This just in from WTOP news desk.
April 27, 2010 - 8:47pm
WASHINGTON - Sources inside D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's office tell WTOP that the Chief Financial Officer for the District will not certify the new D.C. teachers' contract, which puts the deal in serious jeopardy.The decision comes after D.C. CFO Natwar Gandhi examined the stipulations attached to $64 million being pledged by private foundations for teacher salaries and bonuses over the course of the contract.
The contract, which followed more than two years of negotiations, includes a 21.6 percent raise in base pay over five years for teachers, as well as an option for teachers to participate in "performance pay" plans.
The money for the pay raises was to come from four different private foundations. Those foundations established a set of benchmarks that, if not followed, would allow them to stop funding the raises.
The benchmarks say the foundations could pull their donations if certain schools fail to meet certain performance criteria or if D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee leaves her position.
The four foundations have reserved the right to pull their funding at their own discretion, and if one foundation stops funding the contract, the others may also pull their money.
In order for the contract to be ratified, Gandhi would have to certify the contract, effectively allowing the D.C. Council to ability to approve the deal.
Members of the Washington Teachers Union also would have to ratify the contract.
Gandhi will a formal announcement about the contract on Friday during his scheduled appearance in front of the City Council.
Posted by The Washington Teacher, news clip courtesy of WTOP, Mark Segraves contributed to report.
17 comments:
This was obvious. If the Council accepts this they are idiots. As badly as I want a raise they would basically be making the promise to pay them even if the funding is eventually pulled. This would put the city in an even worse financial position and put more teachers out of work because of course the only way to combat financial pressure is a RIF.
I wonder if the foundations knew about Rhee's miscalculations on the public funds surplus/deficit (whatever) when they made their commitments back in March.
Maybe Rhee's scamming the foundations too.
Turque doesn't say where he got the foundation letters. Perhaps the foundations leaked them.
Rhee is getting married later this year and rumour is that she will not stay in the nation's capital. As for these private investors,their motives are very dubious. None of them have or think of having children in the system. Most likely this is their way of supporting Fenty's reelection and getting DC contracts. Once Rhee is gone, someone needs to do damage control by getting rid of some horrible administratos who do not belong in education and bring back the wonderful principals popular among parents and students.
This is terrible news for teachers. I am a dc teacher, as well as being a single mom to two kids. I was counting on this raise to provide a better standard of living for my kids. I do not understand the backlash against this contract. Now, we will certainly not get a raise.
Anonymous @ 7;47 If you read the contract that was proposed you would realize that you won't have a job if you vote for this agreement. So you don't have to worry about caring for your kids or raising their standard of living. You will be unemployed.
The problem as I see it many teachers I talked to young and old just don't want to read. Read page 103, article 40 for starters.
Anon at 7:10 is either the most naive teacher I've ever heard or a Rhee staffer posing as a naive teacher to show other naive teachers that teachers still think this contract is a worth voting for.
Clearly, Rhee is a figure head for DC Public Education Reform. It is obvious who is totally in control with strings attached.
Unfortunately, Rhee, Parker and Weingarten's agenda was to support privatization education reform in DCPS.
Let's be clear, it was never about the DCPS students or parents.
Dr. Gandhi finally stepped up to the plate and investigated the WTU Tentative Agreement. A must read: Section 40.2!!
Wear "BLACK" on Friday, April 30, 2010 to declare "Black for Justice."
Please join me at the Wilson Building on Friday by 9:00 AM in the chambers on the 5th floor.
Enough is Enough, Rhee and Parker MUST GO!!!
Vincent Gray for Mayor of DC in 2010!! Volunteer today and make a positive difference in our city. Go to www.vincegrayformayor.com
I just have two points to make.
1. @April 28@ 8:31AM You are so right. This is not a real teacher, she seems to be confused or she is a Rhee plant. Thanks for addressing her "problem".
2. I am glad that Ghandi is not signing off on this bogus-Mafia-Style Contract. I can live just fine on my current DC Government-Taxpayer-Salary!
Ms. 7:47 - You really want a raise that comes from many teachers being unjustly fired. Many of those fired did not have bad ratings. Also the raise depends on whether or not a foundation decides to give us the raise. As it stands right now they have stated that if the wicked witch goes the money goes. This is Blackmail. Read article 40.2
Also listen to the news about how they want to black mail us
Love it...."the truth must come to light".
Private funding? Bad news. The contract was always bogus. But we'll hear more drama tomorrow.
@Anon 7:47- I was also counting on the raise however, I would rather get a part time job tutoring than have them sign off on this contract. You don't understand the backlash against the contract? How can you not? The raise is not guaranteed! Even if it was, is your conscience truly that nonexistent that you would accept money that came about because of "bad math" that caused over 250 people to lose their jobs? I would like more money also, but not like this.
and you can bet that there's more bad math on the way, as teachers have to be RIFd in order to give promised pay raises to the remaining teachers. and it will go on and on, all in the name of we're abiding by the contract that teachers voted for.
And then there is this, according to the Bill Turque article from Friday PM on the hearing,
expediting a planned reduction in the number of teachers to save $7.6 million in 2011,
Vote for the contract at your peril.
Let the sacking begin.
ed,
Where did you see this in the article. I couldn't find it. Was it edited out? Could you give the exact quote?
lodesterre - it's in the most recent version of this article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/30/AR2010043001151.html
D.C. lacks funding for teachers raises, CFO tells council
By Bill Turque, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, May 1, 2010; B01
"The other issue is a projected $22 million in overspending in the school system's current budget. Gandhi disclosed the problem last month after Rhee announced that she intended to pay for part of the contract with a $34 million surplus. Gandhi said most of the surplus was offset by overspending on overtime, special education and central office operations."
Another problem with the TA is that is has the IMPACT rating of effective as a condition for employment options for teachers who are excessed. I will not support a TA that endorses this highly flawed and unfair evaluation instrument.
Candi, I think you are doing a wonderful job keeping DC teachers informed on what is going on with the contract.
However, the teachers have not made a big impact that would let Rhee know that what she has done to them, will not continue. The teachers are in need of a strong leader to lead them to make a difference. Rhee has continued to get away with what she has, due to the lack of leadership. There should be a meeting place for all teachers to discuss the move of 2010. The hispanics knew how to make a statement from city to city. What's wrong with DC teachers?
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