Then Again, No Thanks

Interesting developments in New York City today: teachers at the KIPP Infinity and Academy schools have asked that they be dissociated from the United Federation of Teachers, the union. From the press release:

We, the undersigned teaching staffs of KIPP Academy and KIPP: Infinity, feel the success we have attained to this point in our schools is largely because of the close relationship between all those interested in our students' well-being, from students to families to school staff.  While we have nominally been unionized, the collective bargaining agreement has never been a prominent factor in deciding what is best for our students, our team, and our family.  Rather, we solve problems using communication among staff members and working collaboratively with administration to best serve the needs of our students and families.  We have found that this method of problem solving has fit our situations well, and we plan to continue following this model of open, positive communication among students, families, and staff in the future. 

KIPP schools are on the cutting edge of education all over the country, and these two schools have been among the best-performing schools in New York City. Given that one hundred percent of the teachers signed this petition, this could get very interesting. As I said the other day, we seem to be either on the cusp of or in the midst of a vast education transformation. The thing about such shifts, however, is that they rarely occur along the conventional avenues of power and activity.