Federal Update - August 29, 2008
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Educators.
A Divide Between Education Reform Democrats and Teacher Unions
Agreement Reached Over Merit Pay Dispute
Teacher Unions and the Democratic National Convention
New Reading Pilot Program Announced in New York City Schools
A Divide Between Education Reform Democrats and Teacher Unions
In Denver this week New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, former Colorado Governor Roy Romer, Democratic mayors, including Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty, Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, and other legislators and school officials gathered together to discuss education reform at the Ed Challenge for Change forum. One of the main topics of discussion centered around the fact that many at the forum felt that teacher unions have become a major obstacle to education reform, a feeling not normally expressed by Democrats. The panelists agreed that for too long the Democratic Party has been too cozy with the teacher unions and have not taken an active stance against them.
"As Democrats, we have been wrong on education, and it's time to get right," said Mayor Cory Booker. "This is my wildest dream," Booker said during a panel discussion, looking out at an overflowing Denver Art Museum auditorium. "I never thought I'd see a room full of Democrats interested in doing this (taking on the unions)."
Mayors Fenty and Booker, Chancellor Klein and Colorado State Senate President Peter Groff rebuked the unions for putting the needs of adults above children and using political tactics that impede education reform.
"The (American Federation of Teachers) does nothing for the children of Washington, D.C.," Fenty said.
Randi Weingarten, the president of the AFT, has expressed her anger at the direction the forum took stating "that it was a cheap shot." "This was a couple of mayors, and I very much appreciate their efforts. But they're tearing down the people who they need to lift up," Weingarten said.
For more information about the forum, please read the article titled, "Dem Ed Reformers Take Unions to Task," at http://ednewscolorado.org/other-news/dem-ed-reformers-take-unions-to-task.html.
Agreement Reached Over Merit Pay Dispute
The long heated debate over the fate of the Denver Public Schools' (DPS) merit pay system, ProComp, is close to being resolved. On August 22, the district and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA), the local NEA affiliate, agreed to the terms of a new three year contract, which includes some changes to ProComp.
Teachers in the district will receive a three percent cost of living raise, more training and planning time, and beginning teacher salaries will be increased from the mid-thirties to $42,000. Incentives under Pro-Comp for teaching in hard to staff schools, teaching hard to staff subjects, favorable evaluations, and taking professional development classes will be increased from $1,067 to $2,345.
"My hope is that's going to give us all the opportunity to focus on the incredible work that's going on in our schools and our classrooms," DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet said.
"This was the best deal that we could get for our members," said Kim Ursetta, DCTA president. "There were compromises on both sides," she said.
Dr. Kris Enright, executive director of the Professional Association of Colorado Educators (PACE), sent a letter to the editor to the Rocky Mountain News applauding many professional educators who were critical of the DCTA for threatening to strike over the contract dispute. He writes, "We applaud DPS professional educators. We encourage them to remember why they teach and hope they choose to 'focus on the kids.' After all, the behavior of one teacher or a group of teachers reflects upon us all."
PACE as well as all partners of the Association of American Educators are opposed to teacher strikes.
For more information about the compromise, please go to http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/25/denver-teachers-learn-details-of-contract/.
To read Dr. Enright's letter to the editor, please go to http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/25/responding-dissension-dps/.
Teacher Unions and the Democratic National Convention
The NEA and AFT were active participants at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this past week. When the host committee for the convention was $10 million short of its fundraising goals two months before the convention, the NEA was one of seven unions that gave money to the committee to help reach their goal.
Both unions also sent many of their members as delegates. This year the AFT had 135 delegates in attendance and the NEA had over 200 delegates, including 22 superdelegates. Reg Weaver, the outgoing NEA president, and AFT President Randi Weingarten spoke at the convention, both highlighting their support of and willingness to help elect Barack Obama.
Weaver stated, "That, my friends, is why the 3.2 million members of the NEA are organized, energized and mobilized to help elect Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America."
The NEA is often criticized by its members, teachers and outside organizations because of its allegiance to the Democratic Party, especially since the NEA's internal polling shows that over 40 percent of its membership consider themselves conservative or lean conservative.
While in Denver, Weaver also spoke at a rally for healthcare reform, organized by Heath Care for America Now, a group consisting of other unions and progressive organizations that advocate for universal healthcare. "Concern about this country's health care crisis is front and center in our members' minds," stated Weaver.
To read Reg Weaver's speech in its entirety, please go to http://www.docstoc.com/docs/1080496/Reg-Weaver-Democratic-National-Convention-Speech.
To read Randi Weingarten's speech, please go to http://www.uft.org/news/randi_DNC/.
New Reading Pilot Program Announced in New York City Schools
Kindergarteners in ten public schools in New York City will participate in the New York City Core Knowledge Early Literacy Project which will last for the duration of three years. During that time these schools will implement the Core Knowledge curriculum instead of the "balanced literacy" curriculum used in the majority of New York City schools. Under the Core Knowledge curriculum, students will focus on content, vocabulary and nonfiction books in an effort to help the students gain more knowledge in history, science and literature. In contrast the balanced literacy program allows students greater flexibility in the kind of books they read.
In a press conference NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein emphasized that the pilot program was not an indication that the balanced literacy program had failed. The new pilot program is being implemented in an effort to help raise eighth-grade reading scores which have not risen at the same level as fourth-grade reading tests.
For more information about the pilot program, please read the article titled, "10 City Schools to Focus Reading Skills on Content," at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/education/26core.html?ref=nyregion.
According to a recent press release by the NEA, the union will be busy campaigning for Senator Barack Obama for president. Earlier in the year, NEA President Reg Weaver stated that the NEA will spend between $40-50 million on campaigns this fall. NEA has targeted swing states for campaigning, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, and New Mexico. The NEA expects to reach 5.2 million voters by targeting their members, their members' spouses and families. Their goal is to deliver 80 percent of the 5.2 million votes to Senator Obama.
For more information about the NEA on the campaign trail, please go to http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/nea-revs-its-political-engines/story.aspx?guid=%7B27FCA681-FC35-4E56-8967-E1E14F7149EF%7D&dist=hppr.