How to Get Tenure As a Teacher in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, teachers acquire tenure after teaching in the same school district for three years and maintaining a satisfactory rating during that time. Once a teacher has tenure, state law mandates that the teacher can only be fired when due process is followed and a case is built against him. A teacher can be dismissed at any time for any reason until tenure is acquired.

Pennsylvania teachers must work throughout their three years to obtain tenure. A teacher cannot, for example, work two years, take a sabbatical for one year, and then return to work, complete another year, and get tenure. Time spent working as a substitute teacher does not count toward tenure, though substitute teachers can have tenure if they earned it prior to substituting. Though a teacher cannot earn tenure as a substitute, he can while teaching part-time for the three-year period. Once a Pennsylvania teacher has achieved tenure, it stays with her throughout her career, even if she goes to work for another school district.