We, the parents of students attending Durham School of the Arts, are committed to supporting our teachers against the injustice of the new contract/bonus system set up by the State of North Carolina. This contract/bonus system is not an acceptable or appropriate way to evaluate, reward, or motivate teachers. It is also not the way to encourage people to enter or remain in the teaching profession. We support our teachers who “Decline to Sign”.

Under this new system, the top 25% of DSA teachers will receive the offer of a four-year contract with an incremental $500 a year while the remaining 75% will be given a one year contract. In addition, when accepting the 4-year contracts, teachers must agree to relinquish all career status job protections, be subject to first year teacher employment provisions, and will be subject to automatic dismissal if given any rating below “Proficient”.

We feel this new system will divide our teachers and create an atmosphere of distrust and rivalry rather than a safe and collaborative educational community. Many teachers have said this makes them feel like they will be working with rivals rather than co-workers. Our teachers want to work together to help our students succeed.

We are concerned that this new system will take away our teachers’ job security and will drive them away from our school to other states or professions where they will feel more valued and be paid accordingly. This means teacher turnover will rise dramatically, leaving our children in schools without any continuity in the faces they see every day or the education they receive.

Our children come from various backgrounds that impact their learning needs. In order to continue meeting these varied needs, we need teachers who are committed and inspired to remain in their profession. To keep the outstanding teachers we have means giving them an environment where they feel there is community and support. It means giving our teachers a future that includes their own financial stability as well as job security. These new “contracts” do not offer either type of stability to our teachers.

We feel that Durham School of the Arts is full of exceptional teachers worthy of an evaluation/bonus system that rewards ALL teachers who meet the standards in an evaluation system that truly reflects their value to us and to our children. We stand behind all of our teachers and teachers across the State of North Carolina who are brave enough to stand up and “Decline to Sign”.

Thank you