The Thomas B. Fordham Institute examined how hard it is to fire ineffective teachers in 25 school systems around the country. Among them was Gwinnett County, which rated a 5 out of 10 in terms of difficulty.

A 9 or 10 rating signifies it's "easy to dismiss" a teacher deemed "ineffective." No district earned a 9 or 10. Under Fordham's rating, a 5 rating falls under "difficult to dismiss."

Below is the chart Fordham created to summarize Gwinnett's process.

You can read the full report -- " Undue Process:  Why Bad Teachers in Twenty-Five Diverse Districts Rarely Get Fired   -- here.

In its analysis, Fordham sought to answer these questions:

  1. Does tenure protect veteran teachers from performance-based dismissal?
  2. How long does it take to dismiss an ineffective veteran teacher?
  3. How vulnerable is an ineffective veteran teacher's dismissal to challenge?

ajc.com

Credit: Maureen Downey

icon to expand image

Credit: Maureen Downey

About the Author

Keep Reading

Public Service Commission candidate Peter Hubbard talks with a supporter during an election night party thrown by Georgia Conservation Voters in Southwest Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. He won his race against incumbent Fitz Johnson.  Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

Featured

Travelers walk around the baggage claim in the South Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Atlanta is among the airports where the FAA will reduce flights due to the shutdown, and airports are facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. 
(Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez