Mayor Thomas M. Menino, just three months after the end of long and contentious teacher contract negotiations, said Thursday that he is seeking to change state law so school systems can accelerate efforts to overhaul low-achieving schools with fewer roadblocks from teachers unions.
One of Menino's farthest-reaching proposals would build upon the turnaround successes taking place at many state-designated underperforming schools in Boston and other cities. Superintendents in those cities gained the ability to bypass teacher contract rules under a nearly three-year-old state law so they can more quickly replace teachers, extend the school day, and make other changes.
Under Menino's proposals, superintendents would have the same kind of powers to undertake similar changes at other schools on the cusp of being declared underperforming by the state, a move that could affect dozens of schools in Boston, not just the current 12.
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Another proposal would abolish a state-imposed cap on the number of charter schools that districts can operate. These schools operate under fewer union contract rules.
"We have great schools in our city, and we need to make all the schools the same quality," Menino said in a telephone interview minutes before he attended a physical therapy session at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
He pointed out that the city tried negotiating some parts of his proposals with the union but failed.
The plans drew harsh criticism from Richard Stutman, president of the Boston Teachers Union.
"It's regrettable that the mayor would seek to circumvent the collective bargaining process after both sides celebrated the beginning of a new contract that both sides were happy with," Stutman said. "It is further regrettable that the mayor doesn't appear to have the same confidence in the school system to continue on its current path as most of us do who work in the schools."
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The proposals are part of the mayor's annual package of state legislation that lawmakers file on his behalf. This year, the package focuses on education. Other proposals would allow for single-gender schools and usher in changes at independently run charter schools, such as restricting busing to within a certain geographic region.
Menino and Superintendent Carol R. Johnson have been facing pressure to bolster the quality of schools over the last few months from many parents and activists, who worry that plans to overhaul the way students are assigned to schools would leave families with fewer choices on school quality.
"I think it's good [Menino] is making an attempt to move toward more quality schools, but I'm not sure those are the measures that will ensure high quality across neighborhoods," said Megan Wolf, a Jamaica Plain mother and a member of QUEST, a grass-roots group pushing for more good-quality schools.
Wolf also wondered how the measures could be paid for as Governor Deval Patrick contemplates emergency cuts to balance the state's budget.
The mayor's push to extend a superintendent's flexibility in overhauling low-achieving schools that have not yet been designated underperforming by the state is expected to gain considerable traction in the Legislature. The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents is working on a similar bill, which should be filed in the coming weeks.
"If these schools are not making rapid progress, we shouldn't wait until the worst-case scenario," said Tom Scott, the association's executive director.
Representative Martha Walz, a Boston Democrat, has been putting together her own bill on the same issue and is working on some of Menino's proposals. "These schools are on the brink of becoming underperforming," Walz said. "It makes sense to intervene earlier."
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Menino's plan would not completely eliminate union negotiations on changes under the three-year-old law he wants to expand to more schools. But that law limits talks to just a few months, and any stalemate could ultimately be decided by the state education commissioner.
The interventions are not a rock-solid recipe for success. While Boston has boosted test scores at many underperforming schools, efforts have faltered at a few others, most notably English High School in Jamaica Plain.
A federal grant program that has been sending millions of dollars to underperforming schools nationwide to pay for extended days is also expiring, raising questions about how overhaul efforts can be sustained and expanded.
But Johnson said the stakes are too high not to find a way to intervene. The changes, she said, could benefit about 24,000 more Boston students.
"We are hoping this legislative agenda will move us forward in addressing quality," Johnson said.
James Vaznis can be reached at jvaznis@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globevaznis.