by Lance T. Izumi, Fellow in California Studies
Pacific Research Institute
January 7, 2003

Announcer lead:  Lance Izumi says that teacher quality problems at low-performing schools can be traced to teacher union contracts.

A new study by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning has found that the lowest-performing California high schools, based on state high school exit exam scores, had the highest percentages of uncredentialed teachers. This finding should cause us to ask why so many uncredentialed teachers are concentrated in low achievement, hard-to-staff schools in low-income areas. Much of the answer can be found in teacher union contracts.

Many of our best teachers have lots of teaching experience and subject matter expertise. Students at low-performing schools need such teachers. Unfortunately, many teacher union contracts prevent districts from placing the right teacher in the right classroom at the right time.

For example, in many districts, placement of teachers is not determined mainly by the needs of students, but by teacher seniority. A typical union contract clause allows teachers with the most seniority to claim coveted openings at more affluent schools. That leaves teachers with less experience and those with emergency credentials to staff schools populated by low-income, low-performing students. A Pacific Research Institute study that analyzed 460 teacher union contracts in California concluded that all too often quality teachers are not in the classrooms where their skills would be best utilized.

The underlying problem with many teacher union contracts is that they fail to take into consideration that there are merit differences between teachers. If the best teacher for a spot is one with little experience but a great deal of subject matter knowledge, then he or she should be placed in that position. Similarly, if the best teacher is one with lots of experience, then put that person in the position. The important point is that the decision be made based on the abilities of the teacher and the needs of the students rather than on inflexible union contract rules.

Yes, California needs more high quality teachers. However, we also need to reform the collective bargaining process to ensure that high quality teachers are put into the classrooms that need them most.

With a perspective, I’m Lance Izumi.

Lance Izumi is the Director of Center for School Reform at the California-based Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy. He can be reached via email at lizumi@pacificresearch.org.