| Comment Number: | OL-10508076 |
| Received: | 3/14/2005 5:30:20 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
I have been a classroom teacher in the Dept. of Defense Dependents School System for over thirty years. During that time I have seen the performance of students rise to national acclaim in reading and writing. More than once "USA Today" reported these successes. These milestones were the fruits of educators working together in the pursuit of excellence. Educators do that well when collaborating in a culture of mutual professional respect. I am not persuaded that the proposed NSPS is good for education in DODEA. To use security concerns as an argument to replace collective bargaining rights with consultation rights is badly misconceived and is not good for schools. It's bad news for the community of educators and their clients - students. Strengthened mgt. rights required to meet essential mission requirements in a military setting makes sense. For educators it does not. Educational leadership does not derive its strength, vitality and momentum from supervisory personnel. It's from a community of educators. The Civil Service Reform Act introduced collective bargaining into DODEA. More than anything else it guaranteed meaningful collaboration between all levels of educators. Working conditions count in the education of kids. It would be a grave error of judgment to undermine a proven track record of educational success. Replacing educational leadership with one party of managers/supervisors will be the mechanism that will cause it to happen. There are no winners here. Don't fix a successful system. It's a working, achieving and dynamic community of educators. The newly proposed NSPS does not belong nor is welcomed in the profession of educating kids. It will do much harm.