(PHILADELPHIA) September 6, 2013 – In April the Coalition for Effective Teaching (The Coalition) launched to support common sense reforms crucial to improving teaching and learning, calling for both the School District of Philadelphia leadership and the teachers’ union to push for contract changes that strengthen effective teaching and learning in Philadelphia’s public school classrooms and promote greater management accountability. Both are essential to improve conditions for students and teachers in schools.
With schools about to open, these reforms remain in doubt.
The Coalition, which now includes groups such as the NAACP, Urban Affairs Coalition, Parent Power, and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, as well as Philadelphia Education Fund, Public Citizens for Children and Youth, Congreso, Urban League of Philadelphia, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, ASPIRA, and Education Voters of Pennsylvania urges the following reforms to improve educational outcomes:
- Implement Full Site Selection – The Coalition is calling for the contract to shift all hiring to site-based selection where a small committee that includes the principal, teachers, and potentially parents and community members choose who joins the school team based on what their school needs, the track record of the candidates and the degree to which candidates will advance the positive norms of the school. Further, the Coalition is urging the adoption of this approach to school-based hiring irrespective of whether the teacher is a brand new hire for the district or if they are being called back from a layoff or seeking a transfer.
- Retain Class Size Limits – The Coalition is calling to maintain current contract language that sets class size limits, with carefully defined provisions that permit larger classes for blended learning.
- Pay Teacher Leaders – The Coalition also wants to see a contract that makes it possible to pay teachers as “teacher leaders” so that those who step forward to help other teachers or respond to special learning needs in the school are rewarded through a pay category that reflects their professional expertise. To pay for this “teacher leadership” category, the contract should – going forward — only provide higher education pay bumps for those teachers who receive their masters in areas of study demonstrated by robust research to have a positive effect on student learning. This would not affect the pay scale of teachers that currently have advanced degrees.
Steven Wray, Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, says “These reforms will attract and keep talented teachers who will prepare our students to graduate able to compete in the global economy.”
In addition to contract reforms, we believe the district needs to change its management practices to better support and develop effective principals. These do not require modification of any contract. The district can place and remove principals with wide discretion. It can also pay principals more who demonstrate terrific progress in their schools. It has not used these powers.
Nor has it established a fair framework for exercising these powers. Effective organizations have clear standards that help leaders know what success means. District management should develop metrics that define what successful schools looks like with respect to several factors. These include teacher and student safety, teacher support and evaluation and student performance. These metrics should be used to inform and incentivize successful principals.
Research conducted with effective teachers demonstrates that they stay in schools where there is a strong, fair and supportive principal, otherwise they seek opportunities elsewhere. Further research shows that principals who engage community members and parents in their buildings have improved academic outcomes, safer buildings and improved school climate. The Coalition is calling for the management of the district to make the creation of these metrics and systems for principal accountability and support a top priority.
NAACP Philadelphia Branch President Jerry Mondesire said “The teachers’ union and management must make the kinds of changes that this Coalition is fighting for because we know these changes can increase the odds that students in this school district can succeed.”
Sharmain Matlock-Turner, President and CEO of The Urban Affairs Coalition, said “We need to use this opportunity to move the ball forward for Philadelphia’s students.”
Darren Spielman, CEO of the Philadelphia Education Fund said “These reforms are essential to make our schools better places to learn, and better places to work. We urge the parties to come together to get this done. The time to act is now.”