OPINION - Editorial

Let's make a deal

This is no game, or game show

There is still one detail to work out: The state Board of Education needs to approve these waivers for Little Rock's school district. But that's just the extra point. The touchdown is good.

Word came down Tuesday evening after dark: The teachers' union and the school district have reached a settlement. And while lawyers clean up all details, the big one has been decided: Johnny Key gets the waiver from the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act, which is misnamed as far as that goes.

The Teacher Fair Dismissal Act really should've been called the Teacher Full Employment Act--because it takes years to get rid of the ones who were "just" doing a bad job of teaching. Under this law, it seems a teacher has to commit a crime to get the boot. And calling in sick every Friday, putting on videos for each class, and sleep-walking to retirement isn't a crime. At least not on the books.

Johnny Key, the commissioner of education, has let it be known that there has to be a better way to get the deadwood out of the classroom. Of course, he doesn't use the term "deadwood." He prefers to say he wants a waiver for schools that are classified as "Level-5 Intensive Support" in the state's system. To-MAY-toes, To-MAH-toes.

It took weeks of negotiations, but the teachers' union finally agreed. Which was the right tactic. The president of the union said the organization still doesn't support the waivers, but the group's agreement "just means that we recognize that [the commissioner] could do it regardless of whether it's in the contract or not because it is the state law." And negotiated agreements don't trump state law.

And, if worse came to worst, Johnny Key might could have decided to drop the union as a bargaining agent. Other districts have done so. If the union bosses wanted to represent their members in other matters, they had to compromise on the Fair Dismissal Act.

So now, the work begins.

Johnny Key said he wants to use the waiver as a scalpel, not a chainsaw. Okay, then it's time for surgery.

It's time to visit those 22 schools with D or F grades and find which teachers aren't teaching. We suspicion principals in those schools know very well which teachers would do better in other occupations. Or at least which teachers should be in less important occupations. We also suspicion that the teachers in those schools also know very well which colleagues aren't preparing their students. Teachers talk. Teachers see. Teachers know.

Johnny Key called the successful negotiations this week a win for students. He's right. Now let's get to work before we lose another generation to the streets.

Editorial on 11/15/2018

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