Organizers contend that limiting seniority could go a long way in ensuring that students have talented teachers at the head of their classes, especially in times of budget cuts. Because job security in union contracts across the state is typically based on years of service, school districts routinely lay off dynamic new teachers while having to keep some veteran teachers who long ago lost their passion, organizers assert.
The initiative also includes a number of other provisions that aim to bolster teacher quality, such as giving principals greater latitude to hire teachers than allowed in many union contracts.
“A child regardless of ZIP code or background should have a great teacher,’’ said Jason Williams, Massachusetts executive director for Stand for Children, a national nonprofit education advocacy organization that launched the ballot initiative last summer.
But opponents say the initiative is unnecessary and in many ways redundant: The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education passed regulations last summer that make student achievement a significant factor in teacher evaluations and also accelerated the timeline to fire teachers with poor reviews. Now, many school districts and teachers unions are making contract changes to implement that new evaluation system.
Opponents of the initiative have found a powerful ally in the state’s education secretary, Paul Reville, who worries that a ballot campaign could create a divisive atmosphere and steer attention away from other critical education work, such as ramping up literacy instruction in elementary schools.
“Stand for Children, I thought, was going to work cooperatively in realizing the new system,’’ Reville said yesterday. “They jumped the gun with this ballot campaign. It’s way premature.’’
