A coalition for effective teaching that didn't consult teachers?
by Timothy Boyle
The School District of Philadelphia needs all the help it can get, so I’m happy to see a number of local nonprofits band together to offer their advice.
The member groups of the recently launched Coalition for Effective Teaching are calling for reforms to the teachers' contract. As I looked over their list of recommendations, I saw a mix of ideas, some already happening and some that would be helpful. But there are many that are misguided. The coalition would have greatly benefited had they bothered to talk to rank-and-file educators during the planning process.
First off, there is much to agree with in the coalition's proposal.
- Maintaining class-size caps. Many teachers are struggling to get to know the 30 or 33 students under their charge well enough to personalize their learning. Increasing the cap size would only make things worse.
- Implementing research-based school-climate programs. The time has come for the School District to demand that "positive behavior supports" or restorative justice practices be employed in schools that are not only persistently dangerous, but also schools that have dozens of serious incidents each year.
- Training principals on meaningful teacher evaluation that is meant to help teachers grow as professionals. This is a win for everyone. Teacher evaluation must do much more than pick the satisfactory and the
