Evaluation Based Pay with a TWIST!

In Iowa a bill is being proposed which would require teacher evaluations to include student performance. The value added measures the bill proposes take into account a student’s background and demographics when determining whether that child is making expected annual growth. This in effect doesn’t penalize a teacher for students who come in to their class already grade levels behind, which is the criticism of some other systems. Student performance information would be used as a “validating factor” when rating teacher effectiveness. A teacher who is exceptional during their observations should also have matching student achievement data. This however does call for a little faith in the observation tool and the observer.  According to this system when the observation data and student achievement data don’t match, administrators are called to evaluate the teacher’s practices. The main goal of this proposal is to identify and remove ineffective teachers from the system.

There are several challenges that I can already see with this system knowing our administrators in Baltimore. One, I have a feeling that if such a system were to be put into place in Baltimore there would be a lot of discrepancies between the observation data and the student achievement data.  Leaving administrators with a lot of paper work when re-evaluations of teacher practices have to be done. Also administrators aren’t the most objective people in the district and so teacher rankings end up being subjective measures based on how well a teacher is able to kiss that place where the sun don’t shine. This was evident with a similar value added measures implemented in New York, teachers were ranked as "high-quality educators one year only to be rated as poor the following year.” This doesn’t make much sense! I don't believe we should all jump into this band wagon. Our problem is we are all looking for that silver bullet so when a new system come out we all load up our guns thinking 'there we have it our cure to the education mess.' Well none exists! Problems in education require us to create a dynamic solutions for our dynamic classrooms. If you have ever stepped foot into an educational institution you will come to see every single classroom is unique, every school is unique, and so every school district is unique. Other challenges for the value added system include how to account for transfer students, team-taught classes or non-tested subjects like art or music.

Now back to the point on main purpose of the value added system. It seems very noble; teachers who are less than high qualified won't teach any of our children. There problem solved, remove bad teachers and our students will learn. This could be feasible goal… in high performing, high resource schools districts, which can recruit and retain highly effective teachers. However, in a school district like Baltimore city where teacher turn over rate is about 3 to 4 years it will be hard to keep highly qualified teachers in the system. And what happens after a round of evaluations and a district finds out that it needs to replace a significant number of their teachers. What does a district do especially when people aren’t lining up at the hiring fair to apply for a teaching position? 

I see many things wrong with the proposed system or maybe I am just too critical! Find out more below.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120311/NEWS/303110027/-1/groupblogs/Education-reform-plan-places-focus-quality-teachers