Cleveland Schools II: Update

This is what happens when I try to blog in advance.

Thursday evening the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Cleveland Teachers Union and Mayor Frank Jackson have come to a deal on the disputed provisions of Jackson's school plan. This agreement overcomes a major obstacle cited by legislators earlier this week.

Jackson and the teachers' union came to a compromise after several weeks of negotiations. It will change the contractual rules governing teacher assignments, seniority, pay, evaluation, layoff and recall that gives the districts more flexibility. Lawmakers were backing the plan, but unions were threatening to oppose the measure. The union, district officials, and Jackson said that the negotiated agreement will benefit students.

The teachers' union said that the agreement is far from perfect, but it offers the possibility for better education for students. The plan has support from politicians and business leaders within Cleveland.

As part of the agreement Jackson dropped the "fresh start" provision, throwing out the previous contracts and starting over in the next round of contract negotiations. The provision would allow the district to impose terms of a new contract if sides could not come to an agreement. The union had objected to this because of it's similarities to Senate Bill 5.

In addition to the aspects concerning teachers, Jackson's plan aims to improve education by partnering with the high-performing charter schools, preventing poor charters from opening, passing a tax increase, and allowing successful district schools with more autonomy. Hears in the measure could start as soon as next week.