Teacher grades. Should they be made public?
Teachers in LA protested publication of effectiveness ratings based on student performance.
Should parents know how well their children’s teachers score on effectiveness scales?
Using its federal Race to the Top grant, Georgia will start grading teachers in part on how much “value” they have added to a student’s learning, based on progress reflected in test scores.
“For teacher effectiveness measure, 50 percent will be based on the academic growth of students,” said Erin Hames, chief of staff at the Georgia Department of Education and the coordinator of the state’s Race to the Top efforts.
But while parents will be able get the average teacher effectiveness scores for a school, they will not be privy to individual job ratings, says Hames.
At a meeting with Atlanta Journal-Constitution education reporters and editors last week, Hames; Brad Bryant, state school superintendent; Martha Reichrath, deputy state superintendent for standards, instruction and assessment; and Bob Swiggum, DOE chief information officer, presented an update on the reforms that Georgia will fund with its $400 million Race to the Top grant.
Twelve applicants, including Georgia, won grants this year. A key criterion to winning was adoption of policies to measure the effectiveness of individual teachers and leaders. But it is also the most controversial aspect of Race to the Top, the $4.35 billion federal incentive program designed to spur innovation by awarding grants to the states with the most progressive and well-developed plans to improve k-12 education.
Teacher evaluations that hinge on student test scores are so controversial that they are often kept confidential. The Los Angeles Times sparked a national uproar this summer when it used the California Public Records Act to obtain elementary school test data and then analyzed how effective teachers were at improving their students’ performance on standardized tests in math and reading.
The Times created a searchable database that allows parents to obtain information on specific teachers, setting off teacher protests in the streets and a furious debate on the fairness of releasing teacher ratings.
In justifying its analysis, the Times said in a statement, “The Los Angeles Unified School District has had the underlying data in hand for years but has not used them to inform parents — or teachers themselves — about how instructors are doing. The Times made the decision to release the information because it bears on the performance of public employees who provide an important service, and in the belief that parents and the public have a right to judge it for themselves.”
Urging his 40,000 outraged union members to boycott the Times, A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said: “You’re leading people in a dangerous direction, making it seem like you can judge the quality of a teacher by … a test.”
A similar battle is under way in New York where the teachers union is challenging the decision by the New York public schools to release ratings for nearly 12,000 teachers based on student test scores.
New York uses a nuanced rating system that categorizes teachers “high,” “above average,” “average,” “below average” or “low” based on how their students fared on the state tests compared to other students with similar demographic characteristics.
The teachers union argues that the data is flawed and that the resulting negative labels and trumpeted news stories — “The 100 worst teachers in the Big Apple” — could haunt teachers forever.
In a Manhattan courtroom this month, United Federation of Teachers attorney Charles G. Moerdler told the judge: “The information has no critical basis other than to facilitate a libel. … Just because it’s a number, it doesn’t mean it’s suddenly objective.”
\But the attorney for media organizations who support a public airing of the data said New York’s open records law mandates release of the teacher information. In addition, the attorney said teachers work for the taxpayers of New York who deserve to know the quality of service they are getting for their money.
“People who are doing work at taxpayer expense recognize they have a diminished expectation of privacy with respect to their jobs” said attorney David Schulz in court.
Hames said that the DOE intends to use effectiveness data to help improve classroom instruction by identifying which teachers need help and in what areas.
Now, parents in Georgia receive little formal information about how teachers perform, relying on word of mouth to scope out the best teachers.
The Georgia DOE doesn’t intend to delve into the debate over whether parents deserve to see individual teacher data, says Hames, explaining that it will fall to the General Assembly to decide whether individual teacher ratings should be released to the public.
– By Maureen Downey for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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158 comments Add your comment
teacher&mom
December 20th, 2010
10:11 am
@Me….excellent summation of the entire process.
Happy Teacher
December 20th, 2010
10:12 am
@nat – How many poor students go on to lead great lives? Their lives are very often the punishment for poor performance in school. Low paying jobs, no advancement, little happiness…
veteran teacher
December 20th, 2010
10:13 am
@ Maureen @ Math Do you think test makers will design a test for an eighth grade student who reads on a primary grade level? How will a test measure growth for this student? By third grade students begin to have difficulty with math tests because they cannot read the questions and the teacher no longer reads the tests aloud. The students are on their own. If an eighth grader cannot read, how can you assess their understanding of the content? Teachers CAN do through creative teaching, projects, discussions, and observation. The most important thing we do is teach students to think and learn and this is not measured fairly with a test. Multiple choice tests are not fair for the teachers nor the children. It is just easy for overpaid administrative overhead to crunch these numbers in their offices because they do not find the classroom stimulating enough to go out and observe their teachers. The first assessment needed is to evaluate all adminstrators (all the way UP to the superintendents) on how many observations they do in classrooms and how many conversations they have with classroom teachers on what happens in the classrooms. They are too removed from the classroom due to all that report writing and data crunching at central office.
