Unions disappointed by ed. bill -not enough for them

March 15, 2010 03:53


The heads of the two largest teachers unions are signaling their opposition to a bill that calls for almost $3.5 billion to introduce merit pay, roll back seniority benefits, and give administrators more power to assign teachers to schools.

HARRY SIEGEL & NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON report at Politico:

Even before President Barack Obama’s plans for a major overhaul of education legislation officially appear Saturday evening, the heads of the two largest teachers unions are signaling their opposition to a bill that calls for increasing federal education spending by more than $3 billion in the new 2011 fiscal year.

In a draft document provided by the administration entitled “ESEA Reauthorization: Before and After NCLB, the administration says it will end the “’race to the bottom’ for state standards,” introduce “real rewards for high-poverty schools, districts and states showing real progress,” and end “exclusive focus on tests, narrowing of curriculum.” It also says the new bill will “include teacher perspective,” “invest in expanded learning time programs,” and introduce a “greater focus on getting great teachers where they are needed most.”

A second Department of Education draft on ESEA reauthorization says the changes mean the system will “treat teachers like the professionals they are,” which is one way of saying it will try to roll back collectively bargained rights the teachers unions are loathe to surrender.

Page 10 of that memo lists the two controversial funding streams:

—$2.5 billion to “improve the effectiveness and equitable distribution of teachers & leaders,” through, among other things, “meaningful evaluations.”

—$950 million for a “Teacher & Leader Innovation Fund” to “Support ambitious reforms in teacher & leader placement, compensation, recognition & advancement.”

In other words, almost $3.5 billion to introduce merit pay, roll back seniority benefits, and give administrators more power to assign teachers to schools.



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