Schools Roundup – Stop, Look, and Listen Edition
A Post editorial today notes that the most effective action Mayor Adrian Fenty has taken since assuming control of the D.C. public schools a little less than a year ago was to bring schools chancellor Michelle Rhee on board, remarking, “Michelle A. Rhee has done more in months to reshape the system than her predecessors did in years.” However, the editorial also cautions that it will be some time before any true achievement growth takes effect, and that the administration’s issues with transparency and heavy spending should be addressed. In another editorial that ran last week, the Post also cautioned the D.C. Council from interfering too heavily in Rhee’s reform efforts, arguing that, “district boundaries, community whim and political machinations would come into play” if Council proposals “micro-managing” schools decisions were to pass.
Scrapping Seniority: The education blogosphere, which already had its eyes on D.C., is abuzz this week following news that Rhee plans to eliminate teacher seniority in the new union contract that is currently being negotiated. Adding to the fray are escalating leadership tensions within the Washington Teachers’ Union between reform-minded WTU president George Parker and feisty, lawsuit-filing WTU vice-president Nathan Saunders. The issue at hand is Rhee’s proposal that senior teachers will not receive automatic hiring preference in exchange for increased paid leave and funding for supplies, and annual raises of around 6 percent. A union source told the Post that without seniority, teachers could be hired and placed based on “qualifications or performance rather than years of service.”
This is a big deal, and as one local teacher blogger points out, “For any school reform to have meaning, principals have GOT to have more autonomy over choosing their own staff.” However, within the WTU, the news is being spun by Saunders as a war against older teachers, and some have launched a movement to oust Parker. Andy Rotherham over at Eduwonk has more, including an email from a WTU member wondering if Saunders isn’t maybe a little out of control:
He stated that the chancellor hates "old" teachers and only wants to hire new teachers. Saunders (who apparently used to work at Ballou High School and was found asleep at his desk when then-superintendent Janey came around for observations) put a lot of effort into trying to create a rift between new and old teachers. He stated some made up economic numbers to show that young people would be flocking to take our jobs, since we make more money than the average starting salary of a college grad. He said the union's job is to make sure that every member has a job next school year and that there should be a hiring freeze. He talked about going to Congress or holding some type of protest and signing petitions against the union president. Saunders actually said (in addition to many other jabs at George Parker) "kill the President." The kicker for me in the meeting was when Saunders said it wouldn't help schools to have new teachers, because even though our reading scores are low- veteran teachers have relationships with students and this helps students to "keep from jumping off roofs."
Yikes.
Really Depressing: If you missed this piece last week, it’s worth a full read. A recent “quality school report” shows that very little learning was going on at all for students at the 27 schools that require overhaul under No Child Left Behind. For example, when a group of Dunbar Senior High School students were asked what they liked best about their school, one AP student replied, "Freedom. We can do whatever we want at this school. That's the only good thing about this place." A student at Lincoln Middle School said, “Teachers don't teach us a thing throughout the entire period. When visitors come, they start working." While this was an informal survey, not a serious study, the comments from these students are chilling. No student goes to school sincerely not wanting to learn, and the students interviewed are plainly frustrated at how little is asked of them. While NCLB is criticized for assessing based solely on test scores, these schools’ test scores are clearly indicative of problems that require attention.
Funding Changes: Yesterday Rhee announced that she is removing the “weighted student formula,” (WSF) a method implemented in the 1990s that awards funds to schools based on their enrollment, with provisions for the number of low-income or special-needs students. The funds were then allocated at each school with input from a group made up of parents, teachers and staff. The new method would maintain the per pupil element, but also require schools to fund positions such as art, music, and P.E. teachers, instead of allowing principals to decide which positions to fill. The WSF disfavored smaller schools, and gave disproportionate power to principals of schools with low parent involvement. However, some parents’ groups argue that this new system ignores their input and is a return to the top-down funding that has been rejected in the past.
Schools Notes: A fairly new anti-Rhee blog looks strangely similar to an anti-TFA blog that has been around for a while…great video of DCPS students being taught jazz by famous musicians…Marc Fisher examines what works at a high-performing District private school in Southeast that charges only $25 a month.