Moore: Statewide Teacher Contract Will Benefit RI
Russell J. Moore, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™
Moore: Statewide Teacher Contract Will Benefit RI
A statewide teacher contract would undoubtedly lower the cost of education in Rhode Island by realizing cost savings due to economies of scale through purchasing health insurance and other items, as well as make certain that the taxpayers have more seasoned negotiators working on their behalf.
Misguided Rationale
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTYet despite that fact, good, decent guys like former Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ken Block, former Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council Executive Director and state Director of Administration Gary Sasse, all attempted to pour cold water on the idea of the statewide teacher contract, claiming it would undermine local control of schools and perhaps end up costing money.
Here's the thing: believe it or not, the state government in Rhode Island, on the whole has been more fiscally responsible than the local governments. Yes, like any other general truth, there are expectations to the rule. But on the whole, it holds up.
The most striking example of this dynamic that sticks out in my mind took place in 2007 when I was a news reporter writing for The Warwick Beacon. The city of Warwick went out to bid for the administration of its self-insured health care plan. United Health Care bid more than $1 million less than Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Yet amidst heavy pressure from the city's union members, the city council caved and spent more than $1 million than they needed to.
Local Governments Are Not More Responsible
There are plenty of other examples. Local communities in Rhode Island like Providence, Warwick, Pawtucket, and others, on a per capita basis, have much higher legacy liabilities (pension, health care, etc.) for their current employees and retirees. Yet statewide pension reform was significant and more effective than any pension reform we've seen on a local level.
Here's the moral of the story: while Mike Stenhouse from the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity extols the supposed virtues of local government, as he did in Friday's GoLocal article, it's actually easier for special interest groups to influence smaller governments than larger governments. That's the reason why state and local workers have better pensions and benefits than federal workers.
This is true for two reasons. First, there is actually more transparency at higher levels of government, like state and federal government. That's because there are more people paying attention to it. There is more media coverage. People are generally more knowledgeable. When people are paying attention, it's harder to make backroom deals.
More Transparency Around State Government
Secondly, the people at higher level of government are more seasoned negotiators. Robert Healey, who ran for Governor as the Moderate Party candidate in last year's election made the point rather astutely during the campaign.
"...school boards are usually the first step on a political ladder. Many who run for office are of the ilk that are former school teachers or their relatives...” said Healey during the campaign. "The unions, when negotiating contracts, send in negotiators. These negotiators, having negotiated several contracts across the state, are no match for the lambs sitting on the school board."
Further, since many of the politicians serving on the local school committees harbor ambitions of rising up the political ladder, it stands to reason that they'll be generous with the public treasury to make friends with the powerful union officials, who can rally people to support them at the ballot box. The people who are forced to pay for this scheme, are too busy working two jobs and raising families to pay attention.
Sunlight is Key
There is far more press on the statewide level. A statewide teacher contract would be infinitely more transparent than the local teacher contracts. Sunlight is the best disinfectant to corruption--and not just the illegal kind of corruption. That alone is another great reason to enact a statewide contract.
All these reasons indicate why the reformers in Rhode Island should be rallying around a statewide teacher contract as opposed to being negative about the idea. This state needs good government reforms like blood, and it's a shame to see reformers not getting behind good ideas just because they weren't their own.
Teacher Absences in RI
36.
Coventry
Total Number of Students: 5,012
Total Number of Teachers: 449
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 1
% Absent: 0.2%
35.
Scituate
Total Number of Students: 1,586
Total Number of Teachers: 124.8
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 11
% Absent: 8.8%
34.
Narragansett
Total Number of Students: 1,433
Total Number of Teachers: 152.9
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 21
% Absent: 13.7%
33.
Portsmouth
Total Number of Students: 2,687
Total Number of Teachers: 214.5
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 33
% Absent: 15.4%
32.
East Greenwich
Total Number of Students: 2,412
Total Number of Teachers: 367
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 74.5
% Absent: 20.3%
NOTE: Figures for this district were omitted from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights database. Alternative figures were obtained from other sources. The number of students and teachers was obtained from the InfoWorks database maintained by the Rhode Island Department of Education. The number of absentee teachers provided here is a rough estimated average calculated indirectly using the statewide average and information available for the other districts. Federal authorities East Greenwich had been left out of their database because the data it provided had not been certified. Local officials were not able to respond to a records request in time for publication.
31.
South Kingstown
Total Number of Students: 3,389
Total Number of Teachers: 282.5
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 61
% Absent: 21.6%
30.
Little Compton
Total Number of Students: 299
Total Number of Teachers: 36
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 9
% Absent: 25.0%
29.
North Kingstown
Total Number of Students: 4,340
Total Number of Teachers: 370.1
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or MoreDays: 95
% Absent: 25.7%
28.
Tiverton
Total Number of Students: 1,883
Total Number of Teachers: 177
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 48
% Absent: 27.1%
27.
Burrillville
Total Number of Students: 2,438
Total Number of Teachers: 199.4
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 56
% Absent: 28.1%
26.
