This article reports on a study of Illinois school board presidents' perspectives on teacher tenure. It begins with an historical overview of the development of teacher tenure from its roots in the 1880s civil service legislation through the establishment of teacher tenure in the United States to an examination of current teacher tenure laws and issues in Illinois. After establishing this historical context, the results of a research survey of 118 school board presidents regarding eleven key tenure issues linked to both the historical basis for tenure and current literature is described. Suggestions for modifying the current Illinois tenure law are also summarized. In order to examine how the school leadership and teacher union disconnect evolved the author presents an understanding of teacher tenure and its historical development in the United States. He also discusses the problems and purposes of the study, as well as the context, method, results, and limitations of the study. A Teach Tenure Survey is appended. (Contains 11 tables.)