Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
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
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Updates
Reached 100 supporters
March 3, 2014
44 Comments
The teachers at DSA have a great way of motivating children. They understand that watching children grow over the course of the year is important. They work with children where they are and move them forward. Product oriented education doesn't create better people, learners or results. Education is a process oriented activity that allows students to learn at their own rates, not at some arbitrary limit set up by people who don't actually know the children they are regulating.
I'm so grateful to the teachers at DSA for the many ways they care about our students. I know their workload is profound, yet they still give my daughter the feeling of being an important individual in their eyes. Excellent team, excellent teachers and staff. We need to provide them with better working conditions including professional pay for the professional work they do.
Teachers work harder than most of us, and they have a profound impact on the future of NC. They ALL need to be paid more, not just the newest ones, and not just the top 25%. There are far smarter ways to make a positive impact on education than what the legislature is doing now. So, be smart. Save NC. Pay teachers well; treat them like professionals.
teacher collaboration has been one of the strengths of Durham Public Schools. It is wrong to make teachers compete and insulting to take away tenure for a "$500" raise. No one in business would tolerate being treated like that. For shame!!
My granddaughters go to DSA. So I'm paying attention and their teachers are great. Our granddaughters are highly motivated and having a great experience. Reward those teachers fairly.
We do not need our teachers competing with each other!
Our DSA teachers need our support! We didn't get to be the #1 High School in the state without the exceptional work of our DSA teachers. Let's support them now!
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
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
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
March 3, 2014
44 Comments
What a total waste of talent - and time. Our good teachers are going to walk (or run) to systems - and states - that support them as professionals. What does that leave NC? Imagine the magnitude of having to fill all those positions, of the stupid paperwork that results from contract renewal and re-hires, and it's the kids who get the shaft ultimately. Not good for the students, not good for NC. What the heck, then, is the point of this system?!
The teachers at DSA have a great way of motivating children. They understand that watching children grow over the course of the year is important. They work with children where they are and move them forward. Product oriented education doesn't create better people, learners or results. Education is a process oriented activity that allows students to learn at their own rates, not at some arbitrary limit set up by people who don't actually know the children they are regulating.
I'm so grateful to the teachers at DSA for the many ways they care about our students. I know their workload is profound, yet they still give my daughter the feeling of being an important individual in their eyes. Excellent team, excellent teachers and staff. We need to provide them with better working conditions including professional pay for the professional work they do.
Teachers work harder than most of us, and they have a profound impact on the future of NC. They ALL need to be paid more, not just the newest ones, and not just the top 25%. There are far smarter ways to make a positive impact on education than what the legislature is doing now. So, be smart. Save NC. Pay teachers well; treat them like professionals.
teacher collaboration has been one of the strengths of Durham Public Schools. It is wrong to make teachers compete and insulting to take away tenure for a "$500" raise. No one in business would tolerate being treated like that. For shame!!
My granddaughters go to DSA. So I'm paying attention and their teachers are great. Our granddaughters are highly motivated and having a great experience. Reward those teachers fairly.
We do not need our teachers competing with each other!
Our DSA teachers need our support! We didn't get to be the #1 High School in the state without the exceptional work of our DSA teachers. Let's support them now!
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What a total waste of talent - and time. Our good teachers are going to walk (or run) to systems - and states - that support them as professionals. What does that leave NC? Imagine the magnitude of having to fill all those positions, of the stupid paperwork that results from contract renewal and re-hires, and it's the kids who get the shaft ultimately. Not good for the students, not good for NC. What the heck, then, is the point of this system?!