An investigative report by Small Newspaper Group
In 2005, Scott Reeder, Small Newspaper Group Springfield bureau chief, conducted a months-long investigation into the difficulty of firing a tenured school teacher in Illinois, and how seldom administrators use job performance evaluations to push for improvements.
The Hidden Costs of Tenure won multiple awards for investigative reporting. Now, in a follow-up to the 2005 investigation, Mr. Reeder has spent seven months examining two further measures of educator accountability: teacher licensure and revocation of pension benefits.
His findings are detailed in the stories below.
Illinois does poor job of dealing with teacher misconductSPRINGFIELD -- A tinge of pain still can be heard in Rebecca Scott's voice as she talks of the price of speaking out. Twenty years ago, she was front page news across Illinois -- the woman who accused her high school teacher Kim Alan Courtwright of having a sexual relationship with her when she was a student. 'It was the most difficult thing I had done in my life -- having everyone I know hear the most personal parts of my life. But I did it because I didn't want others to go through what I did,' Ms. Scott said in a recent interview.
Teachers get fired, but don't leave classroom
SPRINGFIELD -- Downers Grove School District spent $134,799 in legal fees alone to fire Stephen Wright, a tenured teacher.
His conduct was considered so bad, that this is what tenure hearing officer Julius Menacker had to say in 2002 when he upheld Wright's firing:
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Illinois lacks investigators, background on teachers before 2004
SPRINGFIELD -- Most teachers are committed to helping children learn and protecting them from harm, but like any profession there are a few wormy apples.
Some states are willing to put up with more worms than others.
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