High pay + poor performance = rejected contract

Question: What happens Brownsville, PA when the highest paid teachers in the state have some of the poorest performing schools?

Answer: The school board flatly rejects the teachers' union's new contract proposal.

From EAGnews.org:

Brownsville Area School Board director Nena Kaminsky recently made headlines when she convinced her colleagues to reject a proposed teachers union contact, and told the union why.

“We have the highest paid teachers in Fayette County and the worst test scores in the state,” she said bluntly when voting down the agreement earlier this month, according to the Herald Standard.

Could bold actions like this from Kentucky's school boards? Kentucky has seen some of the biggest increases in teacher salaries across the nation and has continued to slide in performance compared to other states.

The board eventually voted 7-0 reject the terms of the teachers contract, with two board members abstaining.  Kaminsky explained her reasoning – that high teacher pay isn’t producing results for students. Other board members said the district probably couldn’t afford the pay increases contained in the contract.

If salary increases and performance declines continue as trends in Kentucky, we may need some school board members like Mrs. Kaminsky who are willing to stand up just like those in Brownsville, PA.