Hite: need a more modern, professional teachers' contract
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia School District by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Kristen Graham.
Hite: need a more modern, professional teachers' contract
Kristen Graham
A great deal has been said about the Philadelphia School District's initial contract proposal to the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. So far, little of that has been said by district officials, who have declined to go into specifics.
On Thursday afternoon, I sat down with Superintendent William R. Hite Jr., who very much wants the public to know that he's first and foremost an educator, that he values teachers, and that he does not want to drive anyone out of the district.
“We believe teachers are professionals, just like architects, lawyers, doctors,” Hite said. “We want a contract that reflects that. I truly believe that in order for teachers to be effective, there needs to be some flexibility and we need to treat them as professionals.”
Hite said he wants to clarify some misconceptions about what's out there about the proposal, which The Inquirer obtained and detailed this week. The contract of 10,000 teachers and 5,000 secretaries, nurses, counselors and other support staff expires in August.
That proposal calls for a 13 percent pay cut for those making over $55,000 and an end to seniority-based positions and to a guaranteed adequate supply of textbooks, among other provisions.
It infuriated teachers and PFT leaders, who said it seemed the district was attempting to penalize and drive out veteran educators. Many said they felt disrespected.
But Hite said that was the opposite of the district’s intention.
“We have a great deal of respect for what teachers do each and every day; we think that teachers are key to our strategy of improving educational outcomes for all of our students,” he said.
The superintendent said he would not neogtiate in public and declined to go into details on the financial terms of the proposal, beyond emphasizing the district’s dire fiscal situation, its projected $1 billion deficit over five years, etc.
"We're really trying to save this district," he said.
The proposal asks for salary reductions and benefits givebacks of 13 percent for those making $55,000 and above, but also increases teachers’ workdays, to eight hours. (They currently work a seven hour, four minute day.)
That’s just a recognition of what most teachers are already doing, Hite said.
“Many of our teachers work beyond eight hours — they work on weekends, they work nights, and they work on holidays. We value that. This is not a longer school day — this is more time to plan and collaborate,” he said.
Now, Hite said, for teachers to advance, they must move out of the classroom; the superintendent wants the new contract to help them progress in their careers while remaining in the classroom. “Distinguished” teachers should be paid accordingly, their classrooms used as models, and their experience used to help new and struggling teachers.
“We want more support for teachers,” Hite said.
As for provisions that call for an end to mandated water fountains, private rooms for nurses and counselors, and an adequate textbook supply, the superintendent was clear: “there is a difference in eliminating a provision and eliminating the thing that is being provided.”
Translation: the superintendent does not want to take away teachers' water fountains or desks or counselors' and nurses' right to private rooms to see their students.
When he was a teacher, his contract didn’t call for Hite to have chalk and a chalkboard, he said. But he had them; his district still had a responsibility to provide them, even though they weren’t spelled out.
“Many of those things are listed in our contract,” he said, pointing to a bound copy he keeps in his desk. “In terms of a professional contract, they have no business being there. Those are kind of ridiculous. In order for us to provide a high quality education, naturally we have to provide those things.”
What he wants, Hite said, is a “more modern document that speaks to the type of things that we think are really important, like growth and evaluation and development and teachers being part of the conversation.”
Flexibility is also key, he said.
Remove a class size maximum, a current proposal, helps with things like concurrent high school and college courses and “blended learning” opportunities — with a cap of 33 students, if 10 students at five district high schools wanted to take an Advanced Placement class, that would be difficult to achieve.
More in tomorrow's Inquirer...
Yo Hite, you're about 15 years too late. The city is dying and it will take 20 years to rebound if that's possible.— Ralph 1- spoken by someone who obviously is never in the city. the city is doing the complete opposite of dying. something like 3,000 apartments have just been built just in my Fairmount neighborhood. Destroy education is the most myopic and destructive thing politicians could do to the growth Philadelphia is experiencing. No one will want to live here is you get rid of the middle class. No rich people will live here if the city doesn't offer the cute coffee shop run by the middle class person and no middle class will live here if you destroy the schools. I'm overwhelmingly amazed by how destructive republican thinking is. common sense dictates we need to increase demand but they destructively stop that and would rather watch the country burn. sad because philly could really have been nice in the future and now it really is going to be Detroit. and don't forget people we have Independence Hall and now it is going to be sitting in the new Detroit.
- Stop the bs highwater... This has nothing to do with republicans this city has been run by democrats for 50 years and they have mismanaged the tax payers money. If they keep the status quo then the taxes on real estate need to double with a wage tax on top the tax base will really leave. Most that live in the city that make money leave as soon as they have kids or send there kids to charter or private schools. You need these people because they are the one's paying the wage tax and property tax but raise them to high the middle class family can't pay them and the rich leave even more then already have and then Philly becomes Detroit.. — PhillySM
- little thing called "sequester" going on in Washington that has everything to do with republicans and this destructive mentality.
love how you justify not having a school district because people send their kids to private schools. too funny. - Sequestration was the Obama's administrations brain child. The republicans had nothing to do with it. Carney finally admitted it today. This is the most divisive president in recent history....your a typical talking head. Quick to blame anyone and everyone but your savior.
- typical republican trying to blame going over the cliff on Obama. what difference does it make who create the sequester? only republicans think its a good idea. cause you are stupid.
- That's right!!! That 138 REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR!!!!! — OurCity2000
- Hite says that this is about saving the District. BS. What about the 25 obscene pay raises at 440 that were recently leaked? Meanwhile Hite cuts school programs and now teacher's compensation. I saw the list. The Inky published it. Those 25 political patronage jobs are held mostly by lazy do nothings. If Hite was in any way sincere, he would first take away those raises and then extend the same pay cuts to all 440 non union staff as a measure of shared sacrifice. Then Hite and all of those in the 150K and above pay scale should be cut 25-50% until 2016. That is only fair. Even the queen of greed Arleen Ackerman made some pay concessions. Keep in mind that Hite makes 300K base salary. That is more than the Mayor and The Governor by more than 100K. WTF?
— DarnelX 
The same way that Republicans saved PUBLIC Television.
Big Bird hasn't been seen in prime time since September 11, 2001.— Cuddles- Good for Hyte, the tax payer thanks you....— PhillySM
- I am a taxpayer and people like you horrify me. The only way to bring philadelphia out of the dark ages it has been stuck in is through education. When the money that is suppose to go to educate our children goes to politicians and administrators instead of the teachers we are doomed. You show your ignorance. — gemini48
- What about that clause regarding "reasonable" force to defend oneself against an aggressive student?— nikki1231
- This school district is a beyond repair. This guy has the dubious task of dismantling the remainder of entitlements that the unions and other government funded salaries are expecting. Guess what, the well is dry. Get the water from the stone, folks. lol.— FletcherT
During the school year, you’ll frequently find her hosting live chats about the district on Philly.com. Please do pass along the scoop about what’s going on at your Philadelphia public school; Kristen welcomes tips, story ideas and witty banter at kgraham@phillynews.com or 215-854-5146.
You can also follow Kristen on Twitter here.
