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AR Handbook – 97 7. Contract irregularities – These include: no competitive bidding among “price-fixing” contractors, provisions allowing for automatic adjustment or renegotiation of costs, and lack of performance bond requirement. (Even if a bond is required, the contractor must make up for this expense in its charge for services). 8. Less accountability and flexibility – Because the services performed by private firms are governed only by specific terms in the contract, the average citizen will have little or no impact in registering complaints or making suggestions on how to alter services. School districts will be unable to make a contractor respond to public needs, except through costly renegotiation. Steps to combat privatization threats I. Contact UniServ Office A. Privatization is a real threat. It must be taken seriously. B. NJEA staff and consultants have been trained to help and advise locals on how to combat privatization. II. Board Watch – Association should monitor Board meetings. A. Know your Board members. (Who will support us? – Who won’t?) B. Know your school budget. (What are the real facts?) III. Data gathering – Your local district statistical information A. Form a committee to gather local statistics on each work-role category. (UniServ office can help you with forms and data gathering methods.) B. Analyze specifications (specs) and compare local info against specifications to recognize cuts in services. C. See Employee Data Form. IV. Form steering committee to develop organizing plan against privatization. A. Internal – reach out to all members. B. External – reach out to residents and parents. V. Develop strong communications system. Communicate with each of your audiences: A. Audience 1 – members affected by privatization threat. B. Audience 2 – other members in district not immediately threatened. C. Audience 3 – parents, residents, merchants, and other concerned citizens. Privatization? Some questions to ask 1. What expertise does the private sector offer not now found in our schools? 2. What specific academic gains will be achieved as a result of privatizing? 3. How much specific, day to day control of the privatized operation will the district relinquish to the private sector? 4. What specific problem(s) will be solved by the private sector? 5. Has the Board tried to solve these specific problems? 6. What results came from these attempts at problem solution? 7. What other districts have used the private contractor and now no longer do? 8. What are the reasons for this? 9. What district goals have already been set that the private sector will help achieve? 10. What precisely do you want the private sector to do? 11. How will you know that you have achieved your goals? 12. What guarantee will the private sector give that its lower costs will result in high or higher levels of service? 13. Will you visit other public schools where the private contractors are doing business and ask tough questions? 14. What well defined private sector contractual agreements have been developed and are on hand in the district, that will guarantee the services you are looking for? 15. What district plans exist to monitor private sector services? 16. What district plans exist to evaluate private sector services? 17. Who will do these evaluations? 18. Will the private sector contract have built in accountability or penalties for failure to perform? 19. What is the private contractor’s employee turnover rate in similar public schools? 20. If service improvement is the goal, what has the district done to date to implement programs that manage, train, and equip current school employees more effectively and efficiently? School Communities “Right to Know.” Questions from “Private Options for Public Schools,” published by the National School Board Association


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