By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
March 23, 2011

In a quest to continually improve its educational services, the Kansas City Missouri School District has entered into another three-year contract with Teach For America, Inc.

Thirty Teach for America teachers are currently employed with KCMSD, but the district wants to expand that number to 150 to 170 teachers for the 2011 to 2012 school year and add an additional 50 teachers for the 2012 to 2013 and 2013 to 2014 school years. Depending on the number of teacher’s employed, the contract will range from a total of $750,000 to $810,000.

Each teacher must work in the district for two years.

“We talked about radically transforming the school district,” acting superintendent Chace Ramey said during the March 9 KCMSD Board of Education meeting. “We think this partner can help with that direction.”

In his report to the board of education, Anthony Moore, assistant superintendent for human resources, wrote, “In Kansas City over 56 percent of TFA teachers made more than a year-and-a-half growth in their classrooms in the 2009-10 school year, while eighty-three percent made over a year’s progress.

“With only approximately 30 corps members currently in the KCMSD system, far too few students are receiving the benefits of the effective and quality instruction that TFA teachers unequivocally provide.”

Board member Derek Richey questioned the statistic and said it didn’t provide information about non-Teach for America teachers in the district.

“What does Teach for America bring that we can’t get ourselves?” Richey asked.

“We’ve seen the teachers provide a benefit to our students that we haven’t gotten (before),” Ramey replied.

Ramey added that Teach for America’s track record has been “above and beyond” what non-Teach For America teachers provide.

Board president Airick West reflected Richey’s comments and said he’d also like statistics for non-Teach for America teachers.

Board member Arthur Benson defended the program.

“It’s my understanding that Teach For America goes through a very extensive screening process,” he said. “There are 11 applicants for every one who makes it in the screening process to become a Teach for America Teacher.”

However, Benson said he’d like the school district’s definition of effective teachers added to the contract. Ramey said he’d include the definition.

When Richey questioned if the school had enough vacancies for the new teachers, Ramey said several factors will leave sufficient vacancies.

Those include early retirement incentives and non renewals of ineffective teachers. However, it won’t include reductions in force, he stressed.

Chief Financial Officer Dr. Rebecca Lee-Gwin said the district has thoroughly researched the plan and believes there are enough positions available.

“What about flexibility?” West said. “We don’t have the ability to assess whether Teach for America teachers have outperformed district teachers…

“Some of the hardest to fill positions we’ve had in the district have been filled with Teach For America and I’ve been very pleased with the results; some of the positions we have a hard time filling I don’t know if they’ve been as well served by Teach for America.”

West cited the special education program as one not served as well with Teach for America.

“There will be teachers that we will retain in areas like special education where there are certain skill levels and they’re proven,” Lee-Gwin said.

Other board member concerns included teacher retention and lack of information to make an informed decision.

Due to contractual time constraints, board members Joseph Jackson, Duane Kelly, Benson, West and Richey voted to approve the three-year contract. Member Ray Wilson voted nay. Members Kyleen Carroll, Crispin Rea Jr. and Marilyn Simmons were absent.

In other news, board members discussed the seven-point repurposing policy for shuttered school buildings.

West requested to amend item six, which states the board will consider proposals from other educational service providers, but preference will be given to KCMSD charter schools.

Instead of charter schools, West suggested it be changed to “schools sponsored by KCMSD.”

Richey said he would accept it as a “friendly amendment.”

Properties identified as surplus will be leased or sold and to prevent a blighted property, the school district will maintain ownership of the property’s title until certain benchmarks are met.

If benchmarks aren’t met within the required timeframe, the school district can nullify a lease or take back ownership.

Board members approved the repurposing policy.