D.C. Teacher's Tentative Contract To Be Unveiled Today

By Kavitha Cardoza

D.C. Public School’s chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Washington Teacher’s Union president George Parker are set to unveil details of a long awaited tentative union agreement at 11 this morning.

Under the proposed five year contract, teachers in the District would receive a 20 percent salary increase, more than 10 percent of which would be paid retroactively.

Teachers could also opt to participate in a pay for performance plan, where they could earn up to $20,000 a year for measures including improving student’s test scores. Unlike a previous proposal though, teachers would not have to give up tenure. Four private foundations have provided approximately $65 million to fund the contract proposals.

Other aspects of the contract include expanding professional development and establishing a new, grievance procedure to resolves teachers’ complaints quicker. And while teacher evaluations are not a negotiable issue in the union, DCPS has agreed to form a group which includes members appointed by the union to review teachers’ concerns about the new evaluation system. Teachers still have to vote on the agreement after which the city council will have to sign off on it.