It’s no surprise Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon is feeling powerful as he enters contract negotiations with district representatives.. Superintendent Roger Leon is back on his heels after news that he won’t be able to deny public access to taxpayer costs for his real estate ambitions, student achievement is in the cellar, and the school board is contemplating (wisely!) getting its own attorney. Hence, in an interview with TAPinto, Abeigon says during negotiations he will demand that Newark teachers get paid “well above” the highest starting salaries in the nation. Also he plans to negotiate for teachers to control curricula, working conditions, class sizes. and who gets hired.

What is Abeigon’s rationale for this model? He says teachers should be treated like doctors:

“Physicians make all the decisions,” he said. “Cardiologists choose among themselves who’s going to be the lead cardiologist. The neurosurgeons pick amongst themselves their lead doctor. And then amongst all of them, they decide who the top leaders are — the president of the Board of Trustees and the CEO.”

Abeigon came to this realization, he says, after the pandemic proved that “teachers are responsible for everything but in charge of nothing. We don’t choose class size. We don’t choose the curriculum. We don’t choose its implementation. We don’t choose our colleagues…We bear no responsibility for the failures of urban education in this country.”

How bad is it at NPS?

“If you’ve got the principal chasing meatballs, and you’ve got the literacy coach,” says Abeigon, “who is supposed to be coaching literacy, and the math coach, who is supposed to be coaching math, covering the gym, how are you supposed to expect success?” 

So true! But does Abeigon really want the members of Newark Teachers Union to be treated like physicians? I’ll bite, especially since I’m in complete agreement that effective teachers should be paid far more than they currently earn, especially if they work in high-needs school districts. So what would Newark Public Schools look like if, as Abeigon intends, teachers are treated like doctors?

• We’ll pay teachers in hard-to-fill fields like STEM and special education twice as much as elementary school teachers. After all, cardiologists make twice as much as pediatricians.

• We’ll eliminate tenure. (Doctors don’t have tenure unless they’re professors in a medical school.) 

• Newark will secede from New Jersey in order to have autonomy over learning standards that, for the rest of the state, are set by the State Board of Education.

• Parent who are unhappy with their child’s classroom instruction can choose a new school, just like you can find a new medical practice if you don’t like the one you have.

• Teachers can come into their classroom thirty minutes late and stay for five minutes.

Snark aside, I salute Abeigon’s wish-list. There’s nothing wrong with aspirational goals and, certainly, teachers deserve far more respect, money too. But can I get a photo of the principal chasing a meatball?