September 9-15, 2004

slant

Philly's Own Al Capone

Paul Vallas shouldn't shelf teachers' seniority.

by Christopher Paslay

When school district CEO Paul Vallas first came to Philadelphia, I thought he was the best thing since Cheez Whiz. Here was the Eliot Ness of urban education, the untouchable agent who single-handedly turned around Chicago's dysfunctional public school system.

Although many of my fellow teachers regarded Vallas with mixed emotions, I took an immediate liking to him. His no-nonsense attitude toward education reminded me of my Catholic school days when nuns used wooden rulers to whack the knuckles of unruly students.

My affinity for Vallas, unfortunately, ended suddenly when he announced — via the School Reform Commission's recent contract offer — that he was attempting to take away the seniority of all public school teachers. His reasoning, though in my opinion flawed, was simple: Seniority keeps the best teachers out of the worst schools where they are needed most. To even the playing field, principals need the power to pick their own teaching staffs. Although this looks good on paper, you'd think Vallas and the SRC would have more common sense.

Stripping seniority is no way to treat your franchise teachers, no way to show those who are the district's cornerstone that you appreciate their years of dedication and hard work. Aren't exemplary employees supposed to be rewarded for, and protected because of, their performance? Apparently not.

In the minds of Vallas and the SRC, the workhorse that is the Philadelphia schoolteacher can be further exploited. It's not enough that we already play the role of parent, counselor and teacher, fighting tooth-and-nail to educate some of the city's most troubled children. Now we must now face the possibility of being removed from the schools and educational programs we've spent our whole lives building to take on the jobs of the undisciplined who have fallen to the wayside.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't want all kids to have qualified teachers. It's unfortunate that 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, schools are not equal. It's also a problem that students in the poorest sections of the city remain stuck with inexperienced or underqualified teachers while children in privileged neighborhoods end up with the system's best educators. But stripping teachers of seniority and allowing principals — along with parental committees — to select teaching staffs won't level the playing field.

Teachers with 30-plus years here will most likely retire rather than relocate. A number of my veteran colleagues insist an early-retirement penalty is easier to handle than a new routine in an impoverished neighborhood.

Also, teachers with five to 15 years of experience say they'd leave for the suburbs before having their qualifications and seniority discounted. In fact, as I write this, I'm preparing my resume — in case of an emergency.

When it comes to principals, what keeps them from unfairly selecting friends or accepting political favors in return for positions? Can you say "pay-to-play"? As for parental committees sitting in on the hiring of teachers, I've never heard of anything so farcical. Besides the fact that most parents lack professional training and don't possess any experience in the educational field whatsoever, an alarming number of parents can't even get their children out of bed and off to school in the morning let alone chair a committee that will decide the hiring of teachers.

So how do we solve the problem of equality in Philadelphia public education?

One way to get qualified teachers in challenging schools is to cut class sizes. The poorer the performance of the students, the smaller the class should be. Schools with students most in need of skills should have a maximum of 15 pupils per class.

They could also increase the district's overall salary scale which would help attract bright-eyed college grads eager for the urban-education challenge. Other ways to achieve educational equality are providing tuition reimbursement so educators can get advanced certifications and degrees and developing social programs to get parents more involved in their child's schooling.

Vallas should fight to retain his veteran teachers' services at all costs. Stripping our seniority so we can be relegated to poor-performing schools is like lining us up against the wall of a garage and mowing us down with a Tommy gun.

Christopher Paslay is a freelance writer and an English teacher at Swenson Arts and Technology High School in Northeast Philadelphia. If you would like to respond to this Slant or have one of your own (800 words), contact Brian Hickey, City Paper interim editor, 123 Chestnut St., third floor, Phila., PA 19106 or e-mail hickey@citypaper.net.