My OpEd from today's Hendersonville Star News:
“There is no appreciable difference in student outcomes between those school districts in Tennessee with collective bargaining and those without it.” Those were the words of Senator Jack Johnson of Williamson County in the Senate Education Committee. You might be surprised to learn, then, that Sen. Johnson is the prime sponsor of legislation that would prohibit collective bargaining among local education associations and school boards. Sumner County’s own Debra Maggart is the House sponsor.
I want to repeat Senator Johnson’s words: There is no appreciable difference in student outcomes between those school districts in Tennessee with collective bargaining and those without it.
Here’s what that means. If the Johnson/Maggart anti-bargaining bill passes, Tennesseans can expect no improvement in student achievement.
I’ve been involved at the Tennessee General Assembly for nearly 10 years now in a variety of capacities. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard the advocate for a bill suggest that if you pass their legislation, nothing good will happen. Until now.
Tennessee faces a big challenge in terms of improving our public schools. Our schools rank near the bottom in almost every measure of student achievement. Just as one example, Kentucky’s fourth grade students who qualify for free and reduced lunch outperform Tennessee’s by 14 points in science.
We’ve clearly got some work to do.
The good news is that with the collaboration of the Tennessee Education Association, our state won over $500 million in Race to the Top funds in 2010. Reforms in teacher evaluation and compensation are on the horizon.
There’s more good news: In Memphis, one of the most challenged districts in our state, the school board and local education association agreed to innovative reforms that resulted in a $100 million investment by the Gates Foundation. These reforms were bargained collectively and they hold real promise for improving results.
And in Knox County, the local education association and the school board agreed to a Teacher Assistance Program and are now working on new pay and evaluation plans through an Innovation Acceleration Grant. Collective bargaining in these cases is resulting in important collaboration between teachers and school leaders.
Our neighbors in Trousdale County also received an Innovation Acceleration Grant. They will be moving forward fast on new approaches to attract and retain the best teachers.
Meanwhile, here in Sumner County, our Board and County Commission still can’t agree to find the funds to pay for math textbooks while our district continues to face challenges in math achievement. Our teachers are paid less than most of their middle Tennessee counterparts and the Board is now retroactively seizing their pay and unilaterally reducing their insurance match. The Board of Education changed the insurance split from 85/15 to 80/20 and then money was taken out of the February paychecks to cover underpayment for January. These are not exactly great ways to recruit and retain the best teachers. Plus, the Board’s actions have resulted in a lawsuit that will cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. Instead of working to find solutions, though, some members of our school board attended the Senate Committee hearing in support of the anti-bargaining legislation.
Governor Bill Haslam unveiled his education package last week. It includes reforms to tenure that may be uncomfortable for teachers. But, his proposal is evidence-based and worthy of a healthy debate. Movement on this issue could have a real impact on student achievement. It’s noteworthy, too, that Haslam has yet to endorse the anti-bargaining bill. I’m guessing that’s because he’d rather pursue reforms that could actually have an impact on student outcomes.
Sumner County is one of the wealthiest and fastest growing counties in Tennessee. We enjoy close proximity to a vibrant city. We have a real opportunity to be a “big idea” school district – one that uses innovative reforms to get excellent results for our students. This can only happen if we have collaboration between teachers, principals, parents and the community.
As the education reform discussion in our state continues, I’m hoping we’ll focus on those items that research suggests can have the greatest impact for our children. We should be working together to move our schools forward. Instead, some seem intent on spending time and energy on legislation that, according to its own sponsor, will have no impact on student achievement.
We can and must do better for our students.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Collective Bargaining is NOT the problem!
... with our schools.
But some in Sumner County just don't seem to understand that.
Not only has legislation been filed to do away with collective bargaining between teachers' associations and local school boards, some on the Sumner County School Board don't seem to understand how the negotiation process works.
Specifically, Board member Danny Hale claims that because of the requirement to collectively bargain, the Board can't offer performance pay for teachers or incentive contracts to principals.
