Labor & Employment Law

Weingarten Condemns Firing of 241 D.C. Teachers

By James Parks

The announcement today that 241 District of Columbia public school teachers would be fired under the school system?s new evaluation process raises questions about D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee?s ?penchant for firing teachers rather than providing supports to develop their skills,? AFT President Randi Weingarten said. This brings to almost 600 the number of D.C. teachers Rhee has fired in just over a year.   

Weingarten said:

Firing teachers en masse may sound to some like strong action is being taken, but in the absence of real professional supports and valid teacher evaluations systems, it simply perpetuates a destructive and failing strategy.

She said she hopes the recent contract with D.C. teachers, which calls for teachers to receive professional development and other supports throughout their careers, will bring ?much-needed changes for District schools.?

Weingarten urged Rhee to follow the lead of school systems that successfully use other tools to develop highly skilled teaching forces ?rather than stubbornly adhering to the destructive cycle of ?fire, hire, repeat.??

You can read Weingarten?s full statement here .

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on July 23, 2010 (boomark / email).