North Smithfield
Total Number of Students: 1,775
Total Number of Teachers: 254
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 74.5
% Absent: 29.3%
NOTE: Figures for this district were omitted from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights database. Alternative figures were obtained from other sources. The number of students and teachers was obtained from the InfoWorks database maintained by the Rhode Island Department of Education. The number of absentee teachers provided here is a rough estimated average calculated indirectly using the statewide average and information available for the other districts.
However, the district was able to provide alternative figures for the 2013-2014 school year. They indicate that out of a full-time equivalent of 137.5 teachers, 11, or 8 percent, were absent 10 or more days. (The figure for teachers provided by the district is significantly lower than InfoWorks because InfoWorks includes certified in-classroom teachers while the InfoWorks number represents all certified teachers whether or not they are in the classroom.) The district did not have the corresponding figures for the 2011-2012 school year. Federal authorities said the district was omitted because the data it provided had not been certified.
25.
Cumberland
Total Number of Students: 4,667
Total Number of Teachers: 331.15
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 98
% Absent: 29.6%
24.
Lincoln
Total Number of Students: 3,308
Total Number of Teachers: 282.6
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 84
% Absent: 29.7%
23.
Chariho
Total Number of Students: 3,479
Total Number of Teachers: 270.8
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 81.6
% Absent: 30.1%
22.
Jamestown
Total Number of Students: 521
Total Number of Teachers: 47
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 14.5
% Absent: 30.9%
21
Central Falls
Total Number of Students: 2,699
Total Number of Teachers: 200
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 64
% Absent: 32.0%
20.
Warwick
Total Number of Students: 9,854
Total Number of Teachers: 850.5
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 291
% Absent: 34.2%
19.
East Providence
Total Number of Students: 5,342
Total Number of Teachers: 406.3
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 143
% Absent: 34.2%
18.
Foster- Glocester
Total Number of Students: 1,193
Total Number of Teachers: 113.2
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 40
% Absent: 35.3%
NOTE: The figures for Foster-Glocester initially appeared far higher, with 102 teachers absent. The district said the number had been inflated because every single type of absence was erroneously included in the data the district submitted to federal authorities. Included in Foster-Glocester’s filing were: field trips, professional development, curriculum writing, out-of-school meetings, state Department of Education meetings, and in-school meetings for special education students. Other districts did not necessarily include all these absences in their filings. The above figure is a corrected amount the district provided.
17.
Foster
Total Number of Students: 275
Total Number of Teachers: 16
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 6
% Absent: 37.5%
16.
Johnston
Total Number of Students: 3,083
Total Number of Teachers: 259.6
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 99
% Absent: 38.1%
15.
West Warwick
Total Number of Students: 3.329
Total Number of Teachers: 290
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 115
% Absent: 39.7%
14.
Cranston
Total Number of Students: 10,661
Total Number of Teachers: 894
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 370.6
% Absent: 41.5%
13.
Exeter-West Greenwich
Total Number of Students: 1,577
Total Number of Teachers: 148.34
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 62
% Absent: 41.8%
12.
Newport
Total Number of Students: 1,997
Total Number of Teachers: 197.35
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 87
% Absent: 44.1%
11.
North Providence
Total Number of Students: 3,410
Total Number of Teachers: 295
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 131
% Absent: 44.4%
10.
Westerly
Total Number of Students: 3.050
Total Number of Teachers: 258.6
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 121
% Absent: 46.8%
9.
Barrington
Total Number of Students: 3,539
Total Number of Teachers: 279.06
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 132
% Absent: 47.3%
8.
Glocester
Total Number of Students: 581
Total Number of Teachers: 29.5
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 15
% Absent: 50.8%
7.
Pawtucket
Total Number of Students: 8,831
Total Number of Teachers: 413
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 223
% Absent: 54%
6.
Bristol-Warren
Total Number of Students: 3,614
Total Number of Teachers: 239.2
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 136
% Absent: 56.9%
5.
Providence
Total Number of Students: 23,519
Total Number of Teachers: 1661.2
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 1661.2
% Absent: 63.3%
4.
Smithfield
Total Number of Students: 2,525
Total Number of Teachers: 144.7
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 95
% Absent: 65.7%
NOTE: The Smithfield School District told GoLocalProv that its rate of teacher absenteeism is actually lower that what the federal database indicates because it includes professional development days. The error originated with Smithfield itself: the district says the software program it uses to track absences includes professional development days. However, the district was unable to provide a revised figure in time for publication. The above figures are those available from the database maintained by Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education.
3.
Middletown
Total Number of Students: 2,339
Total Number of Teachers: 205
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 142
% Absent: 69.3%
2.
Woonsocket
Total Number of Students: 5,897
Total Number of Teachers: 407.36
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 285
% Absent: 70.0%
1.
New Shoreham
Total Number of Students: 113
Total Number of Teachers: 26.8
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 20
% Absent: 74.6%
NOTE: New Shoreham’s high absentee rate appears to be connected to the school district’s small size. Federal data does not appear to correct for this factor.
