Seattle teachers OK contract, vote against superintendent
SEATTLE -- Members of the union representing Seattle teachers have voted to accept a contract proposed by Seattle Public Schools.
The Seattle Education Association on Thursday evening voted to accept a three-year agreement that had been reached between two sides.
The union also passed a "nearly unanimous" no-confidence vote against Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, according to SEA's executive director Glenn Bafia.
The members took issue with Goodloe-Johnson's "missteps in her judgment,' including the mock firing of all Seattle teachers in 2009, her move to reduce the curriculum's focus on critical thinking skills and a perceived general incompetence.
The agreement includes a new evaluation system that takes into account improvement in student learning.
"We got it compromised with the district that we would use a test score as a trigger to look at a teacher's performance as opposed to using test scores as a part of the final evaluation," said Bafia.
"If test scores come back and they appear the kids are not meeting typical growth, then the principal is now required to have a conversation with that teacher and to get back into that teachers' classroom within the first two months' of the school year at least twice to really look at that person's performance."
The district had wanted to use test scores to evaluate teachers' performance, but teachers worried the move would encourage merit-based pay.
The contract begins this coming school year. Classes in Seattle schools are set to start Sept. 8.
The contract gives teachers 1 percent raises in both 2011-12 and 2012-2013. It gives them more collaborative planning time, sets aside more money for mentors to help instructors new to the classroom and adds other leadership positions for teachers.
The contract also gives extra money to teachers who work in the lowest performing schools and meet performance expectations.
The Seattle Education Association on Thursday evening voted to accept a three-year agreement that had been reached between two sides.
The union also passed a "nearly unanimous" no-confidence vote against Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, according to SEA's executive director Glenn Bafia.
The members took issue with Goodloe-Johnson's "missteps in her judgment,' including the mock firing of all Seattle teachers in 2009, her move to reduce the curriculum's focus on critical thinking skills and a perceived general incompetence.
The agreement includes a new evaluation system that takes into account improvement in student learning.
"We got it compromised with the district that we would use a test score as a trigger to look at a teacher's performance as opposed to using test scores as a part of the final evaluation," said Bafia.
"If test scores come back and they appear the kids are not meeting typical growth, then the principal is now required to have a conversation with that teacher and to get back into that teachers' classroom within the first two months' of the school year at least twice to really look at that person's performance."
The district had wanted to use test scores to evaluate teachers' performance, but teachers worried the move would encourage merit-based pay.
The contract begins this coming school year. Classes in Seattle schools are set to start Sept. 8.
The contract gives teachers 1 percent raises in both 2011-12 and 2012-2013. It gives them more collaborative planning time, sets aside more money for mentors to help instructors new to the classroom and adds other leadership positions for teachers.
The contract also gives extra money to teachers who work in the lowest performing schools and meet performance expectations.