I am FED UP! I don’t know what it is I don’t understand or am missing about a thesis statement. I thought it was clear, but NOPE. I need help. This is from a previous paper, but my teacher said she would fail me the next time if my thesis wasn’t clear. The paper before that my thesis “wasn’t clear” either.

Tenure
Teacher tenure is the practice of guaranteeing a teacher their job. At an elementary and high school level, tenure is awarded to a teacher after a few years of working. This had proved to be a growing issue that is harming school’s finances and academics. Why is teacher tenure the reason for our failing schools?
Due to widespread tenures, newer teachers are more likely to get laid off. “Tenure laws maintain ‘last hired, first fired’ policy” (procon.org). Layoffs based on seniority are harming younger teachers. Because of this, we may never get to experience any possible innovative or creative ideas that a newer teacher could offer our schools. Now, I’m not saying teachers are getting laid off every day, but with the economy in its present state, it is definitely an issue.
Tenures have also caused, “senior teachers to lay a claim for a job even if they are bad
(Terry Moe). According to teacherunionsexposed.com, out of the 2,300 tenured teachers in Tucson, Arizona, only seven have been fired in the past five years. Even worse, in Des Moines, Iowa, two of the 3,000 were fired in the past five years. If we are keeping so many bad teachers there is no wonder why our nation is getting the results from education that are substandard to competing nations around the world.
While trying to get rid of the so called bad tenure teachers, something ghastly is happening with finances. “Teacher tenure requires schools to make long term spending commitments and prevents districts from being fiscally flexible,” (procon.org). Just to give you an idea of how much money is being spent on these tenure teachers, “according to the Albany Times Union, the average process for firing a teacher in New York State outside of New York City proper lasts 502 days and costs more than $216,000,” (teachersunionsexposed.com). The amount of money that goes into firing a bad teacher is unreasonable. This cost, believe it or not, is enough to cover the expenses of two students. All too often, money is being taken out of our children’s public education leading to damaging consequences.
One might argue that it would be bad not to have tenure because good teachers would be vulnerable to being fired due to dislike, seniority, and other things of this nature. According to Michelle Rhee, founder and CEO of StudentsFirst, these sacrifices are necessary for a successful education system. Like Rhee’s organization name suggests, it should be about putting the students first, but sadly, “it becomes about the adults rather than the children,” (Rhee)
Tenure will forever be an issue until something is done about it. Until then, we will have to painstakingly deal with the lack of money, bad teachers and the lack of potential knowledge, skills and ability that newer teachers may offer. Until then, we will be stuck with failing schools and will strive to work through these significant issues facing us. Will we ever develop a sufficient strategy to overcome this very real and prevalent issue?

Works Cited
ProCon.org. “Should Teachers Get Tenure?” TeacherTenure.Procon.org. ProCon.org, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 February, 2013.
TeachersUnionExposed.com. “Protecting Bad Teachers.” TeachersUnionExposed.com/protecting. TeachersUnionExposed.com, n.d. Web. 25 February, 2013.