Wednesday evening, the Prince William County School Board will entertain whether teachers on a Personal Improvement Plan (PIP) should be able to receive a one-time transfer to another of the county’s public schools.
The proposal is on for discussion.
Administrators place teachers on PIPs when they have concerns that a faculty member is not proficient in the school division's performance standards.
According to sources, more often than not, it is the first step towards firing a teacher.
After being placed on the plan, the educator is continually observed and must demonstrate proficiency to their school's administration in order to have their contract renewed.
Phil Kavits, Communications Director for Prince William County Schools, said that according to the current regulations, teachers on PIPs are only allowed to transfer if they secure special approval from the superintendent.
Coles’ District school board member Willie Deutsch has proposed a change to the regulation that would allow for a one-time only transfer. He has heard this is something teachers want to protect their careers, and it is something the Prince William Federation of Teachers was advocating for.
Deutsch said he has heard of incidents at schools where a teacher's performance was not the issue; rather, the PIP was instituted because of a personality conflict between the teacher and an administrator.
“ feel like if they have a personality clash, or don’t see eye to eye with whomever is principal, they feel like they are putting on a PIP because of that,” Deutsch said.
He said that the proposal is meant to address those kinds of situations, so that they do not destroy an educator’s career, especially if the individual is a longtime professional with a proven track record.
Deutsch said it is important that it would be a one-time exemption only. To allow someone to continue to transfer “would be ridiculous” he said.
Deutsch said a particular school would not be forced to take the teacher; however, the educator would have the ability to try and secure a position at another school within the county.
Deutsch said he has not decided if this transfer should be available to all PWCS educators or just those with a a certain number of years working for the county. That is something the board would have to discuss.
“Staff is very careful before they get rid of a teacher,” he said.
Prince William Education Association President Jim Livingston said the PWEA supports this measure.
“We have for quite some time held the position that employees should be permitted to transfer when on a,'” Livingston said.
Livingston acknowledges the reason the change is needed comes down to situations involving personality conflicts.
“While the attempt to standardize the evaluation process has been extensive, ultimately some people simply don’t work well together. A change of environment/support could mean the difference between an employee who appears to be struggling and one who is meeting standard," Livingston said.
According to Livingston, PWEA members often report that personal conflicts with their administrators can interfere with their ability to do their jobs. In that case, he believes the ability to transfer to another worksite could determine if the employee is still a valuable asset to the county’s public school system.
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