Louise Sundin: Teacher layoffs hurt, but must be done fairly
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/4952097.html
I've commented previously that the 'realignment' of the Mpls
teachers this summer represented a real coup for David Jennings and
those that would like to see teachers rights lessened. It's
unfortunately true that the union had few legal options to rebut the
administration's stance that the realignment was reasonable and
practical - the union couldn't, as Ms. Sundin pointed out in this
morning's commentary, legally argue one teacher's rights against an
other's after the decision to realign had been made by the
administration, but in defending the action by the district Sundin has
succumbed to quoting the NCLB and suggesting that closing schools might
have saved teacher's jobs. This is desperation justification. The
prospects for teacher's rights in the upcoming legislative session are
very grim when the president of the Mpls teacher's union is advocating
closing schools and using the NCLB as evidence that the realignment
makes sense.
Arguing the soundness of NCLB language is fruitless, but suggesting
that closing schools might be good for teachers is proof positive that
we are, indeed, in very desperate times. If the MPS were able to manage
to save $2.8 million by closing the schools as proposed last year, that
would only cover the salary of 37 teachers, but that's before the costs
not projected in the savings estimate start adding up. Call me a
skeptic for suggesting that the district might not be 100% accurate in
the projections but recent history would support my skepticism. And the
dollar savings projected by closing schools don't take into account the
loss of revenue from those that leave the district when the school near
their home is closed and it doesn't take into account the costs
associated with the staff reshuffling that will follow the school
closings; I predict that this summer's realignment is only minimal
confusion compared to what will happen when schools are closed and
rearranged on the magnitude talked about last winter.
So what's the alternative? Put all of the facts in front of the
public and work hard at coming up with a plan for the future of our
schools that makes sense to a majority of the parents and families of
the district. I'll be optimistic and hope that the consultants hired to
do that can pull off a late inning rally. Otherwise, the dismantling
of the public schools and the teacher's union that represents the
teachers will accelerate.
Dan McGuire
Ericsson
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