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The voice and input of educators expressed through their
unions and their collective bargaining agreements are an essential and
positive part of the process to enable all students, especially those in
low resourced schools and those with social and economic disadvantages, to
reach their full potential and successfully enter colleges and the
workforce of the future.
Recognizing that Race to the Top and the new School Improvement Grants,
like other reform efforts, are, after all is said and done, implemented by
an educator in the classroom, DSEA remains committed to ensuring that your
interests and the interests of the children you teach have a voice in
Delaware’s reform efforts.
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RACE
TO THE TOP UPDATE
Education Reform
is on warp speed
March 22, 2010….In just two weeks, sometime
during the first full week of April, Delaware will hear whether or not it
will receive a share of the billions of dollars in educational “Race to
the Top” (RTTT) funding from the federal government. It could be as much
as $107 million.
If the state is successful, changes detailed in its RTTT
application will proceed quickly. If not successful, certain changes
will proceed nonetheless, big changes in fact, that will begin
immediately. These changes are all rooted in the four “assurances” of
Race to the Top. These “assurances” are goals dealing with: great teachers
and leaders, high academic standards (adopting the Common
Core Standards being developed by many states), using data to best
advantage (click
here and scroll over to page C-21), and turning around persistently
low-achieving schools.
Click
here to access Delaware’s RTTT application.
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• Many
things will happen whether DE receives RTTT funding or not •
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DPAS II
(the teacher/specialist/administrator evaluation system) is changing,
effective September 2011
DSEA leaders and other members will begin working with other
education stakeholders on the critical task of defining student growth:
for tested and non-tested areas; determining how much growth will be
enough; how growth will be determined (multiple measures), etc.
WHY?
Under the new DPAS II system, you must achieve a certain yet-to-
be-determined level of Student Growth in order to be rated Effective or
Highly Effective (more growth will be needed for this designation).
We do know that "Student Growth" will not be a one-size-fits
all model whereby everyone is expected to start and/or finish at the same
points.
Click
here to read the new DPAS II regulation.
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How the
state deals with “persistently low-achieving” schools is also changing
With or without RTTT funding, we will have designated
"Partnership Zone" Schools, similar to those descripted in Race
to the Top. The State Board of Education recently established how
they will work in Accountability
Regulation 103. Scroll down to Section 7.6, Partnership Zone
Schools
Throughout, DSEA preserved the local
association’s collective bargaining rights including a specific process
should an agreement not be reached regarding those issues that might
conflict with your contract. In the case of impasse, the Sec. of
Education will step in to end any stalemate.
Next week’s issue
of Member Matters will be devoted to that new Delaware regulation
regarding Partnership Zone Schools.
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If we do
not receive RTTT funding, DoE’s Strategic Plan – which parallels many
Race to the Top initiatives - is still in place
This
means that the DoE plan will guide education priorities in our state.
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The
State Dept. of Education is planning to train all teachers in tested
areas in the Common
Core Standards this summer
This is ambitious, to say the least.
"Common Core Standards" are being adopted by Delaware and
many other states. These new, broad, simplified standards were
released to the public on March 10 for comment. They are to be finalized
in April, according to the Common
Core Standards web site.
The State Board of Education hopes to adopt revised standards by the
start of the 2010-2011 school year.
DoE expects the curriculum refinement process to be 50% completed by the
end of the 2010 school year; and 100% complete by the end of the 2011
school year.
New teaching units will be developed and vetted by teachers.
By the end of the 2010-2011 school year, DoE expects that 100% of DCAS
tests will be in place. To support college readiness, DoE expects that
100% of students will be taking the SAT by the end of the 2010-2011
school year. Click
over to page B-16 of the state’s RTTT application.
DSEA leaders and staff have repeatedly raised questions about the
unrealistic, unreasonable timelines -- largely due to the federal
guidelines -- and we will continue to do so.
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• NEW TERM: "Scope of Work" •
Every local, district will collaborate - and bargain
where necessary - regarding implementation of RTTT grant in their
district
If Delaware is successful in
its bid for RTTT funding, each
district, in collaboration with its local union, will establish the Final
Scope of Work (an RTTT term) for its schools.
This is huge.
Your association leadership
team or their designees will have 90
days from the time the RTTT award is announced to
collaborate and bargain where necessary (in areas that bump up against
your contract) to determine what changes will be implemented.
Topics for bargaining could include:
hiring practices, assignments, transfers, seniority limitations, the
school calendar, instructional time, non-instructional time, incentive
pay, and/or professional development.
Delaware’s RTTT application includes a “Memorandum
of Understanding,” an agreement (signed by all of Delaware’s
superintendents, local association presidents, school boards, DSEA, Sec.
Lowery and Governor Markell) where we have agreed to work together on
this “scope
of work” to provide all students with the best possible education to
achieve Delaware’s educational goals.
Questions?
Contact Debbie Stevens by
e-mail, or phone her at 1-866-734-5834.
Check out DSEA’s RTTT web page
24/7
If you are on Facebook, DSEA is there too. Fan us!
Additional resources
Timeline
for RTTT and School Improvement Grants (SIG) from March 2010 through
August 2010
Timeline
for RTTT and SIG from March 2010 through August 2011
Comparison
of RTTT, School Improvement Grants and DoE's Strategic Plan
What’s the latest on School Improvement Grants? Click
here for the previous issue of Member Matters.
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