6/25/2011 3:02:00 PMEditorial: Mayor Jackson takes a stand for better public schools by supporting merit-pay provision in proposed state budget

June 25, 2011, 3:02 PM

By The Plain Dealer Editorial Board

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is no friend of Senate Bill 5, which curtails the unions' collective bargaining rights. In fact, he wants it repealed.

But he does have a firm belief that Cleveland's youngsters can succeed if they have a good education in traditional schools or charter schools.

So the low-key Jackson, joined by Cleveland Schools CEO Eric Gordon and the Cleveland school board, broke with Democratic orthodoxy to give full-throated support to reinstating a piece of the proposed state budget that would -- like SB 5 -- create a detailed teacher merit-pay system. It was a courageous thing to do.

The trio also wisely supports measures that would help high-quality charter schools -- an important move, now that the district itself sponsors three well-regarded charters.

The mayor's announcement is not an attack on teachers, though some have characterized it as such. Nor is it a sop to Republican Gov. John Kasich, a staunch supporter of Senate Bill 5.

It is simply a well-considered salvo at the status quo: Hidebound state and local rules that value seniority over teacher performance have done students a disservice. The system must change.

David Quolke, the Cleveland Teachers Union president and a staunch foe of SB 5, is disappointed in the mayor's support for merit pay. He called the mayor's stance a Cleveland-sized pothole, but said he "won't walk away from the table." That's good, because adult disputes shouldn't threaten chances for student achievement.

Districts will need time to implement the new teacher-evaluation rules, and they'll need resources to do the job right if it is going to work statewide. Gordon, for instance, wants and should get assurance that value-added measurements of student progress are scientifically accurate -- a job for state and national experts. Anything less would be unacceptable: Those scores could mean the elevation or ruination of someone's career.

The Cleveland school district is ahead of the curve, and it should try to stay that way. Gordon is working with the teachers union on an evaluation policy -- an effort that we hope is not sidelined.

Meanwhile, the Breakthrough Charter Schools, a consortium of three high-performing charters sponsored by the Cleveland schools, is in line to buy four schools on the East Side, which has been an academic desert.

Slow and easy should be the watchword for the expansion. It is important that the new charters come on line staffed and equipped for success. A rush job could produce setbacks no one wants to see in an area that has had to contend with poor-quality schools for far too long.

The Lubrizol Corp. is giving Breakthrough $1 million to renovate one of the buildings. It's a significant start, but for the expansion to be a success, more civic and business leaders will have to pitch in.