Brinkman's Sweetheart Deal for JCTA

The General Assembly is now considering legislation that would apply to Jefferson County Schools - ONLY. That's questionable....but perhaps not the worst thing about House Bill 753.

It's a big wet kiss to the Jefferson County Teacher's Union.

Is anyone else bothered by a law that grants a teacher's union more authority than state law otherwise allows schools throughout the state?

This from the Courier-Journal:

Union issue may doom school hiring bill

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A bill that would expand the authority of the Jefferson County school superintendent is in jeopardy after an influential lawmaker vowed yesterday to kill the measure because of another provision.

House Bill 753, sponsored by Rep. Scott Brinkman, R-Louisville, would expand the superintendent's role in hiring principals, a decision that is currently left up to site-based school councils. However, under the bill the councils would still have the final say.

The bill reads: ...in counties of four hundred thousand (400,000) or more inhabitants, a school council shall not have the authority to adopt a policy or take any other action that violates or conflicts with an employer-employee bargained contract governing the terms and conditions of employment of employees at the school. If there is a conflict between a policy or other action taken by the school council and any employer-employee bargained contract governing the terms and conditions of employment of employees at the school, the contact shall prevail....

The bill, which would not apply to any other school district in the state, was approved by the House Education Committee. But it could be withdrawn from consideration by the full House.

The key opponent of the measure, Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, said another provision in the bill would wrongly require the district's site-based school councils to seek the teachers union's approval when making certain decisions.

"That's been a continuing fight with the Jefferson County Teachers' Association for several years," Moberly said. "They've always tried to do things to diminish the authority of councils and increase the authority given under their negotiated agreement. That's not what was intended under education reform."

The Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 allows superintendents to screen and recommend principal candidates but gives hiring authority to the councils. Superintendents have long complained that the law gives them little say over the leadership of a school, even though they are ultimately held accountable for a school's performance.

Even though teachers' unions have traditionally opposed efforts to give superintendents more authority, the JCTA viewed the bill as a compromise to achieve its goal of preventing councils from violating bargained contracts.

JCTA President Brent McKim said the group is willing to let Brinkman withdraw the bill because it does not want the measure to jeopardize other education issues.