A caucus of the Chicago Teachers Union

In “Dancing Lemons” (June 28,2010) the Tribune Editorial Board once again beats the drums (to continue the musical metaphor) for its favorite education reform: getting rid of bad teachers. In this case, however, the Tribune is also urging the new Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) leadership to break the law. The CTU would be criminally negligent and subject to the laws on failure to represent its members. Is the Tribune really encouraging law breaking? In addition to ensuring those due process rights are followed, the CTU contract also includes language on the “Remediation/Dismissal of Unsatisfactory Tenured Teachers”. This language includes the reasonable provision of a notice with reasons for a tenured teacher’s unsatisfactory performance after a principal has observed such performance at least twice. The teacher must then participate in a remediation plan, with support from a master teacher and the principal then evaluates said teacher every 30 days. If the teacher successfully completes the plan, then he or she is returned to annual evaluations. If not, the principal can go forward with dismissal proceedings.
Rather than viewing struggling teachers as akin to a faulty car i.e. a lemon, the law and the contract which was agreed to by the union and CPS (and specifies layoffs by seniority), requires looking at them as human beings who not only have due process and property rights, but a right to help and support to improve their performance. In my experience, too many principals grumbled about how hard it was to “get rid of a teacher”, but too few actually provided the support necessary or bit the bullet and actually began the dismissal procedure. It was easier to complain or try to make their lives miserable so they would change schools. The Tribune should go after management not the union when it comes to addressing unsatisfactory teaching, not the union. How many principals have had teachers on remediation plans and how many teachers were able to improve? The union must do its job in enforcing those due process rights. It’s the law and the members deserve its protection.