Recovery plan may strike teacher rights

By HAROLD GWIN

gwin@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

Youngstown city schools teachers could lose their seniority rights on classroom assignments under terms of a proposed academic-recovery plan for the district.

That could be an issue, said Tom Reed, a consultant from the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, who is writing the plan on behalf of the state Academic Distress Commission.

The commission has been given authority by the state to come up with a plan to help Youngstown improve academically. The district was rated in academic emergency on its 2009 state report card.

Reed presented the first draft of the recovery plan to the commission Monday, noting that one of its key points involves determining whether teachers have the knowledge, competency and skills to provide education aligned with the state educational standards.

If those competencies aren’t evident by the second or third year of the recovery effort, assignments could be affected, Reed said.

Seniority wouldn’t matter and that would affect the teacher contract, he said. He added that he believes the district has many teachers who will meet that target, and the assessment system will allow the district to readily know who needs further professional development.

The state law setting up the Academic Distress Commission gives the panel broad authority in hiring, firing and placing employees.

Teacher assignments in Youngstown now are based primarily on seniority, particularly in the lower grades.

William Bagnola, president of the Youngstown Education Association (the teachers’ union), said union members are concerned about any action that might affect their contract.

Detailed examinations of both student and staff knowledge and performance, a heavy focus on family engagement combined with education for children from birth to age 3 and efforts to boost student engagement in the educational process are all part of the plan.

“The plan is good,” said Superintendent Wendy Webb, pointing out that much of the proposal outlined by Reed is already in place in the district. The problem is implementation, she said, noting that the district has had difficulty trying to work around the terms of the teacher contract in the past.

The commission will continue to review and refine the plan with a final version to be presented June 21.

The document will then go to the state superintendent of public instruction for approval.

Some of the plan’s specifics include:

The creation of "double literacy” classrooms that will meet twice a day to focus on reading and writing for students who are one full grade or more behind in their literacy skills.

Creation of an Early Childhood Coordinated Services team to focus on birth-to-age-3 education.

Opening a public preschool for all 4-year-olds at every elementary school.

Targeted professional development for staff.

Recruitment and selection of teachers and teaching assistants who demonstrate evidence of knowledge, skills and competencies aligned with the state educational standards.

Assessment and screening of all students for reading problems three times each school year.

Employment of an independent entity to oversee implementing and monitoring the plan.