GraniteGrok

Found this little snippet in the local paper, The Citizen (not online yet):

New Hampshire Education Commissioner Lyonel Tracy said he is considering a proposal for a statewide teacher contract.

"The deputy commissioner, Mary Heath, and I have been talking about what can we do to maximize our professional development opportunities for teachers," Tracy said in an interview Friday with WMOU-AM radio in Berlin.

"Even though we have great professional development activity that is coming out of our state, there still is a discrepancy in salaries across the state, and the schools that offer the largest salaries are the ones that sometimes attract the very best teachers and they stay the longest, " Tracy said.

"We've at least thrown out the idea of what would happen if we considered a statewide teacher contract with some support from the stte for some of these rural communities and would we attract more and better teeachers.  I don't know, that is something to think about."

Tracy said he and Heath are planning to meet with Gov. John Lynch next week about the matter.  They've also met with legislative leaders.

OK, let's see what's what with this"

Once again, the larger governmental body wishes to horn in on the smaller one all in the guise of "we here to help you."  Local School Boards lose control of the majority of what they are supposed to oversee.  Local Budget Committees lose the oversight of one of the largest parts of a town or cities outlays.  Mainly, local voters and taxpayers see their right to control their local towns as they see fit slither away...all under the guise of "we know better, and we have more money".  After all, that IS one of the marks of this snippet....where the larger salaries are located, and where they are not.

This would lead down the road to a state wide Unified School District.  I watch what happens with these....and no, quality of student achievement is not one of them.

And that is the second thing.  Perhaps it is implied here, but is certainly not explicitly stated - what about the kids?  This is presented as all about the teachers, not the quality of the product produced by those teachers.   

Second, notice the emphasis of this snippet - teacher salaries, teacher opportunities.  Who in the teacher's union wouldn't love this?  No more of the union having to deal with multiple bargaining sessions or School Boards (or the "divisive" Budget Committees that oversee the contracts). 

Let's see if the Republican leadership stands up to this power grab by the state.

After all, San Diego City / County has done this.....and look at the trouble they are in! 

More later, but time to run to do the Meet The New Press Radio show!