New Status for Schools in Transition
by Anne Silverstein
Despite the many changes hitting 14 NYC public schools designated as “restart” schools, staff members in those buildings remain Department of Education employees and all collective bargaining agreements remain in place. The same is true for any “transformation” school.
As most CSA members know by now, 33 NYC public schools deemed persistently low achieving (PLA) by the state must implement a prescribed intervention model as decided by the NYC DOE. Those models are “restart,” “turnaround,” “transformation,” and “school closure.”
Last year, 11 schools were designated “transformation” schools. Principals were replaced, and a new title – Mentor Principal – was created for the city’s schools to bridge the issues created by a change in state law and the city’s contract with CSA. Although the state called for the removal of a Principal, the CSA contract does not allow the unilateral removal of a tenured school leader without due process.
This year, said General Counsel Bruce Bryant, 14 schools have been designated “restart,” including two of last year’s “transformation schools.” Restart schools are a model authorized by changes in state law last spring. Each of these schools is now affiliated with an Educational Partnership Organization – a private, nonprofit charged with running
the schools subject to the authority of the Chancellor.
Principals and Assistant Principals stay in their positions, Mr. Bryant said, and staff members remain DOE employees. The EPO must abide by all collective bargaining agreements, and the schools chancellor (or his designee) is the only one who may take personnel action; the EPO’s role is advisory only. “My concern,” said Mr. Bryant, “is that this model effectively relies on an outside organization to provide the support and resources to improve achievement rather than the system stepping up to its responsibilities. It seems to me an abdication of the DOE’s responsibility.”
The changes at the state level are tied in with becoming eligible for federal school improvement grants; theoretically, schools that are “transformed” are eligible for $2 million per year. The eligibility for the funds also required a new Principal and teacher evaluation system; the state approved changes to that process last spring.
The new evaluation system has been implemented in the high schools, but what will happen in the middle schools that are “transformation” is still a question, Mr. Bryant said, because details of implementing the new evaluations in those schools have not been worked out between the unions and the city.
