The Core Knowledge Blog

Andy Rotherham, aka Eduwonk, grabs hold of the world’s best megaphone, the New York Times op-ed page, to weigh in on teacher’s contracts. A contract hit, if you like.

“While laws like No Child Left Behind take the rhetorical punches for being a straitjacket on schools, it is actually union contracts that have the greatest effect over what teachers can and cannot do,” opines the talented Mr. Rotherham. “These contracts can cover everything from big-ticket items like pay and health care coverage to the amount of time that teachers can spend on various activities.” He argues that frustrated teachers are starting to see their own contracts as an impediment to effective schools.

It’s hard not to be struck by the odd balancing act of teaching wanting to be seen as a profession while organizing like labor. Rotherham calls union contracts a throwback and argues that “schools are not factories. The work is not interchangeable and it takes more than one kind of school to meet all students’ needs. If teachers’ unions want to stay relevant, they must embrace more than one kind of contract.”