The Washington Teachers Union has begun a public relations offensive to drive home the pros of its proposed teacher contract, a counteroffer to the plan offered by Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.
“We know we have presented a comprehensive and reform-minded proposal that will help D.C. public school students flourish, while being fair and supportive of teachers,” WTU President George Parker said in a news release.
With a new Web site, united fordckids.org, and a series of radio ads, the WTU hopes to win over its roughly 4,400 members and the public, and perhaps bring more than a year of often tense negotiations to a close.
The union describes its proposal, which has not yet been publicly released, as “bold and progressive.” It includes, the union says, a compensation plan “that provides the most expansive performance-pay program in the country,” mentoring and induction programs for new teachers, and a “fair and expedient dismissal process for teachers who are unable to reach an acceptable level of performance.”
Citing the down economy, Rhee announced earlier this month that the school system could not afford the pay raises promised in the chancellor’s earlier contract proposal, though she has yet to detail the new numbers. The D.C. government is expected to collect $465 million less in 2010 than it will in 2009, according to the most recent projections.
Under Rhee’s offer, teachers willing to give up tenure in exchange for more stringent performance reviews are paid more than those who retain tenure. The proposal has split the union membership and sparked outrage among some union leadership. It has also drawn Rhee into a rare fight with national teachers unions.
