New Study Finds California Teacher Union Contracts Control Classrooms, Harm Learning Environment

3/13/2002

From: Dawn Collier of the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), 415-989-0833, ext. 136; e-mail: dcollier@pacificresearch.org Web site: www.pacificresearch.org

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 13 -- As a bill backed by the California Teachers Association seeks to expand union power, a new study by the Pacific Research Institute reveals that teacher union contracts already control the majority of California classrooms, restrict the ability of elected school boards and principals to manage schools, and harm student achievement.

"Contract for Failure: The Impact of Collective Bargaining on the Quality of California's Schools" examined collective bargaining contracts in 460 of California's 994 school districts, including the 10 largest from San Diego to Sacramento.

Contracts were analyzed and scored according to their impact on the ability of teachers to teach, principals to lead, district staff to manage, and on the board to set policy. The study sample represented a cross-section of districts based on size, location, student population, and the affiliation of the union. The scores for each district along with all of the data collected are available on the Pacific Research Institute's Web site: http://www.pacificresearch.org/.

Nearly 75 percent of the contracts received scores showing that the teacher unions wield too much power over areas such as curriculum, teacher evaluation and accountability, and teacher self-governance. Findings include:

-- California's 10 largest school districts have more restrictive contracts, including Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Bernardino, Fresno, Orange, Santa Ana, and San Juan.

-- In an average California school district, 85 percent of the district's operating budget is tied to teacher and employee salaries, and collective bargaining contracts. Districts with the most restrictive clauses regarding school and classroom management spend a much higher percentage of their budget on salaries and benefits.

-- Districts with no teacher contracts or union representation score higher on the state's student assessment test (SAT-9), including Clovis (the largest school district in Fresno County), Snowline (San Bernardino), and Warner Springs (San Diego County). Teachers in these districts reported high satisfaction with district management.

-- Districts with the most favorable scores and most flexible contracts are located almost entirely in northern and central California. Districts with smaller enrollments tend to have no union representation or much more flexible contracts.

"Most collective bargaining contracts cover a lot more than typical employment issues like teacher salaries and benefits, and include everything from curriculum to how teachers are evaluated," said "Contract for Failure" Co-Author Pamela Riley, associate director of PRI's Center for School Reform. "Our children's education simply should not be negotiable."

The three co-authors include former teachers Rosemarie Fusano and attorney La Rae Munk, who were also union representatives. Dr. Ruben Peterson is a former teacher, school principal, and school superintendent.

Studies conducted in Washington, Florida, Massachusetts, and Michigan reveal a similar pattern to the one found in California.

For more information or to schedule an interview, call Dawn Collier at 415-955-6136.

------ The Pacific Research Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c) 3 organization that advances parental choice in education, high academic standards and accountability, charter schools, teacher quality, and school finance reform. (http://www.pacificresearch.org/)