Steps and Lanes: Over and Out?

I keep finding fresh evidence to suggest that the balance of power is changing, between the teachers unions and the Legislature, School Boards, and taxpayers they used to dominate.  District 112, the Eastern Carver County Schools ("Chaska") is going toe to toe with Education Minnesota on a new contract.  They have already forgone the $25 per student penalty for not having a signed contract by January.  Among the sticking points is the district's proposal to eliminate "steps" - automatic pay increases for years of service.

In a similar way, Governor Pawlenty is challenging tenure - a form of seniority bestowed after some number of years.  Federal programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top are demanding some new thinking here.  And the Minneapolis Public Schools, facing still more layoffs, says traditional seniority is too high a price for this struggling district trying to retain its bright, new teaching prospects by losing some veteran but "depressing, mediocre" teachers.

So, does experience matter?  Of course it does, as in any profession.  Should pay increase as a result?  Of course, as in any profession where time in grade generally results in improved productivity or results.  But in the private sector, that is usually done on a person by person basis.  Did you sell more?  Did you marketing strategies increase market share?  Did you identify more expense savings?  Did you make products more reliable? Did you write more lines of code?  Did you speed up the manufacturing line?  Did you help others do these things?

This should happen in education.  Rather than the union "you prove to me that I'm a bad teacher" demand we need the "I'll prove to you that I'm a good teacher" approach.  Lacking anything else substantive or credible, student test scores have to be the primary basis of such evaluation.  And can we not now say given the evidence or lack thereof that paying for advanced degrees ("lanes") is pointless?

It's obvious that there will be no big infusion of new money.  The school districts owe it to us taxpayers, parents, and especially the students to put whatever little infusions appear where it will do the most good.

Comments

[The Big Stink]

Great post, Speed. The debate is just beginning. The trick will be to translate the debate into action. To do so, we either have to have major concessions from the union or a legislature with an actual spine. Stay tuned. Anyone notice the op/ed in the Strib from Tuesday in which black leaders lambasted the union? I posted on it at Freedom Dogs.

[big hands]

The balance of power does need some realignment, however don't get your little freedomdoggies all excited about a new "voucher" opportunity. As a parent that does extreme volunteering...I am a little dismayed at how some of the teachers respond. For example at our elementary school, one of the teachers refused to spend 10 mintues more of face time with the students in the am, so all the shool's kids have to sit in the gym for 10 minutes more until school starts and the buses leave. How stupid is that!!! We work hard to get a referendum through and a few bad apples are more concerned with thier face time with the kids. Let's work here in real world terms and jointly work on a solution, just not point fingers and say vouchers.

[The Big Stink]

Maybe when they ask for 30 minutes you're tone will change. You're trying to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. When the water starts lapping at your shins, things will change.

[anonymous]

Steps/lanes seem like strange model, to be sure. If they went away, there'd still be CoL raises though, right? In most corporations (except in the worst economic times) employees get those in addition to any merit raises. So while steps/lanes are archaic compared to other compensation models, the CoL might end up being more.

My concern is that we identify a model that pays teachers well enough that we can recruit and retain good ones. Which is a separate issue from culling the bad ones.

--Annie

[big hands]

Big Stink, I talk compromise and you talk "my way or the highway". I hope you are happy with your piety...holding that little voucher card; not wanting to listen to anything else. This isn't the freedomdog site, you did know that? We can try and work together. Or does that show waekness within the right wing agenda? What would your freedomdog pals say if you weren't so acerbic to those not of your vision?

[The Big Stink]

I have no desire to try to persuade you of the merits of re-thinking education. You're not ready. But, you have to give me the freedom to have my own opinions without condescending. If you want to silence me, ban my opinions, then I would suggest you put it to a vote.

The question ought to be this:

Let's bar any discussion of tax credits or vouchers from ever being discussed on this site. Agree? Or, disagree?

[big hands]

"You're not ready".

There you go again with your oppressive righteousness. The question should be this or the question should be that. Are you so controlling that you need to orchestrate the debate. Did I say silence?....noooo. I said talk more in terms or compromise. Huge difference stink.

[The Big Stink]

Okay, tell me how you would present an alternative to public education?

[Speed Gibson]

This really wasn't a voucher / tax credit post. I'm just pointing out that this worst of recessions since WW II is at least forcing reconsideration of some sacred cows, expensive sacred cows that don't seem to be producing much milk.

[Give2Attain]

Now for something totally different...

I am amazed that the Unions aren't doing a better job of policing their own ranks. It seems they are working hard to secure our more Conservative agenda by protecting the poor performers... Maybe they simply can not see the damage they are doing to the kids and their own reputation.

I am concerned though with how "we the people" can hold ourselves accountable to paying teachers well, without the Unions... We tend to be pretty short sighted and stingy at times. Remember... "If you have Union problem... You probably deserved them..."

Now what did we do to help create the problem? What have we learned? And how will we improve in the future?

[The Big Stink]

G2A: Will the rank and file see this trend as a positive development and begin to question their own union about the efficacy of collective bargaining?

Will they fire their union?

[Give2Attain]

Is the "Union" a separate entity or the voice of the teachers? (ie I looked in the mirror and the enemy was me...)

I think Teamster's is a unique entity that workers from a company can withdraw from by popular vote.

Hopefully if they can not fire them... They will vote in a more conservative/results/kids focused leadership.

Kind of like the USA will probably do in the next election. We will not fire the gov't, however we will likely shift the control back to the right.

[big hands]

Unions were formed because of the abuses of those with money placed on those without. If you see this is no longer a problem (remember the gap between rich and poor escalates every year) how should teachers protect their rights? I understand that power has shifted, but I say we work to hold the unions more accountable but understand the need for protecting worker's rights. I am also worried that the shift in our country to strictly results is merely a cover for why we don't have to give more.

[anonymous]

Here's my take on unions. I owe them plenty, and so do you--from our vacations to our 40-ish hour work week. I still think there's a need for them today, but not necessarily in the fields where they're strongest.

Individual workers may need to band together in fields where there is the most chance for them being mistreated by management--very low wage, very high risk, very high turnover. Slaughterhouses? Construction? Fast food? Sure, hourly workers there are extremely small fish in an extremely big and lucrative pond, and there's still a need for collective bargaining there. I'm not opposed to any of them, but I see much less need in contemporary fields where the practitioners are well-educated and professional--pilots, teachers, etc.

So again, I'm squarely in the middle of all you yahoos.

--Annie