Dive Brief:
- Teachers in East Greenwich, RI, say they agreed to what they're calling an unfavorable contract because it was "forced" on them, but they are vowing not to perform many of the voluntary duties previously expected of them, a tactic called “work-to-rule,” according to Education Week.
- School committee officials disagree with the notion that teachers signed under duress. The new contract includes a 2% raise for teachers in the second year, a 2.5% raise in third year and a transition into a new high-deductible health plan starting in January 2018. The school committee said budget issues were the reason the contract was not more favorable to educators.
- Teachers said they would not commit to “extra” responsibilities like arranging field trips, tutoring students beyond one hour before or after school, or working on after-school or extracurricular activities for students.
Dive Insight:
As budget cuts continue to place additional challenges on K-12 and higher education school leaders, teachers are often asked to do more for students with less resources than were previously available. Educators even believe that this is true when it comes to technology and materials that are touted to streamline and simplify the additional tasks teachers have beyond classroom education; according to a recent survey regarding educators’ impressions on their school’s approaches to new tech, about 31% of educators expect that their out-of-pocket costs would rise to incorporate and integrate new tech into classrooms.
Administrators must try to make it clear to lawmakers that are consistently willing to cut funding that there are constraints to progress that could be made with reduced funding, and should be sensitive to the fact that teachers are usually bearing the brunt of criticism from parents regarding school issues. Educators are typically the most visible front of a school for parents, and often frustration can be directed at teachers for what are more likely systemic issues, perhaps stemming from a lack of resources. Promoting a positive school climate for teachers, even in the midst of contentious negotiations, will help them weather those critiques, and may convince them to go above-and-beyond their typical roles when it is necessary.