Bay Area school slated for 'redesign' gets new operating agreement [Richmond, Ca - Edsource.org]

Jane Stevens 6/13/194:19 PM

A Bay Area school district and its teachers’ union have reached a groundbreaking agreement that will put money and resources behind the effort to turn around a school with declining enrollment and chronically low test scores.

Stege Elementary, a K-6 school in Richmond in the East Bay, will see longer school days, a longer school year and more teachers, who will each receive $10,000 extra pay. The extra money acknowledges that it is a “significantly hard-to-staff school” that suffers from high teacher turnover.

The agreement, which covers the 2019-20 school year, is seen as a potential model for improving other district schools.

“It’s different and we’ve never done anything like this before,” said Demetrio Gonzalez, president of the United Teachers of Richmond union that reached the agreement with the district. “This is really a collaboration and partnership between the union and district staff.” He stopped short of calling it “historic” because it is a one-year agreement and it remains to be seen whether it will achieve its goals. However, it is viewed as a pilot that could be made permanent in 2020-21, when teachers will need to reapply for their jobs as the district strives to find “the right” people to meet students’ needs.

To continue reading, go to: https://edsource.org/2019/bay-...ing-agreement/613670