Things are truly messed up in many of our schools. But here in Seattle, we have a great opportunity in front of us. We can start to change things with a kids-centered negotiation and contract.
We’ve broken out several of the issues being negotiated in the contract and tried to make sense of the district’s proposal, the union’s stance, and what we think would be the best outcome for kids. We’ll update this chart as we learn more, so stay tuned…
| Contract Issue | District Proposal | Union Proposal | LEV View | |
| Layoffs/RIF | • Base layoffs on teacher seniority and teacher performance • RIF* staff according to current subject area or job category • Eliminate super-seniority status • Eliminate forced placement of staff |
Cannot consider employee FTE status in layoff decisions | We want the most effective teachers possible for our kids. We support the district proposal. | |
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| Mentor Program (STAR)* | Increase the number of mentors available to support 165 new teachers for three years | Increase the number of mentors available to support 165 new teachers for three years | We agree that mentor programs can increase the effectiveness, confidence and integration of new teachers, which support better classrooms for our kids. Is STAR effective at developing and retaining effective teachers? We’d like to know. | |
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| Compensation | • Increase base pay by 1 percent annually for all teachers who opt in to SERVE Seattle • Award stipends to highest-performing teachers who have opted in to SERVE Seattle o Demonstration Teacher: $2,500/year o Mentor Teacher: $3,500/year o Master Teacher: $5,200/year • Award stipends to 150 Service Teachers — strong performers who work in the lowest-performing schools and have opted in to SERVE Seattle • Award annual stipend of $1,500 to nurse practitioners with national certification in pediatrics or related field • Offer salary increases to substitute teachers at same rate as permanent staff |
• Increase TRI* salary schedule to 5th highest (of 11 comparable districts) in 2011-12, and to 4th highest in 2012-13 • Increase national certification stipends to ESAs • Offer salary increases to substitute teachers at same rate as permanent staff |
The union wants an across-the-board pay increase, while the district wants to provide salary enhancements for top teachers. As with any profession, teachers should have opportunities for growth and compensation that reflects that growth – including taking on additional responsibilities, working in struggling schools and demonstrating effectiveness. | |
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| Evaluation* | • Implement a 4-tier (unsatisfactory, basic, proficient, innovative) evaluation system, and expect proficiency by fourth year of teaching • Include student growth data in teacher evaluations (20 percent) • Provide $500 professional development stipends to teachers who have opted in to SERVE Seattle and are rated “needs improvement” |
Study 4-tier evaluation system in Pilot Program #3 (Correlating Student Outcomes and Teacher Evaluation) | Last year, the Legislature passed a requirement that teacher evaluations move to a 4-tier model. The district wants a more comprehensive evaluation program; the union wants to study the new system. We believe student progress should be one of many factors included in an evaluation system. | |
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| Collaboration Time | Restructure school day for 2011-2012 to add 14 two-hour blocks of non-instructional time to allow collaboration among staff | Add two staff-directed and two district-directed TRI days to calendar for professional development | The district says that there are many ways to structure the school day to accommodate this time that they will engage with families over the next year to create schedules that work best for families and schools. We will watch to make sure that engagement happens. | |
*See our FAQ page for definition or explanation.
