Coventry teachers say no to ‘pay for performance’

The teachers association is challenging bonuses for performance offered through a program intended to enhance advanced-level classes, and now the association and the school board are waiting to hear from arbitrators.

The payments are offered through Project Opening Doors, an initiative by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association intended to improve Advanced Placement classes in nine school districts.

The AP program offers college-level classes to high school students who have the possibility of receiving college credit if they achieve a score of at least 3, on a 5-point scale, on the exam.

Project Opening Doors offers students a $100 bonus for achieving a score of 3 or higher, and another $100 to teachers for each student who can meet the benchmark.

J.A. Camille Vautour, president of the project, said the Education Association of Coventry is protesting the bonuses, calling them “pay for performance,” a violation of the union contract. He said the EAC has taken the matter to an arbitration hearing.

Vautour disagreed with the characterization, saying teacher unions do not contest rewards given to members who win various awards and other forms of recognition for their achievements.

“The fact of the matter is these are prizes or awards, similar to (teacher of the year awards),” Vautour said.

Coventry High School teacher Robert Slajda, who is president of the teachers association, and Superintendent Donna Bernard could not be reached for comment.

School board Chairman Larry Pietrantonio said he is aware of the grievance but did not know the details because the case is ongoing.

Vautour said attorneys for the teachers association and school board have presented their cases to the arbitrator and are now awaiting a ruling, which he said could come within the next week or two.

He said teachers associations in Stamford and Waterbury have also contested the bonuses on similar grounds. Both associations argued the teachers should put the bonuses in a not-for-profit account used for professional development programs. He also said both sides in Coventry’s case have presented similar arguments.

But the arbitrators in each case sided with the school boards that have said they would create the account but would let teachers decide whether to put their bonuses into the account.

Vautour said the Stamford ruling has already been appealed.

A similar dispute in Washington State led the National Math and Science Initiative to cancel a $13.2 million grant.

The NMSI also awarded the CBIA $13.2 million for Project Opening Doors.

While the NMSI did not give specifics, state officials in Washington speculate the decision was due to disputes over bonuses and stipends for teachers attending training for AP courses, according to Monitoring Advanced Programs for Students, which oversees AP programs in Washington.

Vautour said no teachers association in Connecticut has protested any other portion of Project Opening Doors, including $500 stipends for attending related training. He said the program includes “quite a bit of support” for “staff expertise.”