Labor Pushes School Reform Alternatives

DC labor leaders presented their school reform alternative legislation Wednesday in a meeting with City Council Chairman Vincent Gray. The proposed amendments clarify who can be unilaterally fired and how they may be disciplined under the school reform legislation backed by Mayor Adrian Fenty and Chancellor Michelle Rhee. While giving the Mayor and Chancellor “complete and unfettered authority over the continued employment of true managers within DCPS,” the labor proposal retains fundamental worker rights, “such as due process, RIF rights, discharge for cause, promotional opportunities, and the right to organize,” for non-management employees. Another major distinction between the labor bill and the Fenty/Rhee bill is the labor provision for training, retraining, and retreat rights for those management employees of the DCPS Central Office who are subjected to non-disciplinary separation under the terms of the bill. “In our view, discipline, termination, and even non-disciplinary separation should be corrective in nature and not punitive,” wrote Metro Council President Jos Williams in a letter to Chairman Gray. “Even those Central Office employees who meet the definition of ‘management employee’ under this bill should not, after long careers in service to DCPS, be summarily and completely ejected from the system if they can be retrained and/or retreat into jobs in which their service will be valued.” The Metro Council and a coalition of labor organizations representing employees within the District of Columbia Public Schools is urging City Council to support the amendments at next Tuesday’s vote on the school reform legislation. Click here to tell DC Councilmembers to support fair school reforms.