UFT's Worthwhile Gamble

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten took an interesting gamble last week when she agreed to work jointly with a charter school company in launching a new school in The Bronx.

Green Dot Public Schools has had a good working relationship with Teacher unions in California, but it has not abided by traditional contract rules. There is no tenure - Teachers can be fired if "just cause" is found, and workdays are longer for those working in Green Dot schools.

The fact that just one Teacher has been fired in seven years by the charter operator convinced Ms. Weingarten that she would not be subjecting her members to arbitrary dismissals. Green Dot's success in graduating a much-higher percentage of students in heavily minority Los Angeles neighborhoods than was being done by traditional schools, and it's paying Teachers about 10 percent more than the norm, were clearly other inducements for the collaboration.

If it works, the new school will demonstrate that the UFT contract is not the impediment Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has contended it is. It might also offer useful guidance on making failing schools succeed.