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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Proposals to eliminate tenure for Missouri teachers has sparked a collision between educators who rely on the protections and critics who contend tenure has made it too hard to remove bad teachers.

Debate over teacher tenure could be one of the more contentious topics as lawmakers look at revamping the state's education system during the 2012 legislative session.

Rep. Zachary Wyatt, (R)- Novinger, said he is against totally eliminating teacher tenure and said schools in his district haven't had problems with it.

"I'm not for totally eliminating teacher tenure," Wyatt said. 

 "The only way I could be convinced that would be a good thing is if we put a protection measure in there so that teachers are protected to be able to speak out against the administration in times that they believe the administration is going the wrong way."

Missouri teachers generally can earn tenure when they return for classes after five years at a district. Critics of tenure contend firing a teacher now is so expensive and cumbersome that it discourages school boards from trying and protects subpar workers.

Wyatt said firing bad teachers has not been a problem in his district so he does not see the need to get rid of teacher tenure. He said this is more of issue in the urban areas such as in Kansas City and St. Louis. 

Wyatt said he expects there to be three to five bills filed on this issue. Before he votes, he said he intends on talking to local  teachers to get their viewpoint on the issue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.