situation is actually much more complex. It has to do with policies set in German law by the Berlin Senat, which largely runs the city school system, including JFKS. Before 2007, American teachers could work two years, “tax free,” under a temporary contract. Working tax free seemed to be an attractive offer. At the end of those two years, however, the U.S. teachers would have to pay all the taxes they would have owed during those two years. That turned out to be quite a hefty burden, and many American teachers naturally chose to leave for a year and return to get re-hired under a new “tax free” contract. This was workable for some, perhaps. But no one likes inconsistency, especially JFKS students who had to deal with having good teachers replaced by temporary ones. For many teachers, this arrangement translated into a lack of job security.
Thus in 2007, the German government passed a new policy striking the “back-taxes'' system for its guest workers. The new policy allows international teachers to stay for longer periods of time. Many young teachers, not quite ready to settle down, still come and go peacefully. However, if a teacher is to be employed for longer than five years, he or she must be offered, and accept, tenure (a permanent position). The teacher under consideration for tenure is evaluated. Many students have seen this process: the principals and other important administrators ‘sit in’ on a class and watch the teacher teach. The observers are usually gone after a single period. Students are not asked for their opinions. If the administrators decide that the teacher is a good fit for the institution, that teacher will be offered tenure. If not, the teacher leaves. (Politics sometimes rears its ugly head here: if a teacher gets on the wrong side of the wrong person at the wrong time, there may be a job to pay.)
Now, as more and more teachers decide to stay, naturally, tenure positions fill up. Fewer American teachers can be hired and kept. People might remember when this issue arose in 2012, in the history department. Rumors spread that a popular teacher had to go, and perceptive students were upset. I signed a petition that some 8th graders circulated to keep the teacher, whom I had in both the 7th and 8th grade. Those students were brave and proactive enough to express our opinion, even though it was in vain. It was an exceptional event. For U.S. teachers, another obstacle on the road to tenure is this: if an international teacher leaves at the end of five years, he or she is given a check with his/her retirement money, which is generous by American standards. This was part of an attractive offer that was accepted by two good staffers last year. If offered, however, tenure means a secure position until retirement, a strong financial bond between the teacher and the school.
It’s a safe bet that most of JFKS’s German teachers have permanent tenured positions. The relationship among teachers, administration and students should be one of trust. Students have been in the dark about these policies in the past, and consistently fail to seek answers as to why their teachers disappear. I hope I have provided somewhat of an answer to this question, which has bothered me in the past. I encourage you to also take a look at your surroundings and seek answers to your own questions, as this is the first step toward productive change.
