Q. What does it mean to get tenure for teachers? How does a teacher get tenure, how long does it take?



A. Since 1998, Illinois law states teachers can achieve tenure in a school district after they have worked full time for four consecutive years. If the school board decides to continue the teacher's employment into a fifth year, he or she will be offered tenure.

Prior to 1998, teachers could achieve tenure after working full time for two consecutive years.

Tenure is "contractual continued service" according to state law, said Richard Myers, regional superintendent for the La Salle County Regional Office of Education. But it does not mean that the tenured teacher cannot be fired.

During the four-year probationary period, a teacher can be dismissed with just 45 days' written notice. Once a teacher achieves tenure, a teacher can be dismissed but the district must go through more rigorous channels that include documenting performance and working through a remediation plan.