Board wants schools to control teacher movement; [METRO Edition] (Copyright 2007 Star Tribune) Tucked within the platitudinous set of core beliefs released Tuesday by the Minneapolis school board on the eve of teacher contract bargaining, there's a not-so-veiled challenge: "We believe in empowering schools to select and retain quality staff." That's a shot across the bow at the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers that appears to signal a new determination to regulate the movement of teachers among schools. The federation's contract generally enshrines the principle of seniority in filling vacancies. Some parents and principals complain that means that the most qualified teacher sometimes isn't hired for an opening and that the least-experienced teachers are concentrated at the toughest schools. Teachers and their union say teachers need mobility to escape bad school leadership in favor of better working conditions. Federation President Rob Panning-Miller said the statement appears to be a pressure tactic and could create unrealistic expectations among the public. He said noncontractual changes such as reducing class size offer more impact on student achievement than the contract, which he praised for encouraging professional development. "We really want to establish consensus on what we're trying to achieve for kids that's in the contract," said board Chairwoman Pam Costain. Bargainers meet for the first time on March 23.
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