District Administration - March 2010 - (Page 32)

Toward a More Perfect Tips on Successful Negotiating (from those who have been through it) DaviD CiCarella, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers: Union past. “At the beginning, it was hard getting the teachers to feel that we didn’t have a hidden agenda,” Mayo says. “But the labor relations consultant kept saying, ‘Don’t hide anything. Put everything on the table.’” The Merits of Merit Pay Denver’s Professional Compensation System for Teachers (ProComp) has become the most recognized merit pay program nationally and since 2006 has based teacher compensation on a 10-item menu of teacher performance. Teachers who choose to participate can permanently raise their base salaries by receiving a satisfactory professional evaluation or an advanced degree. They can also add annual bonuses of almost $2,400 for serving in underperforming or hardto-staff schools and achieving significant gains in student standardized test scores. “You’re talking about a radical change in how teachers typically are paid,” says Henry “We kept at it. We said, ‘We’re going to talk about tenure, but you’ve got to be willing to get rid of ineffective administrators.’ The easiest thing is to walk away.” reginalD Mayo, superintendent of New Haven Public Schools: “My advice is to get all the players at the table. And don’t go into a back room to decide what you want and then try to shove it down the other side’s throat.” Henry roMan, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association: “Spend time in the process so there’s an opportunity for more teacher buy-in. It will take time, but it’s time well spent.” CHarlie rose, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Education: “The labor/management relationship is in fact an opportunity to advance and pursue a broad policy agenda, [including] a reform agenda. Both sides need to recognize that their relationship is a powerful one that can provide an environment in which school improvement and educational reform can flourish.” found common ground during the piloting of ProComp in the early part of the last decade. “We spent a long time looking at data and trying to move away from ideology to focus on what’s best here for 1 our kids and what’s best for attracting and retaining high-quality teachers,” says Boasberg, who notes that two-thirds of Denver’s 4,500 teachers now participate in ProComp. Over the program’s first four years, between 70 and 80 percent of those teachers have met at least one bonus criterion. “Our recruitment numbers are way up, and our teacher turnover is way down, and we have a much more results-oriented culture,” Boasberg continues. “Over the past four years, Denver has seen greater growth in student achievement than in any other district in the state.” ProComp required support from Denver’s voters, and, in 2005, they approved an annual $25 million levy dedicated to the new program. It helped that the district had run its three-year pilot program at several schools, with input along the way from teachers and administrators. “We live in a very reactive profession,” Roman says, “but this time teachers got involved in the process and provided examples of how to improve professional growth.” Such examples in Denver helped determine the current schedule of bonuses, which range from $876 for new teachers District Administration CEHS FastTrack 4.75x4.75:CEHS Roman, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, a local chapter of the National Education Association. Tom Boasberg, the district’s superintendent, says 10/12/09 8:34 AM Page union and management FastTrack 4.75x4.75 A FAST TRACK TO A TRADITIONAL ED.D. Seton Hall University’s nationally recognized, accelerated doctoral program will allow you to complete your studies in just 10 weekends and two, four-week sessions over two years. In fact, more than 300 K-12 administrators in 28 states and six foreign countries have already successfully earned their degrees and achieved career advancement. FAST TRACK Now accepting applications for the April 2011 cohort. Loans are available to cover the entire cost of the program regardless of financial need. “Combined with superior teaching, strong curriculum, and an emphasis on contemporary issues, the Seton Hall experience will permit you to forge ties with a premier institution and create lasting personal and professional relationships with colleagues from all over the world.” Sandra DeLuca, Ed.D. ’09 Director of Guidance Metuchen Schools, NJ For more information, call 1-800-313-9833, e-mail execedd@shu.edu or go to www.shu.edu/go/execedd 400 South Orange Avenue South Orange, NJ 07079 www.shu.edu 32 March 2010 http://www.shu.edu/go/execedd http://www.shu.edu http://www.shu.edu

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - March 2010

District Administration - March 2010
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Curriculum Update
Conversations
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Toward a More Perfect Union
The Moxie of Kathy Cox
Logging On to Learn
Battling Sexual Abuse
Supervisor’s Opinion
Problem/Solution
Crisis Response
Product Focus
New Products
Tech Disruptions

District Administration - March 2010