The Sun reported in their July 21st edition that the City school system's collective bargaining agreement with employees was endangering the continued success of KIPP Ujima Academy ("Successful charter school cuts staff, hours over union contract"). Then, the very next day, The Sun reported that student achievement last year rose dramatically in the City's schools, which operate under that same collective bargaining agreement ("City pupils' scores rise").
The truth is that the Baltimore Teachers Union and Baltimore City Public Schools have a collective bargaining agreement that helped bring about dramatic improvements in the City's schools. The contract also has been in effect for other charter schools, which have produced excellent results for students. In addition, the Union negotiated with several public charter schools in Baltimore, including the KIPP school. Each school, including KIPP, agreed to terms to meet the needs of the particular school. KIPP signed a contract saying they would pay their teachers a fair wage and then it broke the contract claiming that it couldn't afford the pay increase.
For all of Baltimore's public schools, the vehicle for collaboration and success is a collective bargaining agreement that is good for children and fair to teachers. The contract is helping students in Baltimore City Public Schools and in public charters schools across the City--and it can do the same at KIPP Ujima. We hope to work collaboratively with KIPP Ujima to help the school continue to be successful.
Marietta English
The writer is president of the Baltimore Teachers Union.
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