Legislature rolls back teachers’ rights and benefits

The Detroit Free Press reports
that the bills will:

• Extend from four years to five the
time it takes a new teacher to earn tenure protection.

What data did the authors of this
legislation use to
determine that exactly 12 more months–added to the already-lengthy 48
months–was necessary for building principals to find out if a teacher was
“ineffective”?  What research told the authoring legislators
that 48 months–four years–was not enough time to tell them what they needed
to know about a teacher’s performance? 

• Bar districts from using seniority
as a primary factor when laying off teachers.

There is going to be a feast for
lawyers, a litigation nightmare for school districts. BOEs will try to craft
policies and procedures, and administrators will try to shield themselves by
means of “layoff committees” who make recommendations—but make no
mistake, as every layoff exception is made, an attorney will be filing a
lawsuit.

• Require parents to be notified in
writing if their child is taught by a teacher rated “ineffective.”

Will the parents also receive in
writing the name of all personnel who interviewed and recommended hiring the
ineffective employee? Surely they bear some responsibility. Perhaps they should
be barred from serving on hiring committees? 

Will the parents also receive in
writing the name of the administrator who conducted the final interview and

subsequently determined to actually
hire the ineffective employee?  Surely this person bears some
responsibility. Perhaps the principal needs some retraining in personnel
matters? 

Will the parents also receive in
writing the name(s) of those who wrote recommendation letters for the employee?
Perhaps they should be barred from ever writing letters of recommendation.
 

Will the parents also receive a new
report card format, to reflect what percentage of their student’s grade
reflects the ineffective teacher, vs how much of their student’s grade reflects
the student’s effort, parent involvement, socio-economic factors, health
factors, etc.?

• Add seven items to the list of
things unions can’t bargain for — including placement of teachers, personnel
issues related to layoffs and decisions regarding discharge or

 discipline of an employee.

As teachers find themselves under
increasing attack from lawmakers–urged on and well funded by wealthy private
interests, Michigan school districts are going to find themselves awash in an
array of labor actions,  Again, ultimately this legislation is going to be
a litigator’s dream world.