Long-term job security for Utah teachers may soon become a thing of the past if state education leaders get their way.

The State Board of Education voted 9-3 Friday to support the idea of eliminating current laws that some say make it difficult to fire experienced teachers. Instead, most board members would like to see the firing process left up to school districts. They would also, however, like to see limits placed on how long a teacher can expect to be continuously employed.

A draft of possible legislation, for example, wouldn't allow districts to contract with teachers for more than five years at a time. At the end of those five years, a district could award a teacher another contract or fire the teacher without providing cause. Districts would, however, still have to include standards of due process in their policies. The proposal also includes intent to develop performance pay.

Ultimately, it will be up to lawmakers to try to put the board's ideas into law next year. Board chair Debra Roberts said several lawmakers have already expressed interest, though she didn't name them.

It's a move some say could improve public education in Utah.

"I think we can assume good intent on all [teachers'] parts but some of them are not providing the education experience that the citizens of the state of Utah are paying for," said board member Leslie Castle. She said in an effort to protect poorly performing teachers, "we have children in their classrooms who take a second seat to that teacher's right [to employment]."

Others, however, say such a change is unnecessary because current law already allows for the firing of teachers. Many who spoke during Friday's meeting urged board members to slow down.

"While this may appease a political agenda, there is nothing to suggest that it would improve student instruction," Utah Education Association (UEA) President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh said in a statement read at the meeting. "Political ideologies and rhetoric have left teachers feeling demoralized, disrespected and devalued."

She said the UEA has been inundated with calls from teachers concerned that the proposal was put together without educator input, that it could lead to subjective dismissals and doesn't make any reference to new teacher evaluation standards now being developed at the State Office of Education in collaboration with teachers.

"We would expect this from those with political agendas but have concerns when those within the education community make proposals that appear more politically motivated rather than based on sound researched education practice," Gallagher-Fishbaugh said.

Judi Clark, executive director of Parents for Choice in Education, however, said after the meeting, "There's no empirical data that says tenure increases student outcomes."

In Utah, teachers don't technically get tenure, but after three to five years in the classroom they may attain career status, which means they can still be fired but only after a due process. Much of the argument Friday centered around whether the due process in place now is overly cumbersome.

Isaiah Spencer, chairman of the board's Coalition of Minorities Advisory Council, said school administrators find it difficult to fire teachers.

"The process is so long, most administrators just won't even fool with it," said Spencer, who is an administrator in the Granite District. "If you talk to administrators that are actually in the schools, we have no problem identifying teachers that we know need to be replaced, but we really don't have the ability or that kind of time. If you've got a teacher that's tenured, it will probably take you about three years to replace that person unless they actually violate a rule."

But Dixie Allen, board vice chair, said, "I've been a teacher and administrator for many, many years and I just have to make the statement that a quality administrator can get rid of bad teachers."

During the 2009-10 year, the Granite District dismissed 25 to 35 teachers, Alpine dismissed 18, Jordan dismissed 30 and Canyons dismissed 15, according to officials in those districts. Castle, however, said that doesn't mean the terminations are happening the way they should.

Board members also voted Friday to lend their support to other ideas, such as implementing differentiated diplomas that recognize completion of classes designed to ready students for college and careers. They also voted to back the concept of giving the state superintendent authority to require and approve plans for improvement in persistently low-performing schools and give those schools resources to help them. And they voted to discuss further the idea of requiring students to take two credits online to graduate from high school. A number of the ideas approved Friday, however, would need to be passed by lawmakers in order to become reality.

lschencker@sltrib.com