I've been especially hard on the Denver teachers union (DCTA) lately, but when they do something (mostly) right it would be petty and disingenuous of me not to give credit where due. The Rocky Mountain News reports today that DCTA has decided to acquiesce to the requests of Bruce Randolph and Manual High School for autonomy from school district red-tape and negotiated work rules: … [Read more...]
The School Autonomy Roadblock outside Bruce Randolph
My first op-ed for the Boulder-based Colorado Daily appears in today's edition. The topic is the school autonomy movement growing out of events at Bruce Randolph School. I've pasted the entire op-ed below, for fear that the link provided soon will be broken: … [Read more...]
Bipartisan Education Reform Proposal a Threat to Union Power
The Denver Post reports today that Senate President Peter Groff, D-Denver, has filed a piece of legislation that already has started to cause shockwaves among the education establishment:A bill that would give traditional Colorado schools the flexibility to operate more like charter schools and allow them to be removed from union agreements was introduced into the legislature Thursday. Senate President Peter Groff, D-Denver, submitted the "Innovation Schools Act of 2008," which would give schools control over their budgets, hiring decisions and length of the school day and calendar. The bill would relieve schools from, among other things, having to follow state statutes regarding teacher pay and hiring. "There is a laundry list of … [Read more...]