The Denver Classroom Teachers Association leaders knew it could happen, but were still holding out hope that they would stop a vote they believe was illegal.
Denver Public Schools board of education voted 4-3 this evening to approve innovation status for three future schools in the far northeast: Collegiate Prep Academy, High Tech Early College, and Denver Center for 21st Century Learning at Wyman.
“We just have to figure out how were going to seek legal action now,” said Henry Roman, president of the DCTA.
Roman spoke during the meeting to persuade the board to postpone the vote.
The union argues that innovation status, which can include opting out of union rules and regulations, is illegal for future schools because those schools don’t yet have staffs that can vote to approve any waiver of rules.
“This is another top down decision that doesn’t really benefit the students,” Roman said. “You don’t have 100 percent approval when you have to ask the question at the job interview.”
The state board of education voted a week ago unanimously — and with little discussion — to approve innovation status DPS had granted for three other future DPS schools in the far northeast region: Noel Arts School, Denver Center for International Studies at Ford and Denver Center for International Studies at Montbello.
At the time, state board members noted the law may need some clarification, but stated the intent of the law was not to exclude new schools.
The state board will also have to approve innovation for the three schools DPS OK’d today.
The Innovation Schools Act, passed in 2008, allows schools to apply for special status that, among other things, allows them to opt out of union rules and regulations. It requires that a majority of the staff, administrators and the parents in the school accountability committee support the status change.
Since the schools haven’t been fully staffed, there has been no staff vote, the union argues.
This week, the DCTA legal committee approved the union’s plans to file legal action to stop the schools from being opened as innovation schools until the intent of the law can be clarified.
Nothing has been filed yet, Roman said, because the union must follow a process.
“We represent the teachers, but we do really care about students,” said Carolyn Crowder, executive director for the DCTA. “You don’t succeed in these reforms unless you have buy in from all stake holders including teachers.”
Noemi Donoso, DPS chief of innovation and reform, has said applicants to the schools were made aware from the beginning that the schools were seeking innovation status.
The contract the applicants must sign also gives consent for the conditions of the innovation status.
Crowder said at least 10 teachers have approached union officials voicing concerns about having to approve the status as “a condition for employment.”
DPS board member Andrea Merida has compared the process to Wisconsin-like politics.