Seriously?
December 20th, 2010
10:16 am
As if teachers don’t have enough pressure on them already. Wow.
RBN
December 20th, 2010
10:19 am
Obviously basing anything on our CRCT scores would be counterproductive because they are such poor tests. My system uses MAP Testing and that does show promise, but currently studentss have no motivation to perform on the test battery and often rush through. Some burden must fall on students and parents in the dynamic if any measure is to be published to parents.
What if
December 20th, 2010
10:20 am
What we DO know from the research is (1) that VAM “scores” are egregiously inaccurate at the teacher level, (2) that the tests are only as good as the curriculum from which they were developed, and (3) minimum competency tests that are only built to determine PASS/FAIL, like Georgia has, severely underestimate VAM for average and high performing students, and hence underestimate teacher effect.
We don’t have a curriculum. All we have are “standards,” which have no scope and sequence, which makes it impossible to develop and scale tests to do VAM. Tests are EXTREMELY crude instruments for many reasons, and they MUST be built for specific purposes. Like cars. A jeep might be fabulous out in the boondocks, but suicidal on a NASCAR track. To use Georgia’s low-bid minimum competency tests for VAM would be suicidal for teachers – and Georgia education.
Rationaled
December 20th, 2010
10:25 am
BWHAHHAHAHAHAAHAH
HAHAHAAHAHA
…..sigh…
the band teacher believing in publishing this effectiveness data….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
ahhhh…that was awesome. I needed a laugh this morning.
Thank you
Ed Johnson
December 20th, 2010
10:25 am
Today’s Jewish World Review quotes Groucho Marx, and the quote pretty much answers the question, “Teacher Grades. Should they be made public?”
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble,
finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly,
and applying the wrong remedies.”
–Groucho Marx
HS Public Teacher
December 20th, 2010
10:31 am
I just don’t see how this can be done fairly and objectively AT ALL!
If you teach 6th grade, there is no CRCT. Does this mean that all 6th grade teachers will be considered “effective?”
If you teach high school chemistry, there is no EOCT. Does this mean that all high school chemistry teachers are “effective?”
If you teach art in any grade, there is no standardized test of any sort. Does this mean that all art teachers are “effective?”
Or, the alternative is to test every grade in K through 8, and then every subject in high school. Sure, that’ll work. Let’s explode the cost of standardized testing even more!
sloboffthestreet
December 20th, 2010
10:32 am
“A posting of my students willingness to learn? Perhaps if teachers had the skills to motivate instead of just being arrogant. Arrogance never taught anything. Lesson Planning your one subject should be mandatory. Pro boards being used as overhead projectors? Spending the time to present material in a form that is relevant to today would turn the student on instead of turning them off. The second teachers comment “Who will rate the parents?” Why all the Highly Qualified Gossipers, oh I meant Educators will silly. Yes it is always the parents fault. Teachers should not have to work. Every student should walk into class knowing what is to be taught. That appears to be what education has become. Put an “A” on the report card and if students are lucky they score an “F” 800 on the CRCT. Anyone see a problem here??? How about a real evaluation tool that teachers have to be held up to. The Framework for Teaching Charlotte Danielson. Lets give Charlotte Danielson a try and those who are true teachers will shine through and the rest who just have a CERTIFICATE can be shown the door in exchange for some true talent! Yeah or Nay? What say you???
Happily...I disagree with posting effectiveness data...
December 20th, 2010
10:33 am
Now that I’m over my laughing fit, thanks rational. Let me help you out sadly,
I’m going to give you a student who is tone deaf, can’t read (not music, not anything), doesn’t like music in any form, and you are expected to “fix” the kid or its your job on the line.
Now, fix them ONLY in the confines of the period you are assigned, because they can’t get to school early and won’t stay late. Make sure to assign practice time outside of class, and drive home with that child AND STAY THERE to ensure that they do it!
What? It’s easy? Well, then, here are 60 kids with the same problem, and you’ll get the same next year, and the next…
When you “fix” them, make sure to write that book and tell us all how to do it because we would all love to know how to walk on water and turn water into wine. Must be nice to stand on that pedestal of greatness next to all the “regular” people out there. Boy, if only I taught a subject that kids could take and/or quit on a whim.
The LoneWatchman
December 20th, 2010
10:36 am
Wake up,people. This is just more evidence that the Obama-Bill Gates Race To The Top fraud is just a continuation of the Bush-Bill Gates No Child Left Behind fraud. If the RTT “award” funds are being used for yet more “administrative” enhancements to benefit the school systems’ PR efforts rather than for instructional improvements designed to benefit the students, should we really expect better instruction and better educated graduating classes as a result of this?
