Teachers Union Accepts Peer Review and Aid

The membership of the Los Angeles teachers union has overwhelmingly ratified a plan to have senior teachers consult with colleagues who receive poor evaluations to help them improve or encourage them to leave the profession. In three days of balloting, 77% of the teachers agreed to add the new peer assistance and review program to their contract.

“This shows that teachers really do support accountability systems that are fair and believe that the union should have a role in assuring the quality of the services that its members provide,” said United Teachers Los Angeles president Day Higuchi.

The plan was hammered out last month by union and district negotiators. It was prompted by a new state law requiring all school districts to gradually establish peer assistance. The legislation provided financial incentives for districts that start the program this year. The Los Angeles Unified School District will receive $4.6 million for its program.

A two-year trial program will begin July 1. It will draw upon retired teachers and the district’s 14 full-time mentor teachers as consultants.

A consultant will spend 240 hours with each permanent teacher referred for review and as much as 120 hours with each nonpermanent beginning teacher, depending on the consultant’s assessment of the need.