In a message dated 11/24/2003 1:42:39 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: [Referring to the position of the board and superintendent Jennings]
> This position is contrary to the contract which states that > "This agreement shall remain in full force and effect for a period > commencing on July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2003, and thereafter until > a new agreement is reached." The district has been refusing to pay the > pay increases for years of service and education that are called for in > the existing contract. Mr. Jennings and the board may have good reason > to want to change the pay plan, but they need to honor the terms of the > existing contract before negotiating a new agreement. > The full contract is available at mft59.org. > I suspect that the freeze on step and lane pay is a bargaining ploy designed to pressure teachers into accepting the districts "pay for performance" scheme (which might not save the district any money in the short run) and concessions on base pay and other issues, like tenure (appeal) rights, seniority rights, job bidding procedures, etc. And just how broke is the district? Why is the district staying the course with a disciplinary policy that was expected to produce a significant decline in enrollment, revenue, and teachers jobs before it was implemented? The trade off was supposed to be higher attendance rates that were supposed to translate into higher achievement levels. But the initial big boost in attendance was not accompanied by a significant rise in test scores. The number of students being suspended from school has dropped a bit, but less than the drop in the students population, a sign that classroom climate is generally getting worse, not better. I have documented how the district has cooking its data on student achievement to show modest to incredibly huge progress in boosting academic achievement and "closing the learning gap." The district now says its graduation rate has jumped from less than to about 80 per cent. Folks, this is an enron-style accounting scam inspired by the federal no child left behind legislation, and only slightly more credible than Houston zero-dropout miracle. I suspect that one way the district is padding its graduation rates is by not counting students with serious academic deficits and behavior problems who are involuntarily transferred to from regular schools to "alternative schools." In my opinion a large part of the problem is systemic in nature. There a teacher assignment policies, instructional grouping / curriculum tracking, and other policies that undermine instructional effectiveness. Huge amounts of money have been spent on ineffective remedies, like the hundreds of millions spent on grade level reconfigurations at the K-8 schools, while programs that work are underfunded e.g., all day kindergarten and arts for academic achievement. Dave Jennings and those 7 zombies on the board should stop playing games with the teachers and stop trying to make the teachers pay for a financial crisis of the board's own making. Repeal the attendance policy that is driving down enrollment Go back to doing things that were boosting student achievement and closing the gap in the 1970s and 80s, like following best practices in early elementary reading instruction and progressively eliminating curriculum tracks for the general student population that are not based on a college bound curriculum and individualized assessment and planning. Open up the superintendent search process. And fire David Jennings immediately! -Doug Mann, King Field Author of "Flight from Equality: School reform in the US since 1983 http://educationright.tripod.com - REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
