LR district, teachers union to resume negotiations today.
Negotiations continue today
Leaders of the Little Rock School District and the Little Rock Education Association union of employees will resume negotiations today after talks ended Tuesday without any agreements on alterations to employment protection language.
“No agreement was reached,” association President Teresa Knapp Gordon said in an email about 5 p.m.
“The District looks forward to continued collaboration with the LREA,” district spokesman Pamela Smith said after the talks ended. “Members of the negotiating team will not be making any public comments while negotiations remain underway,” Smith added.
At issue is a proposal made last month by Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key — who acts in place of the school board in the state controlled district — to waive some employment protections for teachers and other staff in 22 schools that recently received D and F state letter grades.
More specifically, Key directed Little Rock Superintendent Mike Poore to reopen talks with the union on the 2018-19 Professional Negotiated Agreement to acquire union support for waiving the state’s Teacher Fair Dismissal Act and Public Employee Fair Hearing Act in the 22 schools, including three high schools.
Key has said a waiver, which would ultimately require approval from the state Board of Education, would make it easier and quicker to fire poorly performing employees in the academically struggling schools, starting with staffing plans for the 2019-20 school year.
The laws at stake set up procedures for principals to identify poorly performing employees, to confer with them about the shortfalls, and then write an improvement plan for the employee to carry out.
Association leaders have objected to the waiver but did agree to return to the bargaining table.
The expiration date for the negotiated agreement for the 2017-18 school year has been extended to Nov. 14 to allow for ongoing efforts to reach a new agreement.
While the negotiations are between the Little Rock district and an employee organization affiliated with the Arkansas Education Association and National Education Association, another teacher organization — Arkansas State Teachers Association — has issued a statement on its view of the issue.
“I strongly recommend school leaders follow Teacher Fair Dismissal Act to provide support and resources for educators to grow and learn—we are on the same team, working together for student achievement,” association director Michele Ballentine-Linch wrote.
“For example,” she said, “provide effective resources and support, clear and timely notices of disciplinary or investigatory actions, and objective hearings when requested if taking action against a certified staffer. Not because of any entitlement or law, but because dismissal decisions are complex and those added steps can protect a school district from missing systemic issues and losing talented staff —including the colleagues of the dismissed who may voluntarily leave as a results of an unjustifiable decision.”