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Educators, Policymakers debate new, more rigorous teacher evaluation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 11, 2011                              

Contact:
Jill Norton, Rennie Center, 617-877-6734
Celine Coggins, Teach Plus, 617-428-0700

EDUCATORS, POLICYMAKERS DEBATE NEW, MORE RIGOROUS TEACHER EVALUATION

Boston, MA – At a forum last evening hosted by the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy and Teach Plus, representatives of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, teachers, school leaders, business leaders, parents and students gathered to discuss changes to the way teachers are evaluated.

The forum was convened to provide educators and school and district leaders with an opportunity to learn more and provide feedback about Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester’s proposed regulations for a new system of evaluating educators statewide. The new regulations will be voted on by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at its June meeting.

The majority of those in attendance agreed that growth in student learning should be included as part of a teacher’s evaluation and that the current system of evaluating teachers is not: recognizing teachers’ professional accomplishments, supporting teachers’ professional growth or identifying and supporting struggling educators.

Mitchell Chester, Commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), provided an overview of the proposed regulations and told the crowd of teachers, district and school leaders that the new evaluation system must hold teachers accountable for the performance of their students.  The Commissioner explained, “The changes we are proposing are not just technical, they call for a cultural shift in the relationships of students, teachers and administrators. We must have a culture that embraces evidence and – first and foremost – keeps students at the center.”

Panelists Karla Brooks Baehr, Deputy Commissioner, MA DESE, Pamela Hunter, Principal, Southwick-Tolland Regional High, Linda Noonan, Executive Director, MA Business Alliance for Education, Paul Toner, President, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Shakera Walker, Teacher, Boston Public Schools, and Thomas Scott, Executive Director, MA Association of School Superintendents discussed the challenges of implementing a new system of assessment in schools and districts that are resource-strapped and where principals could be responsible for evaluating and supporting the improvement of dozens of teachers.  Panelists agreed that the work of improving teacher quality is of critical importance, but disagreed about the extent to which student outcomes should trump professional judgment. Shakera Walker, a kindergarten teacher in the Boston Public Schools, called this an “empowering moment” for teachers and explained that she embraces the use of student outcomes, “As a teacher, I must know how my students are doing.”

In closing, Commissioner Chester stated that the state’s role is to provide consistency in the quality of teachers across the state, “Currently, the places where teacher evaluations in the Commonwealth are done well are the exception, not the rule.”

About Teach Plus

Teach Plus works to improve outcomes for urban children by ensuring that a greater proportion of students have access to effective, experienced teachers. Teach Plus runs three programs designed to place teacher leaders at the center of reform: Teaching Policy Fellows, the T+ Network, and T3: Turnaround Teacher Teams. The programs focus on demonstrably effective teachers who want to continue classroom teaching while also expanding their impact as leaders in their schools and in national, state, and district policy. Since its inception as a non-profit in August 2009, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 2,500 reform-minded teachers in five major cities across the country. For more information, visit www.teachplus.org. 

About the Rennie Center

The Rennie Center’s mission is to develop a public agenda that informs and promotes significant improvement of public education in Massachusetts.  Our work is motivated by a vision of an education system that creates the opportunity to educate every child to be successful in life, citizenship, employment and life-long learning.  Applying nonpartisan, independent research, and civic engagement, the Center is creating a civil space to foster thoughtful public discourse to inform and shape effective policy.  For more information, visit www.renniecenter.org.

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