Criticize Rules For Appointing Teachers

Limit Principals' Input

Criticize Rules ForAppointing Teachers

 

By HOWARD MEGDAL

 

JOEL I. KLEIN: Music to his ears.

A new study critical of urban school hiring systems has drawn fire from the United Federation of Teachers and applause from the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators and the Department of Education.

 

According to a study released by The New Teacher Project, a non-profit education training group, up to 40 percent of urban Teachers are hired with little or no input from school Principals.

 

'Limits Accountability'

 

"You cannot hold Principals accountable for student achievement and not let them pick the team to get the job done," said Michelle Rhee, Chief Executive Officer and President of TNTP. "No CEO could run a company that way. These rules no longer work in an era of high-stakes accountability."

 

The main rules cited by TNTP as causing the most inefficient hiring were voluntary transfer, under which incumbent Teachers with seniority rights move between schools, and excessed Teachers, who are educators deemed unnecessary by their school. TNTP claims that Teachers from both of these groups are often forced on Principals who do not need or want them.

RANDI WEINGARTEN: 'An anti-Teacher report.'

 

A furious Randi Weingarten, president of the UFT, questioned the motives of the group.

 

"It is shocking that a group that purports to speak for new Teachers would put out such an anti-Teacher report," the UFT leader said. "Taken out of its protective clothing, this is simply a report that shills for management's demands, not for a new Teacher's needs."

 

Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, however, cheered the study, believing that it confirms frequent Principal complaints of an inability to pick staff in a straightforward way.

 

"These staffing rules are inconsistent with a sensible approach to school-based reform and accountability," Mr. Klein said. A DOE source confirmed that the city used TNTP's research as part of its negotiations that led to the most recent contract with the UFT.

 

CSA President Jill Levy was also supportive of TNTP's findings, though she continued to be critical of DOE's ability to implement changes to these rules in the UFT contract.

 

"It has been unfortunate that Principals had to resort to alternative ways to remove unsatisfactory teachers because the Board of Education did not support them in their professional attempt to remove these Teachers," Ms. Levy said.

 

But to Ms. Weingarten, criticism of the hiring rules was little more than an exercise in projection.

 

"This is just more of the old 'blame the victim' nonsense," UFT's president said.

 

"We're the only ones who've actually proposed ways to staff hard-to-staff schools and retain Teachers by creating enterprise zones and career ladders."