Teacher Unions Against Reform

Teachers’ unions in Illinois are clear; they do not like the newly proposed education reform plan in the Illinois House. Reform groups in Illinois have been pushing for changes to teacher tenure, performance evaluations and restrictions on strikes, which they contend will improve student and school performance.

The leaders of the state’s major teachers’ unions last week took a hard line on the proposed reforms being considered by a special legislative panel. A potentially contentious battle between education reform groups and Illinois the unions could ignite as a House committee begins hearings on possible changes to the state’s education laws.

Ken Swanson, president of the Illinois Education Association, said key components of the law are aimed at weakening the unions and stripping them of their equal footing with local schools boards.

“The proposals, if enacted, will in fact create a relationship that will turn collective bargaining into collective begging,” Swanson said.

Swanson, and the other union bosses, are upset with Performance Counts Act of 2010 proposed legislation that would change the rules for local unions and local schools as to when teachers can walk away from the bargaining table.

Measures that were considered by the House Education Reform Committee

*Make dismissal of teachers easier and less expensive for schools.

*Make teacher performance, rather than seniority, a criterion for layoffs.

*Allow principals to reject having poor performing teachers assigned to their schools.

*Tie teacher pay to classroom performance.

*Make it more difficult for teachers to obtain tenure.

*Impose additional steps before teachers can strike.

The proposed legislation to scale back teacher tenure and create a system that allows schools to measure how well a teacher is teaching.  The Illinois Education Association, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the Chicago Teachers’ Union are not pleased with any of the proposals.  Nevertheless, they focused a joint and dogged attack on the strike provisions during last week’s hearing.

Lawmakers wrapped-up hearings into the proposed education reforms last week.  They are expected to wrap-up hearings on other reforms, including Medicaid and worker’s compensation, this week.

The General Assembly is scheduled for a weeklong session beginning Jan 3.  A new General Assembly is sworn in Jan. 12 in Springfield.