By Angela Hatton
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed into law a measure to make it more difficult for teachers to obtain and keep tenure in Tennessee. Haslam signed the bill in a ceremony at the state Capitol Thursday. The new law will allow teachers to qualify for tenure after five years on job, up from the current three. It will also provide a mechanism for teachers to lose tenure if they perform poorly in consecutive years. Another education bill has passed the House Education Committee. That measure would lift a cap on charter schools in Tennessee. Under current law, the number of charter schools is capped at 90 statewide. Charter schools are funded with state and local tax dollars but don't have to meet some of the state regulations regular schools do. The charter schools measure now heads for the House Finance Committee.