SWAPPING TENURE FOR BONUSES IS CATCHING ON

The union-busting idea of swapping tenure for thousands of dollars in bonuses now appears more frequently in the newspapers. In a July 21st, Washington Post op-ed essay Connecticut Senator (and former vice presidential candidate) Joseph Lieberman praises D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee who “seeks to reward teachers for good performance…Rhee proposes offering teachers the choice of staying in the seniority system or giving up their seniority and tenure rights in exchange for the opportunity to earn as much as $131,000 a year for raising student performance.” The $131,000 figure is either a misstatement by Lieberman, or a sweetening of the pot by Rhee. As of last week the Faustian bargain was only worth $100,000.

Lieberman seems to be building his own bandwagon when he cites “bonuses of up to $10,000 for exceptional Prince George County teachers who choose to participate in an incentive pilot program. And in New York City, Chancellor Joel Klein has sought major reforms, including enhancing the charter school system, rewarding successful schools, closing he worst schools and evaluating teachers in part on the basis of their students’ progress.”

What is really alarming about this perfunctory piece of propaganda is that for the first time the insanity of teachers voluntarily forfeiting tenure is promoted by a major recognized political figure. You better believe that Joel Klein is chomping at the bit, ready to make the issue part of the negotiations for our next contract.