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.