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CTV Action Alert

Oct 23th, 2023

Education Bill Would Remove Accountability for Teachers

Dear Friends,

SB 395 passed the Senate last week and is expected to go to the House Education Committee as soon as Wednesday. This bill would:

• Remove student performance from the list of factors used to determine how educators are performing in the classroom. It caps student growth data (that demonstrate improvements in subject matters) to not more than 20% and requires it to be bargained, which means it could end up being 0% if the MEA controls the bargaining process!

• Add a grievance process that is counter to the bi-partisan tenure reforms of 2014 and will likely make it much harder to remove a bad teacher.

• Remove the requirement that one classroom observation must be unscheduled, removing accountability. “Best behavior” is always in place when we know we might be monitored at any time.

• Add new language that redefines “unprofessional conduct” of an instructor to say that it must “endanger the safety of any student and directly lead to separation.” There is concern that this language is too specific. It's bad precedent to define such a narrow view of unprofessional conduct when parents and administrators need to know what type of person is being considered to be in a classroom with students.

ACTION NEEDED:

Please call or email ALL representatives on the House Education Committee and ask them to VOTE NO on SB 395. Our students are already behind—these "reforms" will only make it worse!

Click the below button to see their contact info and call!