Teachers in the District of Columbia have approved a contract that would allow up to 10 schools to pay teachers for gains in student test scores and to opt out of some union work rules, according to The Washington Post.
The agreement, which members of the Washington Teachers’ Union endorsed 2,573 to 523 on June 6, would give teachers a 10 percent raise over the coming two years, on top of increases for experience. Teachers in the 65,000-student district have been working under the terms of an expired agreement since 2004.
The proposed contract would allow up to 10 schools to operate more like the charter schools that are booming in the District of Columbia. A majority of teachers at each school would have to approve the changes to union work rules.
Similarly, as many as 10 schools could pilot-test a pay plan that departs from the traditional system, based mainly on experience and education. It would include an element tied to students’ test scores. The school board must approve the agreement.
