DC Teachers' Union Calls for "Dialogue" on School Closings
Thursday, November 15, 2012
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Responding to Tuesday’s proposal by the
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) to
close
20 public schools throughout the city, the
Washington Teachers’ Union yesterday released
its own plan. “WTU’s plan not only
addresses the more immediate challenges
presented by proposed school closings,” said
WTU President Nathan A. Saunders, “but also
calls for a serious and thoughtful dialogue
about the effects of market-driven education
reform and renewing our commitment to support
traditional public schools as the primary
source for educating the city’s children.”
Saunders said the union is also concerned that
District students could wind up with “less
access to high-quality teachers and
resources.” While acknowledging DCPS’
responsibility to manage public school
facilities and resources, WTU asserted its own
“responsibility to support families including
students and good teachers who will ultimately
be displaced.” WTU’s plan calls for
providing D.C. public school students with a
well-rounded curriculum and staff support,
accommodating displaced personnel by adjusting
hiring and end-of-year attrition while strictly
adhering to class size limits, developing
budget transparency and accountability and
renewing the pledge by all stakeholders
—including the Mayor, City Council and the
Chancellor—to support public education.
Noting that many charter schools are paying
teachers lower wages amid reduced working
conditions, the union also called for extending
the right to join the union to charter school
teachers. In related news, Hope Harrod (above
at right) was named 2012 DCPS teacher of the
year recently; she teaches 5th grade at John
Burroughs Education Campus in Brookland. David
Pinder, member of School Officers Local 4 and
head of McKinley Technology High in Northeast,
is 2012’s principal of the year. Click
here for a complete report from The
Washington Post.
- photo: Harrod (right)
reacts to Mayor Gray's surprise visit to
announce she has won "Teacher of the Year";
photo courtesy WTU