CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) –
“I don’t have the time or the patience to go through protracted conversation about it,” Mayor Frank Jackson said this afternoon.
The mayor says his new plan reflects an urgency to better educate the district’s 42,000 students. The problem is, it seems to run smack up against what the Cleveland Teacher’s Union wants.
“Ohioans aren’t going to really stand for that kind of top down union busting approach,” said David Quolke with the Teacher’s Union.
The Mayor wants the State Legislature to give only Cleveland the power to force major changes. His plan calls for a shift to using merit pay, getting rid of seniority and creating more accountable Charter Schools.
Did the Mayor look down the road at Columbus and see a move toward more Charter Schools and then pattern a plan to conform?
The Mayor says, “We’re not conforming to anything. We are looking at what is the best way we can make systemic changes to accomplish to educational excellence.”
The Cleveland Teacher’s Union was left out of the planning.
“It’s very disappointing to see that were once again following the path of not engaging teachers and the teacher’s union.”
The man running the district of 42,000 public school students worked with the mayor to come up with the new controversial plan.
“It focuses on really on a way to bring our schools to have a lots of autonomies and lots of authorities in exchange for accountability for higher achievement,” said Eric Gordon.
http://www.19actionnews.com/story/16697156/mayor-unveils-new-plan-for-cleveland-schools
Article Courtesy of WOIO 19 Action News
