Task Force: Mass. Teacher Evaluation System In Need Of Reform

By Monica Brady-Myerov (@bradymyerov)
Mar 22, 2011, 10:45 AM
4 Comments

BOSTON — A state education task force told the Massachusetts Board of Education Tuesday that the current teacher evaluation system does not serve students well.

According to the task force (PDF), a new evaluation process should measure teachers based on student learning and classroom observations, as well as other evidence such as how teachers contribute to the school community.

If the Board of Education agrees to factor student learning into teacher’s evaluations, Education Secretary Paul Reveille feels that would be a groundbreaking change.

“We are going to introduce the notion that student performance is relevant to a teacher’s performance and should be considered and for the first time we are going to establish that as a policy of the commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Reveille said. “I think that’s a huge step forward.”

The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union, has agreed that teacher evaluations should include some measure of student learning.

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Msmreed

The purpose of seniority is to ensure that experienced staff receive DUE PROCESS, not to allow teachers who are not doing an effective job to continue because they have been in the system longer. If administration is doing THEIR job, ineffective teachers are non-renewed early on, and teachers with seniority whose performance diminishes are remediated or terminated. Any teacher can be dismissed for not doing his or her job if the persons responsible for evaluating that teacher are correctly following the process.
Jmaddy

It seems that the task force have not factored in the different ordeals and other issues that children experience on a day to day basis that interfere with children’s learning (such as homelessness, abuse-physical and/or sexual, drug and alcohol abuse in parents learning disabilities, emotional, behavioral, immaturity etc). This evaluation is bias, it gives the principals more anatomy, which diminishes teachers’ rights. A principal can easily fire a teacher without any legitimate grounds, just because and the teacher can not even appeal that evaluation. Also, the task force have not considered the disparities that exist among communities and availability of resources and lack thereof. As a result of the budget cuts, teachers have been digging more into their pockets and relying on the kindness of parents and donors to help contribute the necessities for the classrooms (pencils, paper, chalk etc) to help alleviate the financial strain on teachers. How effective can a teacher be when they do not have the necessary materials and support they need to provide quality education to the students?

http://profile.yahoo.com/T6T42O6HGMQFZBQ3RGVL4RVWY4 xiaohui

yes
http://profile.yahoo.com/T6T42O6HGMQFZBQ3RGVL4RVWY4 xiaohui

can you help me? i want to have some material about kindergarder teacher evaluation?