Tonight, the Denver teachers union can become a full- fledged partner in an ambitious and promising reform plan at Bruce Randolph School.
Or it can become an obstacle, to the benefit of no one.
We hope the union board votes in favor of the plan put forward by many of its dues-paying members at the northeast Denver school. It will send a strong and important message that the union wants to continue building upon the reform efforts it has already put forth.
Just three years ago, Bruce Randolph was rated as the worst school in the state. Now, a new direction has produced impressive gains in student achievement, but school officials — including union leaders in the classrooms — believe they have hit a ceiling. To hear them tell it, they’ve done what they can within the parameters set up by the district and the union.
The school has asked to be freed of many of the entanglements that well- intentioned district and union officials have placed on them.
The school is searching for autonomy. They want decisions about hiring to be made by the principal, not the district. They want more control of the school’s budget and teacher time.
In short, they want to slash some of the bureaucratic red tape that encumbers student achievement.
The Denver Public Schools board voted unanimously last month to free the teachers from district policies that may be impeding student performance. The vote wasn’t a slam-dunk. Members asked tough questions throughout the process but ultimately decided it was good for students.
Unfortunately, Bruce Randolph’s plight has become a political football, as Greg Ahrnsbrak, teacher and school union representative, noted earlier. “The union is concerned we are opening Pandora’s box. Others are saying this is a great thing. Our position is . . . we are just trying to do what we do best. And that is teach the children.”
The teachers union has said it wants more specifics about the waiver, and it’s certainly entitled to them. But it’s also incumbent upon the union to look for ways it can help the process.
“If there are things impeding student achievement at Bruce Randolph, we want to make sure we can remove those barriers for Bruce Randolph and every other Denver public school,” Kim Ursetta, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, told the Rocky Mountain News.
For starters, it can help end the process that now places teachers, good or bad, at a school — even if the principal doesn’t want them.
Union leaders have approved other, less sweeping waivers in the past. Given their trepidation this time, we have suggested the union approve the request with a sunset provision — meaning it would expire at a certain date unless renewed — to alleviate concerns.
Ultimately, we hope the DCTA board sees this request simply as a new way to better serve kids.
