L.A. task force urges big changes in tenure, pay
Posted in Teacher Development, Tenure, payOne of the state’s most hidebound districts in the past took a step this week toward becoming one of the most progressive. The rest of the state: take notice.
A Los Angeles Unified task force that included teachers, parents and administrators and was chaired by State School Board President Ted Mitchell, has recommended significant changes in the way teachers in the nation’s second largest district are evaluated, paid and granted tenure.
If adopted by the school board, excellent teachers who agree to work in underserved schools will be paid more, and teacher evaluations – now perfunctory and uncritical – would include the opinions of parents and student as well as several years of student test data to measure effectiveness, according to a story in the Los Angeles Times.
The probationary period for some teachers – those who deserve a longer chance to prove themselves – could extend from the current two years to four; however, this would require a change in state law. In 2005, when Gov. Schwarzenegger put an initiative for a longer probation period on the ballot, the state teachers union led a grassroots effort to kill it.
But a lot has happened since then, particularly in the past year, in LAUSD, and even United Teachers Los Angeles, is recognizing the need to change. A burgeoning charter school movement has led to more than 15 percent decline in enrollment over the past decade and a declining union membership. This year, union teachers, backed by the district, submitted plans for running 30 new and low-performing schools that will challenge work rules.
The school board approved most of the proposals. And just as the task force was beginning its work, the Los Angeles Times did shocking articles on how difficult, expensive and rare it is to fire even the worst performing teachers.
The Obama administration has made performance-based pay and effective
A Los Angeles Unified task force that included teachers, parents and administrators and was chaired by State School Board President Ted Mitchell, has recommended significant changes in the way teachers in the nation’s second largest district are evaluated, paid and granted tenure.
If adopted by the school board, excellent teachers who agree to work in underserved schools will be paid more, and teacher evaluations – now perfunctory and uncritical – would include the opinions of parents and student as well as several years of student test data to measure effectiveness, according to a story in the Los Angeles Times.
The probationary period for some teachers – those who deserve a longer chance to prove themselves – could extend from the current two years to four; however, this would require a change in state law. In 2005, when Gov. Schwarzenegger put an initiative for a longer probation period on the ballot, the state teachers union led a grassroots effort to kill it.
But a lot has happened since then, particularly in the past year, in LAUSD, and even United Teachers Los Angeles, is recognizing the need to change. A burgeoning charter school movement has led to more than 15 percent decline in enrollment over the past decade and a declining union membership. This year, union teachers, backed by the district, submitted plans for running 30 new and low-performing schools that will challenge work rules.
The school board approved most of the proposals. And just as the task force was beginning its work, the Los Angeles Times did shocking articles on how difficult, expensive and rare it is to fire even the worst performing teachers.
The Obama administration has made performance-based pay and effective