HS Public Teacher
December 20th, 2010
10:38 am
I swear…. when will logic and reasoning return to education?
Everyone knows what teacher(s) are “bad” in any given school. It is not a secret. Heck, even THOSE teachers usually know that they are not good.
The problem here is not to identify the “bad” teacher(s) because it is already well-known. The problem is how to document it so that the administration can get rid of whomever they want. That is the sad truth.
Last year, our “teacher of the year” was likely one of the worst classroom teachers ever. However, he was selected by the administration because he was willing to teach an extra class during his plannnig period when no one else would.
The general public has no clue what really goes on INSIDE the workings of a school.
Middle Grades Math Teacher
December 20th, 2010
10:41 am
@ Happy Teacher — You just stated @ 10:12 that they reap the consequences for their bad choices. This system of assessment has the potential to PUSH the consequences of their bad choices on the TEACHER. Think about that….
APS Teacher
December 20th, 2010
10:43 am
@ sadly-
“i align instructional goals with testing material.”
Sadly, you teach to the test.
Explains a lot
December 20th, 2010
10:43 am
@sloboffthestreet the name says it all. Obviously you ae not in the classroom. I say to all those critical of teachers come join us, show us how it’s done. When you on the outside looking in its easy to make snap judgements and dispense advice. If you don’t like the way schools do things now become a teacher and be part of the solution.
@ sadly
December 20th, 2010
10:44 am
band. you teach band. an elective. kids who can read music are there. kids who enjoy your subject are there.
how about you spend a few of your planning periods sitting in a math, english, or science classroom or offer to help these teachers grade their essays.
Then, I’ll take your comment seriously.
northatlantateacher
December 20th, 2010
10:45 am
@Happy Teacher:
I’m still not seeing your comparison…if a student chooses not to perform/apply themselves/etc – and I don’t particularly like these terms, but I’m rushed…anyway…is that a teacher’s “fault”? Or are the consequences later in life for that enough for the student? And this is not always true. I know a high school dropout who is now a very successful business owner, and I know of another student I had a few years ago that was salutatorian who is now waiting tables. Turns out summa cum laude in Philosophy gets you nowhere. Success is not all about following the rules set forth by education.
There are some students who do not want to be reached. Who make it through school without ever really trying – because that’s what they want and their home environment supports. How will rating teachers change this?
I agree there are some poor teachers, but this does not seem like the most accurate way to delineate the good from the bad. I’m not sure there is a one size fits all approach to assessing students or teachers.
SSTeacher
December 20th, 2010
10:45 am
Hames speaks from both sides of her mouth – first saying:
“But while parents will be able get the average teacher effectiveness scores for a school, they will not be privy to individual job ratings,” says Hames.
Then saying –
“The Georgia DOE doesn’t intend to delve into the debate over whether parents deserve to see individual teacher data,” says Hames, explaining that it will fall to the General Assembly to decide whether individual teacher ratings should be released to the public.
In other words, “Yes, the individual teacher ratings will be available when the General Assembly says to do it, but the DOE will not be held accountable for that decision.”
Irony anyone?
To add to @VeteranTeacher – This entire school reform business is exactly that; a business.
Publishing/Testing companies are behind these changes. Gates, Broad, etc. want a piece of the educational dollars too, and have funded the “research” to convince the public that teachers are to blame.
The government win: By ridding schools of veteran teachers, state budgets find a stress release for their mismanagement of funds to their pet-projects (no pun intended on the Governor’s horse farm).
The business win: One (national) test instead of 50 state tests reduces costs and payroll, and reduces competition from other companies. By mandating tests for all students, there is an increase in profits.
The “philanthropist” win: When the tests move to computerized formats, I wonder what company will be asked to provided the software and computers to millions of students who will need to take these tests. You don’t think it would be the one who has convinced people he suddenly loves children, do you? Gates is not a philanthropist because he gives money away. He is investing in what he sees as the biggest return on his money – federal dollars from people who are not fiscally responsible regardless of which side of the isle they sit. He’ll be able to charge nearly any price based on the personal dollars he “donated” for “research.”
To think politicians and business people really care about what is in the best interest of children in our public schools is to be naive at best, and complicit at worst.
Explains a lot
December 20th, 2010
10:48 am
@sloboffthe street
“A posting of my students willingness to learn? Perhaps if teachers had the skills to motivate instead of just being arrogant. Arrogance never taught anything. Lesson Planning your one subject should be mandatory. Pro boards being used as overhead projectors? Spending the time to present material in a form that is relevant to today would turn the student on instead of turning them off.”
