Commissioner Offers More Details on APPR Agreement

This afternoon, following the governor’s APPR announcement, Commissioner King conducted a press conference. The following information was shared:

– The APPR timelines for the required implementation of §3012-c APPR provisions, upon the establishment of the successor collective bargaining agreement, remains in place. However, in order to receive the 4% increase in state aid each district must submit its negotiated APPR provisions for teachers and principals and have it approved by the January 2013 due date. If the APPR plan is not approved upon initial submission, it will have to be revised, resubmitted, and approved in time in order to receive the additional state aid. Commissioner King indicated that the department has a plan in place to ensure timely review.

– SED maintains that the new APPR system is better in three ways:

  • It is less ambiguous, and clearly depicts the items that must be collectively bargained,  
  • It includes a provision authorizing SED to monitor the negotiated APPR agreements for compliance and for rigor, and  
  • It includes the governor’s “shot clock” provision making the 4% state aid increase contingent upon APPR implementation by January 2013 (and accelerating negotiations in many districts).

– The new APPR system maintains the HEDI score band configuration so Ineffective ratings for sub-components 1 and 2 will automatically lead to an Ineffective overall rating, regardless of the sub-component 3 score. Also, the commissioner pointed out that the statute provides narrative definitions for HEDI. To the extent locally set APPR bands for each sub-component are not sufficiently rigorous, the APPR plan will not be approved.

– Districts continue to have the authority to remove untenured teachers without the need for a §3020-a hearing.

– For sub-component 2 (20% local achievement) there will be a “Curve Rating” looking at the HEDI bands for that particular sub-component, based on the negotiated instrument to be used. SED will make a determination whether the standard is sufficiently rigorous. If not, it will be disapproved.

– For the 10 SIG schools, the APPR plans will be reviewed for 2011-12 under existing requirements. For 2012-13 and thereafter, the APPR plan may need to be revised to conform to the new APPR requirements.