The Bloomberg administration and the union representing NYC school principals and assistant principals reached a tentative contract agreement Monday, according to an article in Tuesday's New York Times. The agreement features a number of performance related pay elements, including:
- A revamping of how principals are rated on their performance each year, replacing the "blunt thumbs-up or thumbs-down system under which they are labeled either satisfactory or unsatisfactory" with "a more nuanced review, aligned with the Education Department's new accountability system, which grades schools from A to F based on students' progress."
- An increase to the maximum annual bonus that school supervisors can earn for performance, to $25,000 from $15,000.
- A bonus of up to $25,000 a year to select principals who agree to spend three years in troubled schools.
- An end to seniority or "bumping" rights which allowed veteran assistant principals without school assignments to force their way into certain vacancies, even over principals' objections.
According to the article:
City officials expressed particular pleasure that the contract agreement included incentive provisions that are often opposed by unions. "In the private sector, financial incentives encourage actions that are good for the company," Mr. Bloomberg said. "And there is no reason we shouldn't also use financial incentives in the public sector to encourage actions that are good for our schools."
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