Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps common sense will prevail in embattled North Carolina.
Here is the Wake County board resolution, passed unanimously tonight.
Media Release
WCPSS Communications
Samiha Khanna
(919) 431-7716
skhanna@wcpss.net
For Immediate Release | March 4, 2014
Board of Education requests repeal of new teacher contract legislation
The Wake County Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution on March 4 formally asking the N.C. General Assembly to repeal a new law governing teacher contracts.
The law, part of the Appropriations Act of 2013, requires school districts to select 25 percent of their teachers to receive offers for new four-year contracts. The contracts would include $500 raises annually for four years, but would also require teachers to relinquish career status rights they have earned under North Carolina law for consistent strong performance.
“This legislation creates division among teachers, when we know the better way to improve our schools is through collaboration,” said Christine Kushner, chairwoman of the Board of Education. “We applaud the General Assembly for its efforts to improve teacher pay, but we ask them to do more. Talented teachers are walking away from Wake County, and away from North Carolina. We are asking the General Assembly to reconsider this legislation, and in its place, develop a compensation plan that is tied to career growth and pulls North Carolina teacher salaries up to the national average.”
The board also unanimously directed Board Member Keith Sutton, who serves as chairman of the board’s Government Relations Committee, to initiate a meeting with state lawmakers to discuss the board’s resolution and issues related to teacher pay.
A copy of the final board resolution and open letter to Wake County teachers from the Board of Education also have been posted on the WCPSS website.
-wcpss-
Copyright © 2014 Wake County Public School System
5625 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC 27518 | (919) 431-7800
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Hooray for common sense in zNorth Carolina!!!
LikeLike
“The contracts would include $500 raises annually for four years, ”
What an insult.
$5,000 at least.
LikeLike
Why would they even say $500? That breaks down to about an extra 2 dollars a day.
LikeLike
You’d sell out everyone for 5000 dollars. Oh, I forgot, you’re from a “Right to Work for Less State”. Big money down there.
LikeLike
Bravo.
Many other school boards meet in the coming weeks. Maybe there will be more resolutions like this.
LikeLike
This is Great News.
Now, would you please convince the Powers that Be
A. Toss the CC$$- NC needs to start all over and STOP using these children as Guinea
Pigs…
The CC$$ is not the way to go…It supposedly spirals and they threw it at the teachers …oh yes..they had workshops…JARGON WORKSHOPS…BORING WORKSHOPS….LEARNING TO READ CODE…
Case in point…Summer in August
1. Workshop on Friday with more Jargon Gibberish
2. Confusing Pacing guide in teachers. hands along with run-offs of 230 pages of gibberish…..on FRIDAY …School started on MONDAY!!
3. No Books…Grabbing in Google Space to try to find what went with what..MAZE
B. NEWS YESTERDAY…Your Power School (from non other than the Big P)…… software is calculating Senior GPA’s incorrectly…Again, a program that was not tested and thrown at the schools..Counselors are having to calculate by hand..Students are frightened that they will not get into the college of their choice..
This was thrown at the schools in June with a bunch of virtual workshops..which I hear were ok……but the software had glitches and was untested… They are supposedly fixing things as they go along… This software costs millions of dollars..
LikeLike
Neanderthal,
You are RIGHT on!
LikeLike
My little NC local board also passed this resolution last week, without the grand fanfare given to the BIG DISTRICTS, but just wanted to share that many boards, big and small, are taking this stand in North Carolina. Some are doing more, like Guilford County, and others are helping with affidavits in the lawsuit. Sadly, Wake County stopped short of that move. We need MORE to agree to evidence affidavits!
LikeLike
Guilford is leading the way! They were the first..I think..
LikeLike
Has anyone in the teaching profession ever considered that NC is trying to avoid becoming ‘captive’ by tenure as NY, NJ and most other liberally-oriented states whose taxes have exploded.
If tenure ensured only the best would be secure to teach our children there would not be much of an argument against it.
Unfortunately, the number of teachers who should NOT be
allowed to continue in the profession have the same protected
as the majority who should. And as long as teach unions, which
are nothing more than a protection racket to keep membership
up, rather that ensure only the highest qualified teachers are
retained, the average grade for the teaching profession will
remain mediocre. ajbruno14 gmail
LikeLike
Please explain how it is the “union’s” legal responsibility, position and job to retain supposedly non-qualified teachers.
LikeLike
Your quote
“If tenure ensured only the best would be secure to teach our children there would not be much of an argument against it.”
You do not get tenure unless you are one of the best.
If you get lazy…they figure out a way to get rid of you..
They are trying to get rid of tenure and get rid of experienced teachers so they will not have to pay pension$$$$$$$$……
They are also hiring new teachers by the thousands
1. For the Money
2. Puppets on a String..
They think the teachers are too lame to their games…Guess what..NOT!!
LikeLike
Thanks to those who responded. I may know little about tenure, but I don’t see the connection with ‘due process rights’.
What you offer to support tenure, “demonstrated performance over a period of years” can be said for any employee in any industry, not only education. But, this is not the case. Different industries, and even public service do not have tenure, yet union representation provide job protection.
Consider what many teachers have to protect their jobs, both union representation (if the choose) AND tenure. To someone outside the education industry tenure is a benefit which is not needed, while limiting the ability of school administrators to manage its employees.
I do believe teachers are more deserving than police, or any group of public service workers, nor have I been convinced
poor performing teachers would not have the same “due process” other in the pubic sector have without tenure.
I also appreciate another point you make. “expect people to invest 4 or more years of college” to become a teacher. But,
careers are always out there, most come and go with the times and technology, but the teachers will be with us, with or without tenure.
And, when you say “no one in their right mind will consider a long term career in education”, you make it sound like a drudgery rather than a profession. Imagine the coal miner reading this.
You may be correct about teachers with tenure not being hard to fire, but could you please provide the percentage of teachers fired for cause compared to all other industries?
On a different note, I am so pleased I found this blog, and thankful for Diane’s efforts. This has provided a perfect
venue for teachers and non-teachers to learn what is going on
in the industry and offer their own opinions.
I only wish the blog was not so parochial by being against anything, such as vouchers and charters, which are merely efforts to aid those trapped in failing schools to be educated elsewhere.
Perhaps,I can get Diane to she the “light” as she has on Common Core.
Thanks again, appreciate all comments offered, even those which seek to send me to detention.
LikeLike
You know little about “tenure.” It is more properly termed due process rights. It is earned after demonstrated performance over a period of years. The only assurance a teacher with this protection has is that they will get a fair and impartial hearing and that there must be a good reason for their dismissal. In reality it is rather thin protection from favoritism and inept administration. If you expect people to invest 4 or more years of college in order to enter a classroom then you will have to offer them some semblance of a viable career. If not, no one in their right mind will consider a long term career in education. Teachers with “tenure” are really not that hard to fire. I hope you do not buy in to the notion that test scores signify teaching greatness. Even the researchers that have developed the current models do not make this claim.(With a very few that are distinctly in the minority of considered opinion).
LikeLike
Wonder how much ALEC money went into these so-called laws??
LikeLike