NYC Teacher's union weighs in on improving high poverty schools

Here is a post from a blog published by NYC's teacher's unions, the UFT. The blog is edWise and I highly recommend it. Here is the lead from a long post explaining the union's approach to Staffing A High Needs, High Poverty Urban School

Take the issue of how to best staff low performing schools serving a large number of high academic needs students living in poverty. The educational literature tells us that one of the most significant features of low performing schools in such settings is an exceptionally high rate of teacher turnover. The faculties of such schools are disproportionately made up of novice, inexperienced teachers, often without the full certification and licensure other teachers possess and often teaching out of license they do have. Consequently, the school is never able to acquire a sufficient large corps of experienced, accomplished teachers to break out of a cycle of low performance and turnover, as the one feeds the other. For the full analysis, see here and here and here and here.

It is instructive to compare and contrast the approaches of Chancellor Klein and the DOE, on the one hand, and Randi Weingarten and the UFT, on the other hand, to this problem.

There is some broad agreement on the notion of differential, or "combat" pay for teachers in these high needs schools. But the other differences with regards to administration of the schools, teacher management policies, and professional development, are stark and, to my eyes, extremely important. Where the Chancellor wants to order experienced teachers to go to troubled schools, the union wants to create a healthy learning environment that will entice skilled teachers and support them.

I find the UFT blog to be an extremely effective tool for discussing school issues and promoting their member's wisdom and the union's positions. Maybe the UESF will consider this idea in the future.