Other performance measures should also be employed, for both the charter school and school district schools. But it remains essential that students are measured by the same instruments. Charter school employees should be covered by the collective bargaining agreement. An important component of teacher professionalism and representation is the collective bargaining process. Unions throughout the country are engaged in education reform efforts that have redefined the traditional contracts and have created opportunities for waivers from specific provisions of the contract that do not meet the needs of individual schools and programs.
Collective bargaining assures the rights of teachers.
Charter schools should be required to hire certified teachers. Teacher professionalization is not enhanced by charter school laws that encourage the hiring of uncertified people to teach. Although certification, in itself, does not guarantee that an individual will be a good teacher, it does ensure that a minimum level of competency has been demonstrated. States have found a variety of ways to provide alternative routes to certification that can be applied to charter schools. At a minimum, charter school laws should require that teachers employed in charter schools either already have certification or be in the process of obtaining alternative certification.