Since then, administrators have accepted the idea of peer review. But that approach ignored the fact that some Cincinnati teachers had serious problems, he said. Those teachers received no help from either the union or the district. In addition, the CFT had railed against bureaucracy, but it needed to show it was serious about teacher quality in exchange. Proponents of peer-review programs argue that they save money by reducing the number of arbitrations and court cases surrounding dismissals.
Unions still offer their members help if they contest peer-review decisions.
In fact, experts say, unions must simply show that they use fair and consistent procedures in evaluating members' grievances. In 12 years, Cincinnati has had only three cases of teachers contesting their dismissals, Mr. Mooney said. With the exception of Toledo's program, peer review is not seen as a substitute for periodic teacher evaluations by principals. The Toledo Federation of Teachers earlier this year fought a proposal by the district administration to institute regular evaluations of tenured teachers. Instead, principals can refer teachers for a performance review and assistance if they feel it's necessary, subject to the approval of the board of review that governs the program.