In a paper published by Harvard University and the Program on Education Policy & Governance, authors Frederick M. Hess from the American Enterprise Institute and Martin R. West from The Brookings Institution argue the need to improve collective bargaining for the 21st century

The executive summery begins "At a time when disappointing student performance, stark achievement gaps, and an ever-“flattening” world call for retooling American schools for the 21st century, the most daunting impediments to doing so are the teacher collective bargaining agreements that regulate virtually all aspects of school district operations. These agreements are a critical part of the problem, and the solution, to the educational challenges we now face.'

The concluding paragraphs include, ' All but a handful of collective bargaining agreements continue to enshrine the presumptions of the old factory model of labor relations: that there is no sensible way to distinguish good employees from bad employees; that professional behavior is about obedience rather than initiative; that managers are likely to be corrupt or incompetent; that good employees should aspire to stay in the same school district for 30 years; and that, because employees are interchangeable cogs, the most appropriate way to differentiate among them is on the basis of seniority and college credits. While this model made good sense in plants producing Ford automobiles or Amana appliances in the 1930s, it is wholly unsuited to the challenges of 21st-century schooling.' Read the report.

This is a thought provoking piece that is sure to create a great deal of discussion. Please call me at (619) 725-5506, should you have questions.