Editorial shorts; On Minneapolis teachers and a new downtown treasure. (Copyright 2008 Star Tribune)
A TENTATIVE DEAL Teachers should vote yes After months of difficult negotiations, Minneapolis public school teachers and administrators reached a proposed settlement this week. The agreement changes teacher hiring to an interview-and-select system rather than strict seniority-based bidding for transfers. Minneapolis teachers began voting on the agreement Friday and will continue voting through Monday. They should approve the pact - the change will give school leaders flexibility to build teaching teams based on the needs of individual schools. The new provision gives building principals more hiring power, however in most cases they will not decide alone. Other teachers and members of building site councils will also have input about filling teacher vacancies. The proposed two-year contract would give teachers a 2 percent salary increase in the first year and a 1 percent raise the second year, along with a lump sum payment of $750. It also eliminates realignment, a assignment practice that broke up some teaching teams and forced some educators into teaching in areas they had not taught for many years. Meanwhile on Thursday, the St. Paul school board approved a new two-year contract with its 3,600-member teachers union. Educators will receive a 2.5 percent raise this year, retroactive to the start of the school year, and a 2.25 percent raise for the following year. We hope other districts around the state with unfinished contracts can reach agreements this weekend. According to Education Minnesota, more than half of the state's 341 districts had settled contracts by Jan. 6, and time is running out. Under state law, teacher contracts must be ratified by Jan. 15 or districts risk losing $25 per pupil in state aid. |