Teachers’ union contract in Cincinnati actually mentions students!

Doesn’t much happen in Kentucky!

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the city’s teachers union and the Cincinnati Board of Education have agreed to a new teacher contract. It now awaits approval by the city’s teachers.

Full details of the contract won’t be released until the teachers get a chance to review the tentative agreement, but some general details are in the Enquirer article.

One of the most stunning comments comes from ‘Cincy’ schools superintendent Mary Ronan. The Enquirer reports that:

“She called the agreement student-centered, fiscally responsible and said it will support and enhance teacher quality.”

Per the Enquirer, school board member Eve Bolton says:

"We actually talk about students in this contract.’’

How’s that? Something other than a major, adult perks only document?

Apparently so.



If adopted, the new Cincinnati schools contract will extensively revise teacher programs to make them more focused on students. Staffing decisions and teacher evaluations will be based on student achievement rather than the seniority system. WOW!

Teacher training will change in ways that immediately and directly impact students in the classroom.

Improvements in students’ options for choice are included.

Parents and the community may get more say in school operations. We gave lip service to that one with the School-Based Decision Making Councils, but it really didn’t work out for most parents in actual practice.

They will go after school structure, culture and discipline! WOW!

Think much of that ever shows up in a Kentucky teachers’ contract? Well, stay tuned, because I am going through a very interesting new report from the Kentucky Office of Education Accountability that just got approved in a legislative committee this Tuesday. Based on my reading so far, I don’t see kids getting much mention in our union contracts. In fact, a number of them specifically prohibit using student performance to evaluate teachers. More on that shortly, but we need to watch Cincinnati. Their teachers are starting to show that a union of real professionals can act very differently from some of the operations we see in the commonwealth.