Unions, Pay for Performance and No Grapes

A new report from the Citizen's Commission on Civil Rights highlights four types of teacher union initiatives that have the "dual purpose" of improving student learning and improving the working conditions of teachers: pay for performance, decreasing the role of seniority in hiring practices, involving parents and the community in decision-making and enhancing teacher professional development. Pay for performance is a bit of a sore thumb here, as the most controversial of the bunch, but the point really worth highlighting from this report is that local teachers unions and districts are, at least in some cities, collaborating to develop strategies that satisfy both "sides".

Does this spell hope for reformist district leaders and unions that are butting heads? Maybe, but the debate is still pretty intense. Which makes sense-- people feel strongly about schools and they feel strongly about unions. Put them together and you've got a firestorm. As someone who grew up with a picture of the Sacramento March in my bedroom (next my preferred posters of Scott Baio and the PYT-era Michael Jackson), I've always believed in unions. They existed to protect workers and the working class. To give voice to the less powerful. To help bridge the inevitable tensions between democracy and capitalism.

I still believe this. And as I see it, teacher's unions need to exist, and they need to be strong. Steve Jobs' suggestion that unionization and lifetime employment of K-12 teachers is "off the charts crazy" is just the type of divisive remark that fuels the firestorm. But in fairness, something's definitely not right with today's teacher's unions. They need to get beyond the myopic stance of protecting salaries and tenure above all else. No, they shouldn't back down on giving teachers respect and voice and control over their working conditions– teachers are the ones who work everyday with our kids and, by and large, they really do care and try and work hard, and they do deserve protections. But the unions also need to get a grip on the language and provisions in some of these teacher contracts- does anyone really believe that involuntary transfers are, in practice, a good idea? And they need to recognize that facilitating changes that protect students and the larger school community will in the end be better for the whole of the teacher workforce. The message then is yes, you matter, you're important. But no, it's not all about you.

So I'm hopeful when I see evidence that local unions and districts are making some headway in working together. Certainly the warring us versus them mentality is not constructive. Nor, by the way, are the back and forth claims of Cesar Chavez or the UFW as an ally. Give me a break. Letting the grapes die on the vines is completely different from letting your most vulnerable students languish in bad schools.