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Teacher Evaluations: The Latest In Boston's Stalled Contract Negotiations

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A classroom ready and waiting for its students. (LizMarie_AK/Flickr)
A classroom ready and waiting for its students. (LizMarie_AK/Flickr)

The Boston Teachers Union Thursday offered a new set of proposals it says could break a long and contentious contract dispute. The dispute is heading into its third year, and talks have stalled over two key issues: teacher pay, and a proposed overhaul to the evaluation system that could make it easier to dismiss unsatisfactory teachers.

The union said Thursday it would accept a lower pay raise if Boston Public Schools agree to use an evaluation system recommended by the state, rather than the system favored by the city.

Evaluations have long been a point of contention between teachers and school administrators. But the Obama administration kicked the issue into high gear, with its so-called "Race to the Top" funding. The program doles out millions of dollars in federal grants to districts seeking to overhaul public schools if, in part, districts implement new evaluation systems. The ongoing contract dispute has already cost Boston more than $9 million dollars in federal funds. Failure to implement a new evaluation system for this school year could cost the district even more.

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This segment aired on August 30, 2012.

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