Friday, December 17, 2010
 
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Teachers' unions on reform: Slow down

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[December 17, 2010]  SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois teachers' unions went on the defensive Thursday during an Illinois House of Representatives special education reform committee in Aurora.

The unions gave a failing grade to a proposed plan that expands on the Performance Evaluation Reform Act of 2010, which links teachers' evaluations scores with student performance.

The evaluations are currently set to come online throughout the entire state by 2016. Additional money would be provided to school districts to speed implementation of the teacher reviews under the plan.

Tenure would no longer mean a lifelong position, according to those in support of the proposed reforms.

Failing the evaluations would come with serious consequences, such as stripping teachers of state-granted certifications if they have poor evaluations three years in a row during a 10-year period, according to the plan. Poor performances also would allow school boards, following a superintendent's suggestion, to fire a teacher or return them to probationary status.

Teachers would be able to plead their case before action is taken in both instances.

"Sadly, I can say that if this package of proposed legislation were passed as is, I could not in confidence counsel my students to become teachers in Illinois," said Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, to some applause from the crowd. "I would urge them to go to another state where I think their voice as professionals would be far more respected."

At least two members of the committee, Karen Yarbrough, D-Maywood, and Robert Pritchard, R-Hinckley, said it does no one any good to let the changes to the education system languish in the legislature.

If the state's school system was a business, its windows and doors would be shuttered by now, according to Yarbrough, who is the founder and chief executive officer of Hathaway Insurance Agency.

"How many generations of students are we going to lose to waiting for the changes we need? ... We've got to come up with better plans, better strategies, and do it now," Pritchard said.

Yes, the education system needs to be mended, but change must be done deliberately and with input from everyone it affects, said the union representatives.

Ken Swanson, president of Illinois Education Association, told the bipartisan committee that while his union wants to work with all parties to improve the system, pushing legislation through before the new General Assembly is sworn in Jan. 12 is wrong.

"All we're saying is, let's take the time to get this right so that it works for the children. If that takes more than two weeks, not one more class, not one more generation is put at risk if we need six weeks instead of 10 days," Swanson said.

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No stranger to how schools operate, committee co-chair Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, is the superintendent of the Hutsonville school district. He said the speed at which things move through the legislature can be out of the control of those involved.

Regardless of timelines, the current plan is a starting point, Eddy said.

"I would just ask those that really do have problems with what's been presented and believe in the concept to offer some language and suggestions as to how we can, together, move along with a common goal, and that is to improve this whole process," he said.

Education reform advocacy groups that side with Pritchard and Yarbrough's position were also present at Thursday's hearing. Advance Illinois and Stand for Children spoke Thursday in support of streamlining teacher dismissal and changes to teacher tenure. (Stand for Children donated $50,000 to committee member Keith Farnham, D-Elgin, and $100,000 to committee member Jehan Gordon, D-Peoria, during the recent election cycle.)

Allowing schools to more easily let go of teachers with poor performance evaluations would improve the education system by shedding dead weight, representatives from these groups said. Moreover, the groups suggest that the plan would offer those not cut out for the profession a graceful exit.

"In a professional work environment that values highly effective teachers, those who struggle, through no fault of their own, because this is a very hard job, should be given a dignified exit, period. But a dignified exit shouldn't be unobtainable," said Robin Steans, executive director for Advance Illinois.

The committee will meet again today (Friday) to discuss changing how teachers can strike.

[Illinois Statehouse News; By ANDREW THOMASON]

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