DCPS teachers who supported D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s contract proposal from the beginning have got to be annoyed. On Monday, Rhee announced that the minimum 28 percent across the board raises offered in July now must be trimmed due to the poor economy. The contract negotiations have reached their 15th month. The District will soon submit a revised offer to the Washington Teachers’ Union, which has thus far resisted the contract. Rhee did state that funding from private foundations for the controversial merit pay provisions in the plan have not been affected.

Last week, the WTU offered its own counter-proposal to the contract, although the released summary was vague and said nothing about the merit pay and accountability measures.

Perhaps seeking to clear the air, Rhee’s op-ed in Monday’s Washington Post was conciliatory and appealed directly to teachers. She emphasized that she does “not blame teachers for the low achievement levels”, and claimed that her attitude toward teachers had been misrepresented in the media. To clarify her position on accountability, she added:

Do not misunderstand: I do not believe that most of our teachers are shortchanging their students. But in the worst cases, we have teachers who put their feet on their desks and read the paper while students run around. Or they use corporal punishment. Or they intentionally abuse their current contract, leaving for three months at a time and returning for the one day that will keep their job active. We all agree that these people do not belong in the classroom, and we must be able to remove them expeditiously.

Photo by maxedaperture.