Dena Levitz, The Examiner
2008-04-23 07:00:00.0
Current rank: # 6,541 of 6,831

WASHINGTON -

With just days left before the deadline, only 233 teachers in D.C. have signed paperwork accepting a highly controversial buyout deal offering bonuses of $1,000 to $20,000 to leave the historically underperforming school system.

Chancellor Michelle Rhee introduced the teacher transition awards program on April 11. She said the teachers union had been hearing that large numbers of educators planned to flee. She wanted an incentive pay arrangement to encourage those looking to leave to make a decision so the school system could better absorb the changes.

Altogether, 1,700 teachers are eligible and fall into two categories — teachers who would under normal rules qualify to retire from the system this spring and teachers in the 50 schools that will either close or be drastically restructured under No Child Left Behind.

However, there is only enough money allocated for the bonuses to cover 500 to 700 teachers.

According to Jennifer Calloway, the chancellor’s assistant press secretary, as of Tuesday 233 teachers had signed up.

The vast majority of those accepting the offer — 173 teachers — are up for retirement.

The remaining 60 are employed in the transitioning schools, with 44 working at schools that have failed to meet federal requirements five times and 16 at schools closing at the end of the academic year.

Nathan Saunders, vice president of the 4,200-member teachers union, said he understood why teachers on the brink of retirement would sign on.

But since Rhee’s introduction of the program, he and other leaders in the union have been trying — successfully in his estimation — to talk less-senior teachers out of taking the buyout.

Saunders said that some educators who leave in the manner prescribed by the chancellor lose money out of their retirement fund. The buyout money is also taxed, he said.

“So what they come away with is not enough money to rent a U-Haul and take their things from the building,” he said. “This program is designed to bring about the chancellor’s goals and has very little forethought in response to employees’ needs.”

The last day to apply for the buyout is Friday. Rhee has set aside $10 million for the program. At this point, based on the experience level of applicants, $4.2 million is expected to be paid out.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com