By Fritz Edelstein
June 27, 2005

The Education Standing Committee discussed the mayoral role in teacher recruitment, retention and contracts. The mayors attending, including Acting Chair Providence Mayor David Cicilline, stated they believe this is an important area for the Conference to investigate to establish a stronger mayoral role.

Michelle Rhee, President and CEO, of The New Teacher Project discussed Missed Opportunities: How We Keep High Quality Teachers Out of the Urban Classrooms, and focused on the mayoral role in the recruitment and retention of teachers. One of the key findings of the report which surprised many of the mayors was the inefficiency of school systems' human resources departments that contributed to the loss of hiring the most talented applicants. Also, contributing to the delay in offering positions and often losing the applicant were late budget decisions, transfer rules and requirements for current teachers, and lateness of vacancy notifications. In essence, "The applicants got fed up with waiting for the urban district to act and withdrew their application to take a suburban teaching position," said Rhee. The report found that nearly 50 percent of withdrawers said they would have accepted a job offer from the urban district if it had come earlier.

From the report's findings mayors can help by:

1. Leveraging visibility to draw attention to hiring barriers and repercussions on the school systems' ability to staff schools effectively;

2. Ensure that city and state regulations regarding notification of intent for teachers do not push back hiring timelines;

3. Prioritize data collection on ramifications of contract provisions, specifically on transfers and engage in the collective bargaining process; and

4. Coordinate with the city council, other local and state leaders to accelerate the education budget timeline so schools can hire early enough to secure the best candidates.

The second presentation was made by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper on the city's ProComp, the professional compensation system for teachers. The mayor described it as a results-based system. This is a groundbreaking approach to compensate teachers. Hickenlooper had a very active role in making this happen in Denver. Basically, the new system acknowledges and rewards outstanding teachers and will enhance professional capabilities. It will also have a positive impact on student achievement. Currently employed teaches can opt into the new system and newly hired teachers will be compensated based on the system. According to Hickenlooper, this new compensation is fair, measurable and objective; rewards knowledge and skills; demonstrates and rewards satisfactory performance; and enables the system to staff some of the toughest schools because the emphasis is on skills, improvement and performance. Hickenlooper stated that one of the most critical elements in making the negotiations successful was the systematic input from teachers during the whole process, including the demonstration phase. It is clear that without his persistent involvement, the new system would not have become a reality in Denver. The mayor took a strategic risk and it will pay off for the city, schools, teachers and the students in the long term.

Responding to the two presentations were Tom Mooney, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers; Marsha Smith, a teacher and member of the NEA Executive Committee; and Barbara Eason-Watkins, Chief Education Officer for the Chicago Public Schools. Each of the responders, though from different perspectives, stated the importance of a mayoral role in teacher recruitment, retention and collective bargaining. Mooney exclaimed while holding up the New Teacher Project report, "This is the truth and tells it like it is."

The following education resolutions are now policy of the Conference of Mayors:

• Permanent Fix for the E-Rate and the Universal Service Fund: Exempting it from the Anti-Deficiency Act
• Building a Framework for 21st Century Skills
• Correcting the No Child Left Behind Act: Needed Mid-Course Changes to Improve Implementation
• Broadening Student Financial Aid Opportunities
• Head Start
• Enhancing Skills Attainment Through the Arts
• Investment in Human Capital Development
• Resolution in Support of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
• Endorsing the Goals, Recognizing the Achievements, and Supporting the Program Known as FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
• Drug Free Sports
• Expanding the National Investment in After'school and Out-of'school Programs
• Encouraging Careers in Public Service