Jan 24, 2007 12:08 PM
“We have always embraced and fought for the idea of putting more money into high-needs schools, such as with the old Chancellor’s District and Title I, but we think it should be for things like lowering class size and creating a safe learning environment for educators and their students. The chancellor’s plan will hurt kids and educators alike because it will destabilize good schools and give principals a disincentive to hire experienced teachers simply because they cost more. “Schools with higher salary costs due to a stable, more senior, staff would have less money left for other things like reducing class size and maintaining quality educational programs like art, drama and music. This method would punish good schools that support and retain a stable faculty – regardless of whether they serve middle-class kids or poor kids -- while rewarding high staff turnover. Students will be deprived of successful programs and will not have the benefit of some of our best and most experienced educators. “The DOE says it intends to deal with this by holding harmless the high-cost schools for a year, but unless they immunize them forever against the variations of teacher salaries, this will inevitably become a robbing Peter to pay Paul situation.”