Evaluating Teachers: Let the Riots Begin

Maryland Superintendent Nancy Grasmick came up with an ingenious new plan this week that would force schools to link teacher evaluations to student achievement. For some reason, she thinks that teachers ought to be judged by how well their students perform. More specifically, she thinks that at least 50 percent of a teacher's evaluation ought to be based on their students' achievement. (The definition of “achievement” it yet to be determined, but one can assume it will mean students’ performance on standardized tests.) Where on Earth would she ever get such an idea? Why should teachers be judged on how well their students perform? Shouldn’t they just have job security because they have served their time in the system, sat through hours of professional development and staff meetings over the years, dealt with parent upon parent, and written hundreds of lesson plans? Why do they need to actually be good at what they do? Isn’t it good enough that just show up at work everyday?

Well, thankfully the whole Race To The Top movement and national push to get better test scores and see real student achievement is getting to Grasmick. And she, along with several other schools administrators around the country, are making real strides to get qualified, successful educators into classrooms and try to combat the issues plaguing countless schools around the country.

And the unrest in teachers’ lounges and at union meetings throughout Maryland can now begin (that’s to say there were at one time peaceful and calm environments). One teacher (who put in her 34 years) wrote into the Sun.story saying that it’s not realistic to tie student success to teachers because teachers cannot be expected to produce growth in troubled children. I can imagine that in the near future, several more teachers and union leaders will speak out against the proposal in similar ways. And many will attempt to chip away at Grasmick’s plan and create negotiations so as to prevent strikes and keep everyone calm.

It seems so counterintuitive to me that so many teachers and teacher unions are steadfastly opposed to the idea of linking teacher evaluations to student success. I would think that all teachers would want to be in the company of successful teacher and would want to reassured that all of their co-workers are there for a common purpose: creating better students. It is understandable for people to get frustrated over the fact that their job is linked almost solely on a single test, but if students aren’t learning (meaning teachers aren’t accomplishing their main duty while at work) then teachers should be let go. Why is this so hard for teachers to accept?

If Maryland really wants to see real change and produce real growth in its students, then, yes, it’s probably going to mean letting teachers who have been around for 34 years clean out their classrooms and let someone else try. And, unfortunately, it’s also probably going to mean enduring several riots from teachers in the process.

Finally More Money in the Budget 4.27 Post

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bs-ci-school-budget-20100414,0,7361987.story


This seems to finally be what looks like good news, in term of the much talked about Baltimore City Public School Systems budget. The Baltimore City school board voted recently to adopt a $1.23 billion budget for the next academic year that will increase the amount of funding for students and continue shifting control over spending from the central office to principals. In its adoption of the 2011 budget, proposed by schools CEO Andres Alonso, the system will spend about $200 more per student next year. However, that extra money will come from a decrease in the amount of additional funds the district provides in extra educational services for students who have disabilities, fall behind in achievement, are advanced or are at risk for dropping out. For example, students with disabilities this year received an additional $1,282 per student; next year, those students will receive an additional $641. The board will also eliminate 15 vacant positions in the school system's central office and put the $637,000 saved back into the pot for city principals to use. Wow! The per student funding will increase; does this mean that achievement will increase for the students? Money in the hands of principals, will this be misappropriated like it was at the central office or are principals now budget specialist as well as educators? This makes me question if the principals are qualified to control their budgets, do they get any training or are they just going from their gut? The increased money sounds great in the news, I guess only time will tell if the students benefit from the increased spending.