On the heels of a teacher’s contract that’s gaining national attention, education leaders from D.C. and New York are descending on New Haven Monday.
Randi Weingarten (pictured), president of the national American Federation of Teachers, will join city officials and two top officials from the U.S. Department of Education.in a “school change forum” at Co-op High School Monday from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Martha J. Kanter (pictured), the U.S. under secretary of education, joined President Obama’s team in June. Before that, she served as chancellor of California’s Foothill-De Anza Community College District, one of the largest such districts in the nation, according to her official bio. She is the first community college leader to serve in the under secretary position.
Charles P. Rose, general counsel for U.S. Department of Education, is also set to attend. He’s the chief legal officer for the DOE and gives legal advice to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Rose has “served as the lead negotiator on hundreds of collective bargaining agreements for a wide variety of public employers, including the Chicago Public Schools and City of Chicago,” according to his bio.
The event will build on the national attention the city has received after coming to an agreement on a labor contract for its roughly 1,700 teachers.
Teachers ratified the contract on Oct. 13 by an overwhelming vote of 842 to 39. The contract opens the door to flexibility in how the district can manage schools, including tying teacher evaluations to student performance and closing failing schools.
Secretary Duncan and Weingarten both praised New Haven for its new teacher contract, in an article in the Wall Street Journal last week. They said it could serve as a model for the nation — since in other cities teachers unions have fought with school districts seeking similar reforms.
“This shows a willingness to go into areas that used to be seen as untouchable,” Duncan told the WSJ.
Mayor John DeStefano is hoping that the contract translates to big bucks from the feds. The city is seeking grants from a $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund, as well as a $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund, to support an ambitious school reform drive.
At Monday’s forum, the three national visitors will sit on a panel hosted by DeStefano, New Haven schools superintendent Reggie Mayo and New Haven Federation of Teachers President David Cicarella and moderated by Hartford Courant Columnist Rick Green.
The panel will “address the state of school change in New Haven, national implications of the New Haven Teachers Contract and the New Haven School Change model as well as developments in education reform around the nation,” according to a release.
The forum takes place in the theater at Cooperative Arts High School, 177 College St. from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. Panelists will speak, then take questions submitted in advance. Email here to submit a question.
Some previous stories about New Haven’s school reform drive:
• Mayor “Not Scared” By $100M
• Useful Applause: Duncan, AFT Praise City
• Reformer Moves Inside
• After Teacher Vote, Mayo Seeks “Grand Slam”
• Will Teacher Contract Bring D.C. Reward?
• What About The Parents?
• Teachers, City Reach Tentative Pact
• Philanthropists Join School Reform Drive
• Wanted: Great Teachers
• “Class of 2026” Gets Started
• Principal Keeps School On The Move
• With National Push, Reform Talks Advance
• Nice New School! Now Do Your Homework
• Mayo Unveils Discipline Plan
• Mayor Launches “School Change” Campaign
• Reform Drive Snags “New Teacher” Team
• Can He Work School Reform Magic?
• Some Parental Non-Involvement Is OK, Too
• Mayor: Close Failing Schools
• Union Chief: Don’t Blame The Teachers
• 3‑Tiered School Reform Comes Into Focus
• At NAACP, Mayo Outlines School Reform
• Post Created To Bring In School Reform
• Board of Ed Assembles Legal Team
If we had elections every week, maybe the mayor would consistently perform! Seriously, it's nice to see things moving forward and even garnering national attention. I just wish that the mayor would actively earn our vote year round.