Leonard Pitts Jr., syndicated columnist for the Miami Herald wrote "it is troubling to see teachers unions reflexively reject anything that smacks of accountability". He writes about the efforts of Washington, D.C schools chief Michelle Rhee who fired 241 teachers, "most of whom had performed poorly on a teacher evaluation system." President Obama defended his "Race to the Top education initiative, saying "the goal isn't simply to fire bad teachers, but to lower class sizes, reward excellence and demand accountability".
As Ogden District begins the "School Improvement Grant" at Odyssey, Dee and James Madison, the OEA is hopeful that the district will work with us to make sure the contract is followed and that we are at the table for any changes that might come to those schools such as extended day pay, extended year pay, incentives and evaluations. One of our goals is to help teachers succeed and improve instruction for our kids. It is also our goal to perserve the due process rights of our teachers and honor the negotiated agreement. Our teachers are expected to have accountability and we should ask that of every employee, administrator, student and parent in the district.
Rick
Ogden Teachers Rally for Collective Bargaining
