The Education Partnership, a business-led coalition based in Providence, Rhode Island, has just released a report linking the lack of true school reform to the rigidness of the state's "factory model" collective bargaining agreements for teachers.

The report cites many perceived abuses contained in the state's teacher contracts, such as the provision stating that "unused sick days shall accumulate without limit." This single provision poses a huge financial liability for both school districts and the state at the time of a teacher?s retirement, because districts must reimbruse teachers for thirty years of accumulated sick leave and the sick leave income becomes part of the state calculation for a teacher's severance pay, treating the sick days as if they were part of the teacher's last reported annual salary.

The report also offers some useful suggestions and priorities for reforming the current system, many of which have been seen elsewhere (single state evaluation instrument, more flexibility in pay, dumping seniority). However, the union doesn't appear to be too receptive right off the bat. Robert Walsh, executive director of the NEA, commented, "We're at war with these folks now."