NEARLY four months have expired since the current Board of Education was inaugurated. Throughout this time, there has been a public outcry about the lack of job security for Public School System employees. Yet, nothing has been done to resolve the problem—zip, zero, zilch, nada.
In the least, a member of the board could have made a motion to review the personnel rules and regulations and refer it to committee so that public hearing could be held.
Rather, as if to rub salt in our wounds, certain members of the board have attempted to throw blame on teachers, calling them “non-performers.” The commissioner has admitted in writing that she leaves school personnel management to the principals, not to the community but to the principals. The logical conclusion is that if there are non-performing teachers, the responsibility must lie with the principals, the commissioner and ultimately with the Board of Education.
Several factors come into account. As the board policy now stands, the principal can decide not to renew any employee’s contract—faculty or staff alike—without cause and at the principal’s discretion. The message the employees receive is that if they speak out in an effort to improve the quality of education for their students, they will not have their contracts renewed. More bluntly, if you want to keep your job, shut up.
Thus, some principals chose their employees based on the probability of their silent obedience, rather than their ability to help build a better system. Hire inexpensive, inexperienced teachers. Looks good to the bean counters.
Hire immediate relatives of friends and family who attended non-accredited foreign schools. Predictably, these individuals need the job and will toe the principal’s line to ensure a bi-weekly paycheck.
Even better, hire retired teachers from other school systems. They are already bringing down $40,000+ and are hired in at another $40,000+. Better yet, hire a retired couple, who will be bringing down nearly $200,000 per annum in salary and benefits. The credentials look good on paper, but they will not speak out because they are not going to risk killing the goose that literally laid the golden egg.
Best of all, make a teacher’s assistant a classroom teacher. These TA’s only get paid six hours a day, but have to work eight hours a day or more to fulfill their classroom responsibilities. This puts a smiley face on the principal’s portfolio because they are inexpensive hires. And the TA needs the job to help out with the family bills. Guaranteed they will perform whatever tasks the principal requests without making waves.
Unfortunately for the TA, public law requires that a person with at least a BA degree must manage every classroom in the Public School System. Thus, if a student gets hurt in a classroom managed by a TA, both the TA and the Public School System are liable. Problem is, there is no one in the Public School System to defend the TA in court, while the board and the commissioner have two attorneys on the payroll. Good deal for the principal, good deal for the commissioner, good deal for the board. Lousy deal for the TA and the students.
There is no reason to reinvent the wheel to resolve these problems. First, do not renew the contract of the incumbent commissioner of education. No need for cause. No need for review. After all, if teachers can be non-renewed without cause, the same should apply to the commissioner.
Second, amend board policy to remove that obnoxious section that says satisfactory performance is no guarantee for renewal of contracts.
Third, amend policy to reflect that employees can only be removed or non-renewed for cause. Provide a measure of job security for our PSS employees and encourage them to speak out and help improve the system, without fear of reprisals. More importantly, provide them with a reason not to look for employment elsewhere. This will help reduce our high turnover rate, a major concern expressed by members of WASC accreditation teams.
Ultimately, there is only one group of people who can be the driving force behind positive changes in education—the parents, teachers, staff, and students of every school. If they don’t speak out for quality education, then elected officials who have no classroom experience will assume that the schools are functioning well and turn their attention to other issues. If the various PTSA’s do speak out and utilize their voting power, things will change for the better.
Let me say again, there are good principals in our system. It is easy to identify them, because they have strong and supportive PTSA’s. Undoubtedly, a desk audit of the teaching staff at each school will verify a correlation between a properly developed faculty and an active PTSA.
In conclusion, due to inaction by the Board of Education, it is time for the Legislature to step forward. The Legislature continues to show concern for the Public School System. We thank them for their continued financial support. It would be well worth their while to request a desk audit of the Public School System from the Office of the Public Auditor. With the audit in hand, they will be well prepared for the upcoming oversight and budget hearings. It may stir the pot, but it is time to see what floats to the top.
DON A. FARRELL
Marpo Heights, Tinian