This is simply false.
Not once in the three years he's been on the Board has Danny Hale offered a proposal to change teacher salaries -- to change the scale, to add performance pay, to offer an incentive contract to principals.
If he would offer that proposal, it could be negotiated with the teachers' association.
In fact, the association has agreed to "differentiated pay" as mandated by the state -- that is, each local school board and association were required as part of BEP 2.0 to develop a plan for performance pay of sorts. In Sumner County, teachers who earn National Board certification earn a bonus for each year they teach in the subject in which they are certified. Research has demonstrated that Board certified teachers get better student outcomes. So, this is a research-based performance pay plan. If a teacher is willing to do the extra work and training to gain the skills and certification, they get the extra pay.
Mr. Hale would do well to examine the Denver Public Schools. There, the administration and the teacher's union negotiated an innovative performance pay system called ProComp. The plan works, it seems to be yielding student achievement gains, and it was NEGOTIATED with the input of teachers who are union members.
Moreover, on a statewide basis, Tennessee's student achievement numbers lag far behind those of states with strong collective bargaining.
Two examples from my own dissertation on school funding come to mind: Wisconsin and Minnesota. Both states far outpace Tennessee on most indicators of student achievement. Both are also heavily unionized and have collective bargaining.
If collective bargaining is holding back student achievement, why aren't Minnesota and Wisconsin near the bottom?
Because there is no causal link between collective bargaining for teachers and student achievement.
There are legitimate reasons why Tennessee lags behind the nation in student achievement. Some of them are being addressed with the new standards and some through Race to the Top reforms. None of those reasons are related to collective bargaining.
Let's not scapegoat professional educators and their professional association. Let's be honest about our shortfalls in the past and move forward in a way that benefits the number one constituent of our schools: our children.
But some in Sumner County just don't seem to understand that.
Not only has legislation been filed to do away with collective bargaining between teachers' associations and local school boards, some on the Sumner County School Board don't seem to understand how the negotiation process works.
Specifically, Board member Danny Hale claims that because of the requirement to collectively bargain, the Board can't offer performance pay for teachers or incentive contracts to principals.
This is simply false.
Not once in the three years he's been on the Board has Danny Hale offered a proposal to change teacher salaries -- to change the scale, to add performance pay, to offer an incentive contract to principals.
If he would offer that proposal, it could be negotiated with the teachers' association.
In fact, the association has agreed to "differentiated pay" as mandated by the state -- that is, each local school board and association were required as part of BEP 2.0 to develop a plan for performance pay of sorts. In Sumner County, teachers who earn National Board certification earn a bonus for each year they teach in the subject in which they are certified. Research has demonstrated that Board certified teachers get better student outcomes. So, this is a research-based performance pay plan. If a teacher is willing to do the extra work and training to gain the skills and certification, they get the extra pay.
Mr. Hale would do well to examine the Denver Public Schools. There, the administration and the teacher's union negotiated an innovative performance pay system called ProComp. The plan works, it seems to be yielding student achievement gains, and it was NEGOTIATED with the input of teachers who are union members.
Moreover, on a statewide basis, Tennessee's student achievement numbers lag far behind those of states with strong collective bargaining.
Two examples from my own dissertation on school funding come to mind: Wisconsin and Minnesota. Both states far outpace Tennessee on most indicators of student achievement. Both are also heavily unionized and have collective bargaining.
If collective bargaining is holding back student achievement, why aren't Minnesota and Wisconsin near the bottom?
Because there is no causal link between collective bargaining for teachers and student achievement.
There are legitimate reasons why Tennessee lags behind the nation in student achievement. Some of them are being addressed with the new standards and some through Race to the Top reforms. None of those reasons are related to collective bargaining.
Let's not scapegoat professional educators and their professional association. Let's be honest about our shortfalls in the past and move forward in a way that benefits the number one constituent of our schools: our children.
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