Because he didn't have a preliminary or clear professional credential, Phillip feared he might not be rehired to teach at his Los Angeles County school the next year. To protect himself, he quit and accepted a job at a charter school.
"I was advised against it, but I thought it might be the answer," he says. "Several people I knew were teaching at charter schools, and I wanted to try something different. I thought I would be able to have a greater impact in a smaller environment. That was attractive to me."
But the dream of making a difference has turned into a nightmare. Phillip now teaches at one of 68 satellite campuses of the California Charter Academy (CCA), headquartered in Victorville.
Initially, Phillip wasn't worried about leaving CTA membership behind. But soon he realized how important the rights he had taken for granted could be. "I went from having union representation to having no representation and no sense of security. Around here we say, 'Don't sneeze too loudly; you might get fired.' People are fired here without due process. I regret the decision to teach at a charter. I miss what I had."
Among the benefits he misses are compensation for extra hours worked, having access to professional development workshops and being on a salary schedule. "As soon as I accepted the offer, I realized that all teachers were paid the same salary - $34,000 a year," he says. "There is no difference in salary between a 10-year veteran teacher and a new teacher. We all make one flat rate."
Most teachers at CCA are inexperienced, says Phillip, who had hoped to be mentored by a veteran teacher. "Many don't have a clue as to what they are teaching, because they are not trained and they are left to fend for themselves."
CCA sites have not yet been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which could hinder students' chances of college acceptance.
In May, state officials sought a full-scale audit of CCA, founded in 1999 and now the state's largest charter school with nearly 10,000 students, K-12 and adult. The state is charging that CCA, which receives $36.7 million in taxpayer money, is not spending enough of that on teachers and students. The school's founder, Steven Cox, is also fighting allegations that many of the school sites are illegal, because they operate outside the territory where the charter was issued. The audit will also investigate allegations of improper attendance reporting along with allegations of health and safety violations at some sites.
According to Phillip, students from one school were moved twice last year from buildings that the fire department declared unsafe.
"These are only a few of the dilemmas experienced by teachers, which shows the crucial need for them to receive union representation from CTA," says Phillip.
Unfortunately, his story is common in the world of charters that are profiteering. In San Francisco, for example, most teachers left the Edison School after being forced to work as much as 12 hours a day, come in on Saturdays and work an extended school year. In Chula Vista, where the superintendent advocated charter schools as a means of union-busting, teachers at charter schools have complained bitterly about their situation in hopes of joining the local association.
"I met with one young man who said that working at a school without a union was the worst thing he ever did," says Chula Vista Education Association President Gina Boyd. "They have no rights. They are 'at-will' employees, meaning they can be let go at any time. One teacher was told the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that he would not be back on Monday. At another school a man who had his credential and a master's degree was getting paid the same as someone with no credential. It's pretty grim out there."
According to a 2003 study by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), charter schools pay their teachers far below the state average.
Charter school teachers earn an average of $38,000 a year, while the average public school teacher in California earns $52,000.
According to the study, half the teachers at a typical charter school lack a teaching credential, compared with 9 percent in other public schools. Researcher Bruce Fuller said one reason that charter schools choose to hire uncredentialed teachers is that it costs less.
CTA, after an eight-year struggle, achieved collective bargaining rights for charter employees in 1999 with the passage of AB 631. However, most charter teachers are still non-union.
CTA hopes to change that, and has partnered with NEA on a special project to protect the rights of charter school teachers and prevent CTA members from leaving their protections behind, like Phillip did, if they choose to work at a charter school. The project has the following objectives:
Securing collective bargaining rights for all charter school teachers either by incorporating them into existing bargaining units or creating new bargaining units for them.
Building a program to deal with the privatization issues raised by charter schools.
Developing programs for charter school teachers in the areas of advocacy training, communications, budget analysis, leadership and professional development.
CTA is in the process of hiring four charter school specialists to accomplish these goals. They will serve as consultants and organizers to work with charter school employees in the development of chapter organization and professional development programs. CTA and NEA will share the cost of the project for the first three years. During the fourth and fifth years, NEA funding will be phased out, with CTA taking over the program by the end of the fifth year.
Some organizations controlled by charter school management have been presenting themselves to teachers as alternatives to unionization. However, only a bargaining unit can offer teachers due process and negotiate a salary through collective bargaining.
"CTA intends to provide charter teachers with the organizing skills that will enable them to have an effective voice in their profession," says CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. "It is CTA's belief that we must establish a viable charter school program tailored to the needs of charter employees. This program must include regular CTA membership benefits - as well as benefits and services to meet the unique needs of charter school teachers in California."
