I’m getting the same salary I had 10 years ago after passing Praxis, you can’t tell me something isn’t wrong with that scenario. Non frozen teachers received permanent pay increases in every check from now on but frozen teachers got a single check. It doesn’t take a genius to see the pay compensation for Praxis was not fair. I’m sure the commissioner is doing her job by standing by the board’s policy but just because the all mighty board made a policy does not mean it will stand the test of judicial review — the policy has never been tested so BOE can’t say with 100 percent confidence that their policies are good, tried and proven.
The board actually created two policies to address the issue of “frozen teachers.” The first was a policy to pay frozen teachers a 2,000 bonus every two years. This policy clearly allows for frozen teachers to receive a bonus but the policy is based on the availability of funds. BOE has claimed the lack of funds for the past six years or more to avoid paying this incentive. Clearly this is a bad policy when the board can just ignore compliance forever. This policy is cruel and contemptuous to PSS’s frozen teachers.
The second policy to compensate teachers for “passing Praxis” is really a no brainer when it comes to equality. Group A gets a continuous compensation in each pay check and group B receives a single check not equal to the amounts given to group A. Clearly the frozen teachers should be getting yearly bonus checks equal to the increases given to the non frozen teachers. I’m sure it is easy to see why this will continue to haunt the system until the courts decide because the system is hiding behind a “bad policy” that can only be removed by the courts if the board continues to refuse to recognize the flaws in these policies.
There are only a few frozen teachers as the commissioner said so, why can’t something be done for this group of teachers who are clearly not being treated fair? The frozen teachers are technically PSS’s BEST teachers and I know there are many stakeholders in our education system asking why isn’t PSS doing something to treat their best teachers fairly? Frozen teachers are the very CORE of PSS’s teaching staff who’s value is actually decreasing every year as the cost of living goes up and our salary that has remained the same for almost an entire DECADE — come on, give the frozen teachers a break because PSS has also frozen our quality of life. What happened to the PSS’s family spirit and appreciation for the most highly skilled teachers in the PSS workforce? I’m sorry and I’m sure the commissioner didn’t convince me and all the stakeholders nothing is wrong with the scenario frozen teachers face.
As for NCLB and Praxis, I’m on the board’s record informing them that only a little over 50 percent will be able to pass Praxis and I urged the board to follow Guam’s example to avoid problems and they didn’t. The proof of my prediction was in the details of the commissioner’s statement that only 68 percent have passed. I was right and the previous board was wrong on Praxis and here I am again trying to warn the board about the disparity with the frozen teachers and the need to abandon the presently flawed policy. I don’t blame the commissioner as she is just doing her job as she serves at the pleasure of the board. But I do blame the previous board for setting up these unfair policies that created the present conditions because I warned them about the policies and everyone knows they weren’t listening to me for all the wrong reasons. Now it is very clear the frozen teacher issue will clearly continue to haunt the system until a definitive resolution is reached within the system or in the courts — the decision is now up to the present board (or the court). It would actually be a good thing if judicial review was initiated by the board and I in fact challenge the board to submit the policies for judicial review if they are truly trying to do the right thing and not afraid of the results. I say this because the commissioner and myself are only stating opinions — let’s put it to the test!
AMBROSE M. BENNETT
Former BOE Teacher Rep
