Jeanne Allen: On Teacher Quality, Match Rhetoric With Regulation

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan today called for the reform of college programs that educate
teachers, Center for Education Reform president Jeanne Allen said that Duncan
must back up his rhetoric with strong provisions regarding teacher quality at
the federal level. Allen recently released guidance to the federal government
urging tough regulations on federal funds used for state teacher quality
efforts.

In response to Duncan's speech today at Columbia University's Teachers
College, Allen praised the Education Secretary's demand for revolutionary
changes to the way that colleges of education
prepare educators, saying that his remarks should serve as a wake up call to
teachers unions, education bureaucrats, and entrenched special interests who
would block data-driven performance reviews of teachers in an effort to
monitor teacher quality throughout their careers.

But she cautioned that the $4.3 billion federal "Race to the Top" funding plan
-- which Secretary Duncan has argued should be used in part for teacher
performance pay efforts -- could be wasted if the U.S. Department of Education
doesn't refuse funds to school districts that enshrine anti-reform provisions
in their policies and contracts.

"Teachers must be ready to help students achieve on day one, and today's
method of preparing, paying, and evaluating teachers just isn't providing a
systematic approach to get them there," Allen said. "States should be
encouraged to be as innovative and creative as possible with 'Race to the Top'
funds. At the same time, taxpayer money must not be wasted by districts that
refuse to embrace reforms that work and initiatives that place the needs of
children first. All too often, school districts insert anti-reform provisions
in collective bargaining agreements, making these districts virtually immune
from real reform. We can not and should not send a dime to these districts."

In addition, Allen recommends that Secretary Duncan place a stronger emphasis
on alternative teacher certification, promote meaningful and data-driven
performance pay models, encourage alternate models of teacher tenure, and
embrace teacher paycheck protection to ensure that educators take home more of
their hard-earned money.

"5 Principles for Racing to Teacher Quality"
Jeanne Allen, The Center for Education Reform

1. The Federal government should issue guidance to states barring
anti-reform school districts from receiving any "Race to the Top"
funds.
"In some school districts, it doesn't matter whether federal and state
law encourages reforms such as performance pay, because teacher
collective bargaining agreements in those districts forbid reform. This
little-known secret could throw a wrench in 'Race to the Top' funding,
rendering the 'Race' meaningless as a reform catalyst. States should
not
be permitted to funnel a single dime of 'Race to the Top' funds to
Districts that have collective bargaining agreements prohibiting, for
example, the use of student performance in evaluating teachers. To send
money to these districts would be to condone the 'adults first, kids
second' mentality that has decimated learning in far too many schools."
2. The Federal government should reward states that provide multiple
pathways to teacher licensure. "Tying 'Race to the Top' funds to a
dynamic, highly-talented, and evolving teacher force can yield positive
changes for students. The Federal government should reward states that
utilize all good teacher certification options available -- including
true alternative certification programs that require high levels of
teacher content knowledge. Studies show that well-designed alternative
certification programs produce teachers who boost student achievement
at
faster rates. States that refuse to accept new pathways to
certification
are denying students access to great teachers."
3. The Federal government should reward states that develop genuine,
data-driven pay-for-performance systems. "States that develop and use
comprehensive data collection systems to reward teachers who best
improve
student achievement -- whether through statewide models or pilot
programs
-- should get priority for 'Race to the Top' funding. While many
bureaucrats claim that linking student and teacher data is impossible,
the modern workforce in almost every other industry teaches us
otherwise.
Accordingly, the federal government should demand that states use
data-driven models -- not half-measures like teacher portfolios -- to
reward effective teachers."
4. The Federal government should reward states that encourage Districts to
adopt alternative tenure models. "Alternative tenure models -- such as
the ones championed by D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee -- have
the
potential to revolutionize teaching. Under Rhee's plan, teachers who
are
willing to defer tenure will receive major financial benefits. Delaying
tenure for a modest amount of time can prevent situations like New York
City's notorious 'Rubber Rooms,' where thousands of bad teachers are
prohibited from teaching but remain on the district's payroll, costing
taxpayers millions of dollars every year. The Federal government can
use
'Race to the Top' to make it easier to terminate teachers who aren't
doing any good for our children."

5. The Federal government should reward states that protect teacher
paychecks. "So-called 'paycheck protection' is a hot-button issue,
but
we must revisit it. Teacher's unions complain -- and often rightfully
so
-- about the low pay afforded to first year teachers. But these unions,
with their high dues structure and expensive political work, contribute
to lower take home pay. Consider California, where some teachers pay in
excess of $1,100 in union dues and first year teachers make $39,000.
Reducing deducted dues could yield immediate money for cash-strapped
educators."

For more information, please visit http://www.edreform.com.

The Center for Education Reform drives the creation of better educational
opportunities for all children. CER changes laws, minds and cultures to allow
good schools to flourish.

SOURCE Center for Education Reform

Andrew Campanella of Center for Education Reform, 800-521-2118,
andrew@edreform.com