Urging Legislators to Vote NO on ESSB5242

ESSB 5242, the so called “Mutual Consent” bill, is unacceptable on so many levels:  It is unnecessary, unprofessional, and irresponsible.

Much is being made of an alleged “dance of the lemons” by supporters of ESSB5242, the so called “Mutual Consent” bill.  To the extent that there ever was a “dance of the lemons”, that issue was settled by the passage of a bill that is now RCW 28A.405.220.  The law states:  “every person employed by a school district in a teaching or other nonsupervisory certificated position shall be subject to nonrenewal of employment contract as provided in this section during the first three years of employment by such district,…”  If any “lemon” teachers survive that proscription, it is not for lack of a law regulating the issue.  Therefore, the bill is unnecessary.

ESSB5242 is unprofessional in that it makes it possible to get rid of effective teachers on grounds other than effectiveness or professionalism. Section 2; subsection 2, paragraph b states: “… certificated instructional staff member assigned to a particular school no longer has an assignment to that school as a result of a request for reassignment by … a principal, or the district administration …”.  In so doing, the bill makes it possible to punish educators for the exercise of free speech and will have a chilling effect on potential whistle blowers.  The bottom line here is my principal could nonrenew me because he/she didn’t like what I said or did outside the classroom, even if it is protect by Constitutional free speech.  As an outspoken, opinionated Irishman, I find that both offensive and unprofessional.

ESSB5242 destroys more than a decade of good faith efforts by educators to build and implement a valid and functional evaluation system.  It slaps educators in the face by providing administrators a way around the process of evaluation in order to get rid of a specific teacher.  Why would a principal or other administrator go to the effort of using the new evaluation protocols, when they can simple dump the teacher under this bill?  In that respect, the bill is irresponsible.

This bill is unnecessary, unprofessional, and irresponsible.  I urge defeat of ESSB5242.