Colorado Governor Bill Ritter recently signed one of the most aggressive education reform bills in the country. The law makes job security for teachers dependent on the performance of their students.

Critics of tenure say it makes it too hard to fire bad teachers. At one time in Colorado, as in many states around the country, teachers could only be fired if proven to be incompetent. Colorado State Senator Michael Johnston says tenure has for too long been viewed as an employment right by teachers. “Tenure is a privilege that should exist, because it is the best privilege that the profession has to offer. But it is a privilege that should be earned. ”

With the new law, Colorado Education Association President Beverly Ingle fears it will now become much too easy to let teachers go. “If your class doesn’t have progress two years in a row, you could be deemed ineffective.” And being deemed ineffective is grounds for dismissal under the new rules. Ingle also points out that what constitutes student progress under the new law.

Results from the annual Colorado Student Assessment Program tests are expected by both sides to carry a lot of weight. The problem with that, Ingle says, is that there is no incentive for students to do well on, or even show up for, those tests. “It’s not part of whether they go on to the next grade level, it’s not a part of any college requirement, there’s no, the grade means absolutely nothing on the test to them. It’s my grade.”

Proponents believe grading teachers will make Colorado a front runner for the much coveted federal Race to the Top Education Grants. Senator Johnston agrees, ” The key focus of Race to the Top is what do you do to recruit, retain, and reward great teachers and great leaders, and that’s what our bill is focused on.”

Several other states have tried, but so far failed, to pass legislation to significantly reduce tenure rights for teachers. Those states are now watching the Rocky Mountain State, watching to see just how effective its new teacher effectiveness law will be.