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WTU President George Parker. Photo by Meaghan Gay for DCist.
Parker, and other union advocates like teaching blogger Candi Peterson, also voiced suspicion that layoffs might target what Peterson calls "veteran teachers of color." "This is something that we as a union are going to be looking at very, very carefully," Parker told The Post. Chancellor Michelle Rhee said yesterday that "every staff member will be on equal footing" when it comes to personnel decisions, but from the WTU's point of view, that shouldn't be the case - current policy is designed to give preference to tenured teachers with seniority over new hires, an issue that has been at the center of the ongoing contract negotiations.
Full text of Parker's letter is below:
STATEMENT FROM GEORGE PARKER, PRESIDENT, WASHINGTON TEACHERS’ UNION ON REDUCTION IN FORCE FOR D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Six weeks into the 200910 school year, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty today announced that there will be layoffs of D.C. teachers and school staff.
WASHINGTON —The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) is deeply disturbed by the timing of the announced teacher layoffs. Further, we are outraged by the District’s decision not to share this information with the union, parents and other stakeholders in a manner that would have allowed for mitigation.
For months, the WTU and DC Public Schools have been engaged in continuous contract talks. During this time, new teachers were hired and assigned, and experienced teachers were excessed. Until late last week, no information was shared about the proposed reduction in the teacher workforce. We have been focused on reaching an agreement that is good for kids and fair to teachers. The manner and timing of the mayor’s announcement at best reflects extreme mismanagement and a lack of transparency. At worst, the move is a sign of disrespect for DC’s new and experienced teachers, and shows callous disregard for students.
We are examining the details surrounding this reduction in force and will not be satisfied until we have answers to the serious questions that now face the educators and children of the District.
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@IMgoph, I guess "of color" is still in in DC.
I can't believe they are playing the race card on this.
Looks like someone's pulling a Carter!
newhce: "color" me nonplussed.
seriously though, this fucking union needs to be broken. there, i said it. i'm a goddamn left of liberal democrat, pro-union, but i really want the washington teachers union to dry up and the dusty remains to blow away, never to be seen again.
the DAY they can claim to be doing things in the true interest of the children of DC will be the day i finally send my non-existent children to a DCPS facility.
Seriously. I think this allegation is kind of indirect and spineless. What they should have said is 'We're gonna accuse this Korean lady of potentially maybe planning to pick on some black teachers because we can't think of anything else that might score us vocal sympathy from DC residents'.
Oh, and George Parker looks like John Waters.
That's an insult to John Waters. Throw on some wraparound RayBans and he'd look like a Latin American dictator.
they could just change their name to WTF...
And the political posturing begins. And by begins, I mean continues endlessly.
What WTU needs now is bold, aggressive leadership. The sort of leadership that put Barbara Bullock and Gwen Hemphill in jail. If only the rest of the WTU adminstration would follow their example, we could finally close the door on this unfortunate episode and set fire to the jail and roast marshmallows while singing, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
I figured we could roast marshmallows using the billowing gusts of hot air escaping Parker's lips, but I like the jailhouse idea better.
Yeah we wouldn't want the economic recession to affect 'persons of color'--only white people should lose their jobs. Sheesh.
"Veteran teachers of color" = "art teachers."
"We are upset they didn't provide us in advance with the names of the teachers to be excessed," Tom said listlessly.
Oh fucking BULLSHIT! I am sorry but isn't this the same goddamned org that had how many million stolen from it? They should be focused on working with teachers and extending their value in the classroom rather than playing some bullshit color card on this...every person who even started to follow the budget issue could read the writing on the wall and making this a race issue is hilarious. My wife, sister, sister-in-law and countless others in my family are teachers and they all say the exact same thing...you are either a competent teacher or you are not one and when more than HALF of the teachers in this city cannot pass the PRAXIS there is a problem. Old school union mentality is "protect the weak" rather than work within the system to help it's members and this is yet another GLOWING example of some stupid union boss trying to cover his ass.
WTU should STFU.
"...and shows callous disregard for students." Since when did the teachers union give a crap about the students???
exactly. they don't, and everyone knows it.
the teachers, each and individually care about their students, by and large. the leadership of the union cares about the union, nothing more, nothing less. period. end of story. put a fork in it, it's done.
The running joke is that the Superintendent could propose a wage increase for teachers and the union would still be against it. They're that vested in the status quo; any change, even obviously positive ones, the union's against it, even to the detriment of their own membership.
it's not even a joke. the chancellor did propose a massive pay hike (with the attached rider that you'd have to be minimally competent at your job), and what did they do?
scream like they were being stabbed with a samurai sword in baltimore, that's what!
I'm sure the real outrage is that they'll be getting less money in union dues, not that teachers will be losing their jobs.
Ya' think?
Poor WTU. Bamboozled again.
**sigh**
Don't they get it?
in a word, no.