QUOLKE’S CORNER #50
RACE TO THE TOP
I am sure that many of you have seen the article regarding Race to the Top in the Plain Dealer on Tuesday, Dec. 29th and the subsequent editorial on Wednesday, Dec. 30th. Links to each of those articles are at the bottom of this Quolke’s Corner.
The Race to the Top is part of a $4.5 billion federal stimulus grant earmarked for school districts to make significant changes to improve education. States must apply to be considered for the funds, school districts do not apply for the funds directly. Race to the Top requires that states/school districts commit to closing the achievement gap and getting more students to go to college. Race to the Top also requires states/school districts commit to prescriptive reform requirements that are considered important to President Obama and Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. Some of these requirements include: using evaluations to inform compensation, promotion and retention decisions for teachers and principals; turning around low performing schools by implementing one of the 4 Race to the Top models (turnaround, restart, closure, intervention model) in the schools that rank in lowest 5% statewide. Turnaround is the federal government term for reconstitution, restart is their term for creating additional charter schools, school closure is just as it sounds and intervention is similar to our efforts in the 10 TurnAround Schools. Another requirement would involve revamping our evaluation system. Participation in creating a performance pay linking compensation to the evaluation system is optional in Race to the Top.
States must apply for the Race to the Top funds. For a school district to be a part of Race to the Top an MOU must be signed by the CEO/Superintendent, Teachers Union President, and President/Chairperson of the School Board. This MOU was designed and written by the ODE with input from various stakeholders. Our state union, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, was instrumental in writing language in the MOU assuring collective bargaining issues be addressed through the collective bargaining process, assuring equal CTU representation in the development of the final plan, and assuring that the MOU does not waive or override any statutory or contractual rights issues. The MOU includes a “Preliminary Scope of Work” indicating the districts willingness to participate in each of the required areas. This signed MOU is due to the ODE by January 8 (that’s right this Friday). Ohio and every state must submit their applications by Tuesday, January 19th. States should receive notice of being accepted sometime in early April. If the federal government accepts Ohio’s application for Race to the Top each local district will have 90 days to develop their transformation plan, of which CTU must be an equal partner. Ohio is planning to receive a statewide total of $350-$400 million dollars. The grant and plan must be implemented over a 4-year period. While not finalized, the total funding could mean $20-$40 million dollars for Cleveland over the four year period. This is significant in a district that is anticipating a $50 million deficit.
Although we may have a philosophical disagreement with some of the education reforms that are important to the Obama administration, I can honestly say I would never have seen a Teacher Union Presidents signature required on an application for a Federal Education Grant under Bush/McCain...who ever. Our parent organization, the American Federation of Teachers advocated with the Obama administration for this level of collaboration. While much work has gone into creating the requirements of Race to the Top on both a federal and state level, everyone needs to understand the Federal Guidelines came out in November 2009 and the state MOU and guidelines were delivered to districts on Dec. 15th with a due date of January 8th.
There are many pros and cons to signing off on the application for Race to the Top. To sign or not to sign is not a decision that is being taken lightly. Although, I must be honest and say that I am hoping to be able to sign off on the application. CTU is already working on a number of these requirements or have worked on these areas in past years. Teacher Evaluation and student growth…CTU collaborated with the district in 1997-98 to develop TPES (Teacher Performance Evaluation System), a portfolio driven evaluation system incorporating student achievement and growth.
Teacher Quality…We have never backed away from teacher quality issues. Quite the opposite, the CTU twice advocated for and negotiated a Peer Assistance and Review Program. Initially the program assisted new teachers, provided support for teachers in need of assistance, and could recommended teachers for nonrenewal or termination. The original Peer Assistance Program was a casualty of budget cuts earlier this decade. We successfully negotiated the programs return in the 2007 Negotiations with a focus on all teachers in need of peer assistance.
Alternative Compensation…our TIF (Teacher Incentive Fund) is an alternative compensation program supporting additional compensation for school based increased student achievement and is the basis for PEAC and PAR.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the CTU took the initiative and approached the district in the summer of 2008 to work with schools in need of intervention…before President Obama was even elected. This initiative led to the creation of our TurnAround schools and has received on going support from the AFT and the United Federation of Teachers in New York.
Our reluctance is not concern or unwillingness to address these issues, but rather the current administrations insistence on a top-down, non-collaborative approach to doing business.
CTU is not alone in our frustrations over the lack of collaboration. I have met with and participated in conference calls with the Ohio 8 Union Presidents as well as Presidents from various OFT locals. A re-occurring theme in many districts is the poor labor-management relationship. To that end, I am working with our legal counsel to create a second MOU to assure the collaboration called for in the state MOU would occur in Cleveland. In this MOU, I want it to be clear that many aspects of Race to the Top must be negotiated with the CTU and that we must agree to everything that is submitted to the government/ODE at the end of the 90 day period. Many changes will be subject to negotiations and ultimately voted on by the membership. This separate MOU is not meant as a “union veto” or “opt out” type protection, it is meant to reflect that the type of collaboration (the complete absence of collaboration) that created the CMSD Transformation Plan is not type of collaboration that will get us Race to the Top.
In Union,
David
Link to Plain Dealer Race to the Top article 12/29:
Link to PD editorial 12/30: