A Rhode Island high school has fired every single teacher after the teachers' union refused to go along with the superintendent's proposed plan for increased workload without much extra pay. The school, Central Falls High School, was one of the worst-performing high schools in the state.
The Providence Journal reports that that School Superintendent Frances Gallo blamed the union's "callous disregard" for the measures she suggested -- adding that the union leaders "knew full well what would happen" if they rejected the proposed conditions (listed below).
The conditions are: adding 25 minutes to the school day, providing tutoring on a rotating schedule before and after school, eating lunch with students once a week, submitting to more rigorous evaluations, attending weekly after-school planning sessions with other teachers and participating in two weeks of training in the summer.
Read more details here.
The Providence Journal reports that that School Superintendent Frances Gallo blamed the union's "callous disregard" for the measures she suggested -- adding that the union leaders "knew full well what would happen" if they rejected the proposed conditions (listed below).
The conditions are: adding 25 minutes to the school day, providing tutoring on a rotating schedule before and after school, eating lunch with students once a week, submitting to more rigorous evaluations, attending weekly after-school planning sessions with other teachers and participating in two weeks of training in the summer.
Read more details here.
8 comments:
::THUD::
This is a power struggle between the union and the superintendent--it has nothing whatsoever to do with improving student achievement. The Rock Island demands describe exactly what is happening at Manual--I'm not sure about the tutoring, but all the rest is asked of teachers at Manual. Manual teachers meet every day for collaboration--not just once a week. Look how well that is turning out. The irony, of course, is that Dr. Kherat was allowed the rare privilege of starting with all teachers of her own choosing. And for both years she has sent 20 letters to teachers whom she believes are not a good fit at Manual. (Has Rock Island replace all the fired teachers?) The only purpose any of these measures will serve is to make teachers work harder and longer and to make the superintendent feel as though he is accomplishing something. However, teachers working longer and harder will be an end unto themselves because that's the only "good" that will come out of it--and that might be all the Rock Island superintendent wants. Are Morton, Metamora, and Dunlap teachers being threatened with more rigorous evaluations? Rigorous evaluations of teachers do not raise students' NCLB scores. District 150 changed its evaluation system quite some time ago--we had to jump through all kinds of hoops to create our own 3-year personal professional development plans and to offer proof that we had carried out the plans.
The Superintendent's requests seem reasonable to me given the issues facing the school and the general climate of the economy. Workers in all field are being asked to do more without additional compensation.
Sharon - when are you going to offer solutions? Or do you just fancy yourself a "watchdog"?
All I can say as that as a teacher I gave many, many "volunteer" hours. I believe most teachers still do the same. I have no problem with teachers working more hours--it's how those hours are spent that is questionable. I know that in better times at Manual, almost the whole staff gave up one or two days to meet together before school started to make plans for the year, etc. Most of us spent the first two weeks before school started at school preparing our rooms, etc. I get that you want teachers to work longer hours (visible hours in the building), and I am sure that will happen. Before the high schools went from a 7-hour day to a 6-hour day in the 1980s, we all worked longer hours (and then worked the shorter schedule for the same money). I believe most teachers would be willing to work a longer day to be with students. Most just don't see the point in meeting with fellow teachers every day. You should talk to Manual teachers to ask them how that time together is used. Whenever meetings become an every day thing, they aren't well-planned--they become a waste of time when teachers could be doing their real work. Everyone seems to forget that teachers are constantly going back to school for professional development. What I don't get is what makes you believe that any of the measures demanded by the RI super will result in better academic performance by students. Anonymous, until I know who you are and what your credentials are for criticizing, I will continue to consider you just an attack dog. Frustrated, we have had this same discussion so many times. When you can help me understand how these "extra" hours without students will actually help teachers do a better job, then I might see your point. It is students who need the longer school day and the longer school year--but that isn't what the RI superintendent is proposing. The money aspect is probably the sticking point--that will either be negotiated with the unions or the unions will be broken. Most administrators aren't interested in taking that to the extreme since they always benefit from the teachers' contracts. Their administrative salaries are higher because of the years they spent working as teachers on the union-negotiated contract for salary.
This plan (firing all the teachers is one of the NCLB options for schools that have to be restructured)isn't all that unusual. In fact, it is the model that District 150 chose for Manual's restructuring. This from the link Emerge provided: "But if the teachers would not agree, the superintendent said she would select her second choice, the “turnaround” model, which requires the removal of the entire staff of the school. The turnaround model allows the district to hire back no more than 50 percent of the old staff."
I don't know anything about the Rock Island school system or the strength of its union and its tenure system, so the super may actually fire all the teachers. District 150 did fire all Manual teachers and then they had to apply along with new applicants. Note that the guidelines say that no more than 50% of the old staff can be hired back. Dr. Kherat made it clear that she was under no obligation to hire any of the old faculty back--but she did rehire some. However, those tenured teachers who were not "chosen" are happily and, I believe, very productively and happily teaching in other 150 schools. It might not work that way for Rock Island.
Sorry--Rhode Island, not Rock Island
Teacher Seniority Rules Challenged from WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703315004575073561669221720.html?mod=WSJ_PersonalFinance_CareerJournal
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