Dec 21, 2007 6:30 am US/Mountain
School Board Approves Bruce Randolph Control
DENVER (CBS4) ―
A middle school in northeast Denver that was once the worst performing school in the state was given permission Thursday night by the Denver Public Schools Board to set some of its own rules on spending and hiring.
School leaders at Bruce Randolph Middle School think they can do a better job educating students if the school can set its own hiring schedule, pay increases and performance standards.
"Which includes paying our teachers more," said Kristin Waters, the principal at Bruce Randolph. "We currently can only pay teachers the negotiated amounts for extra work."
Three quarters of the staff support the move as well as Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who met with Waters and said he gives solid approval to the plan.
"It's not going to work in every school, but if it works here, that's planting a flag for our kids that we aren't going to accept mediocrity, that we are going to keep trying innovations and find a way to succeed," Hickenlooper said.
"We feel to get them to the next level, and to continue their success, we need to be released from some of the things that are holding us back," Waters said before the meeting.
Some board members expect other schools in the district to now make similar requests.
"I think this School Board said it's committed to transformational change in way we do business," said Michael Bennet, DPS superintendent. "We know incremental change is not going to make enough of a difference for kids in Denver and I think we need to not be scared of that."
The teacher's union still has to approve the plan. Denver Classroom Teachers Association President Kim Ursetta said the school's request needs some detail before any votes will take place.
"I wouldn't say that there's necessarily resistance, but just surprise at the magnitude of the waiver they're asking for," Ursetta said.
Ursetta said the other problem is most of the rules Bruce Randolph wants to break are federally mandated rules that local boards don't have the authority to change.
"A lot of the things that Bruce Randolph teachers talk about are things that we've proposed at the bargaining table and have not been successful in negotiating," Ursetta said.
The earliest the union will make its decision is at the next meeting on Jan. 8.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Stumble It!
Comments