Union says DeKalb schools should tear up new contract containing vague ‘performance factors’

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The head of a union that represents some DeKalb County teachers says if the district doesn’t tear up the new contract it is offering, she hopes her members will stage a work stoppage.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Richard Belcher broke the story Tuesday about the new contract contains a list of so-called “performance factors.”

A lawyer with experience in education-related litigation said several of the performance factors — which would be used to measure teachers — are vague, hostile to people with disabilities and perhaps illegal.

The head of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, Verdaillia Turner, told Belcher that the school district needs to start over.

“We are asking the superintendent and the board to do this with this contract,” Turner said, tearing a piece of paper.

Turner believes the list of 10 so-called performance factors in the new contract to DeKalb teachers are intentionally vague.

“There’s so much subjectivity there. It is a catch-all to get rid of teachers and any time they get ready. That’s really what it is,” Turner said.

Veteran trial lawyer Stephen Katz told Belcher on Tuesday that DeKalb’s performance factors read like they were written by someone frustrated by their inability to get rid of poorly performing teachers.

Katz contends teachers deserve more clarity.

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“They don’t know whether this condition or that condition is going to interfere with their job, whether they’re going to be assessed on something that really can’t be measured,” Katz said.

Both Katz and Turner criticize the performance factors. Some include teachers should have the ability to ignore irrelevant sights and sounds and intrusive thoughts or stimuli, and teachers should maintain composure and not compound the situation when interacting with persons who may be angry, demanding or otherwise less polite.

“Unless all teachers are going to be robots and machines, this is an impossible contract,” Turner said.

The attorney and the union leader agree that many teachers who dislike the new contract will sign anyway.

“When teachers sign off on this — working class citizens like myself — they’re going to sign off because they have to work,” Turner said.

But Turner also brings up what she calls a work stoppage.

“Are you suggesting a work stoppage over this contract language?” Belcher asked Turner.

“If I could pull one off, I would if the district does not negotiate this contract language,” Turner said.

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