Teacher Union Proposes Reforms

The plan eliminates tenure as it currently exits.

 The state’s largest teachers' union has released the education reforms it is proposing and one of those is to replace tenure with a what it calls a “streamlined dismissal process” for underperforming teachers.

The Connecticut Education Association represents more than 43,000 teachers and said the proposals, developed by teachers, will help boost student achievement.

"Teachers will do their part — we propose creating an evaluation system for teachers that uses multiple indicators of quality teaching, and we propose developing a streamlined dismissal process to remove underperforming teachers," CEA Executive Director Mary Loftus Levine said in a statement.

The plan calls for all teachers, administrators and the superintendent to be involved in a local plan’s development and for a neutral arbitrator to intervene in unresolved issues.

“It is time to end teacher tenure as we know it, while ensuring jobs are not threatened for petty personal or political reasons that have nothing to do with classroom effectiveness. It is time for Connecticut to reform the dismissal process so that it is speedy, more cost-effective, and fair,” the plan says

The union's announcement comes about a month before the General Assembly convenes. Education reform is expected to be a top issue.

In a letter to state lawmakers last month, Gov. Dannel Malloy said his priorities include allowing more state intervention in troubled school districts, more autonomy for high-achieving schools and changes in teacher evaluation methods to reward skills rather than seniority.

Malloy said he also wants more early childhood education services.

CEA said the recommendations will address a list of issues, ranging from teacher tenure and evaluation to class size and parental involvement.

The plan also calls for partnerships among communities, parents, teachers and students to transform chronically low-performing schools with methods tailored to each school. It also calls for schools to provide health and social service supports to disadvantaged youngsters.

The full plan, called “A View from the Classroom: Proven Ideas for Student Achievement, is posted online.  

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