Schundler says teachers' tenure, layoffs should be tied to how well their students perform
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Bret Schundler testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing for Commissioner of Education in this file photo. TRENTON — With $400 million in federal funding up for grabs, Gov. Chris Christie’s administration unveiled a sweeping plan today to overhaul the state’s education system and pay teachers based on how their students perform in the classroom.
The proposal — which would fundamentally change how students, teachers and school districts are evaluated — was met with immediate skepticism from leaders of the state’s powerful teachers’ union, who questioned whether it would force educators to "teach to the test" to keep their jobs.
The overhaul plan will be included in New Jersey’s new application for Race to the Top, a federal grant program the Obama administration is using to reward states for school reforms. New Jersey could get up to $400 million if selected.
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"We stand shoulder to shoulder with the president on this," Gov. Chris Christie said. "This is an incredibly special moment in American history, where you have Republicans in New Jersey agreeing with a Democratic president on how to get reform."
Christie said adopting the proposed changes are "very necessary" to get the much-needed federal funding for the cash-strapped state. But it was unclear if the governor can get the reforms through the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union, said it has doubts about the proposal. The plan is "terrible policy" that relies too heavily on standardized test scores, NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer said.
"If someone said to you, ‘Your job is dependent on raising student test scores,’ what are you going to spend your time doing?," Wollmer said. "They will have to teach to the test all of the time."
New Jersey’s first attempt or Race to the Top money was rejected in March. The NJEA was accused of dooming the state’s chances by refusing to endorse the application. Wollmer said the NJEA has not decided whether to reject this application too. "I don’t think we’ve gotten to that point yet," he said.
The reforms unveiled today call for a new statewide computer system to track how each student in the state is doing every quarter. That data would be used to make decisions about everything from teacher pay to layoffs, state officials said.
Teachers would also have to wait five years, instead of three, to get tenure under the proposal. The state would also start a "bonus pool" to reward teachers who work in the state’s lowest-performing districts and allow the best-performing teachers to open their own schools.
"It is our responsibility to implement these kinds of reforms," said Education Commissioner Bret Schundler, who unveiled the plan. "It is what is morally right and it will bring dramatic improvements in the education system to the benefit of all children."
However, Schundler said many details — including the cost of the new statewide computer system — have not been worked out.
Schundler said his first step will be to ask the Legislature to approve a simple measure stating that New Jersey will use "student learning as the primary yardstick" for measuring teachers. He hopes legislation will be introduced the week of May 17 and approved before June 1, the day the Race to the Top application is due.
Asked if he thought the Legislature could work that quickly, Schundler said: "You might say it’s a long shot. I’d say, is it worth it for $400 million?"
Other proposed changes include:
• Establishing a "teacher performance index" to evaluate teachers and school leaders. Students’ performance in the classroom will count for at least 51 percent of their teachers’ evaluations.
• Giving bonuses to teachers willing to work in classrooms with "a high proportion of at risk students."
• Making layoff decisions based on teacher job evaluations, not seniority.
• Simplifying the system for closing failing schools, opening charter schools and creating small, teacher-led Achievement Academies within school districts.
• Overhauling the teacher credential system so more out-of-state candidates will be able to apply for open jobs.
Officials from all of the state’s nearly 600 school districts were invited to discuss details of the proposal with Schundler on Monday at the War Memorial in Trenton. As of today, 389 people had agreed to attend, the state Department of Education said.
The initial reaction from education leaders was mixed.
"These are very innovative proposals. They have a lot of potential. We have to see how they will be implemented," said Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association.
Jim O’Neill, superintendent of the School District of the Chathams, was skeptical Christie would be able to implement any reforms after publicly feuding with the teachers union for months.
"I think it’s a little naive to think you can attack teachers for three months and turn around and expect them to partner with you." O’Neill said.
Staff writers Kristen Alloway and Claire Heininger contributed to this report.