The Akron Education Association summarizes how SB5 will affect teachers

From RH Jones, April 30, 2011

Here, at a glance, is how Senate Bill 5 will affect you, your job security, your family, and your effectiveness as a teacher:

• Salary schedules are gone. No requirement to increase pay based on experience; pay based on ranges; merit is the only basis for progression through pay ranges.

• Seniority will no longer be used to determine the order of layoffs.

• Annual sick leave accrual reduced from 15 to 10.

• Fringe benefits cannot be bargained. Employer will design health plan and determine how much premium it will pay, up to a maximum of 85%. Teachers will pay minimally 15% of the premium.

• No more continuing contracts or "tenure."

• Board decides leave policies.

• Contract cannot require that art, music and phys. ed. specialists teach those subjects.

• Contract cannot restrict Board to assign teachers to schools and classes.

• Contract cannot set class size maximums, such as North Central standards in secondary academic classes.

• Contract cannot restrict a principal's authority to assign workloads and responsibilities.

• No restriction on Board to suspend salary and benefit increases if district is in "fiscal watch."

• No restriction on Board to terminate, modify or renegotiate an agreement if in "fiscal emergency."

• Cannot strike; severe penalties for ignoring an injunction to return; can be fired.

• No restriction on board's right to sub-contract services.