Statewide Teacher Evaluations Should Not Be Further Delayed
On Tuesday, New York state released teacher evaluation data showing that 92 percent of all teachers statewide (exempting New York City) were rated as "highly effective" or "effective." Only one percent of teachers were rated as "ineffective."
Upon releasing the data, State Education Commissioner John King said that the results showed that teachers had no reason to fear the new teacher evaluations. The goal of the evaluations, he said, was to support teacher development and strive for continued improvement.
StudentsFirstNY's Executive Director Jenny Sedlis was more critical of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) union and their demand to delay implementation of teacher evaluations. In Capital New York, Sedlis questioned the union's position:
StudentsFirstNY, a pro-Common Core advocacy group, called the evaluation system a "powerful tool" and said aligning it to the Common Core exams was "the right decision." But the group pointed to the achievement gap between minorities and white students as evidence that further reform is necessary.
"NYSUT's call to slow down on accountability should be met with profound skepticism," Jenny Sedlis, the group's executive director, said in a statement.