Care to share the skills to motivate, lesson planning is mandatory..duh! Please oh great expert share with us the presentation form that is relavant. It’s easy to dictate, but hard to do.
Dr. Craig Spinks /Augusta
December 20th, 2010
10:51 am
While more and more scrutiny is placed upon the effect of the teacher upon student learning, might I suggest that we place more scrutiny upon each student’s effect upon his/her own learning. How can we increase that effect? What are we doing to provide incentives for a student to learn? What incentives do we provide a student who earns a satisfactory score on a rigorous standardized test? Progress to the next course in a sequence? Passing to the next grade? Eligibility for extracurricular activities? Graduating from one school level to the next? So long as we do not hold each student accountable for his/her own learning, is it fair to hold his/her teacher accountable for it?
StantheMan
December 20th, 2010
10:51 am
So, if crime rates do not go down…they will publish Cop arrest details to see if they are effective in preventing crime…If fires are put out fast enough Fire dept. staff will lose jobs…Tax collectors will be evaluated for their effectiveness…That is a ridicilous argument…Every other position in the world people in their business judge the effectivness of their own. Good luck finding teachers who want to teach kids who dont want to be there anyways and then defended by parents who dont want to deal with them. Education is a social problem about the home of our kids…the education system is just a symptom. Thanks for letting me vent!!!
Mikey D
December 20th, 2010
11:02 am
Erin Hames has already been asked for her resignation from the new state superintendent. It’ll be a better day in Georgia when she is out the door.
teacher&mom
December 20th, 2010
11:09 am
“But the attorney for media organizations who support a public airing of the data said New York’s open records law mandates release of the teacher information. In addition, the attorney said teachers work for the taxpayers of New York who deserve to know the quality of service they are getting for their money.”
Of course this has absolutely NOTHING to do with the number of papers that will sell on the day the list is published.
It all about the students….right?
sloboffthestreet
December 20th, 2010
11:09 am
Explains a lot for some reason explains nothing. Oh great arrogant one I would love to explian. It is very easy to do once you extract your head and start breathing fresh air instead of methane. That would be a start. No one should have to dictate to a true professional. That title is given to a person who has obtained the knowledge and skills to perform at a very high level without anyone holding their hand. PROFESSIONAL!!!! If you and your fellows possesed these skills we wouldn’t be having this conversation. It should be obvious to you and yours that the job being done in education is falling short of any real expectation for success. As for joining you I would be happy to take a class of your lowest performing students for one year and work diligently to move them on to the next grade level. I notice your first day of what teachers call VACATION you are parked in front of your computer instead of working to improve your students experience. Seeing that my 2 sons have each read their leveled reading assignment for the day along with a math worksheet I think it’s time to go be Dad and head off to the Discovery Museum for the day. They would have much rather just gone out this morning but their teachers skills lack. I receive no joy in saying that or having to do your job for which you are well paid.
Rationaled
December 20th, 2010
11:23 am
I keep hearing non teachers talk about expectations for success and how we aren’t meeting those expectations…and I just have to wonder..what ARE your expectations for success for public schools?
I know what NCLB says (by 2014 all students will be prepared for and attending college)…but what do parents consider success for ALL students? Do you out there (such as slob…) believe that all children can obtain the same success in education, and that all children can (and will) go to college?
@slob – good luck taking that class of lowest performing and actually DOING your job…you see, we can’t spend our entire time “getting them on grade level” when we also have a completely arbitrary set of standards to teach…those of which that are used to already measure our effectiveness in some schools. So, I can scrap the standards and catch the kids up on their basic skills, or do a moderate amount of both (of which I do), or just teach the standards (of which many do)…or apparently we can all miracle our way out of this, as you propose so eloquently.
Thanks for telling me what I can or can’t do on my “vacation’ by the way! I’m glad you are doing my JOB for me today…I get to do yours every day for 180 days!
Have a nice Monday!
Really? Seriously?
December 20th, 2010
11:29 am
@sloboffthestreet ~ Maybe you should be doing something more productive with your life than sitting on a blog and criticizing others.
Cere
December 20th, 2010
11:30 am
Fair is fair. If we are going to rate teachers, then we need to allow teachers to evaluate the administration. Do teachers feel supported? Well-compensated? Effectively trained? Given the proper tools? How teachers perform will vary according to not only their training and skill, but to the level of support by the administration. It takes a very highly qualified teacher to be effective in an environment which effectively ties their hands and belittles them at every turn.
Me
December 20th, 2010
11:39 am
SSTeacher; We already do a ton of test prep on Microsoft products -
sloboffthestreet
December 20th, 2010
11:40 am
Rationaled, Lets start with teaching ABC’s, learning to write on primary paper, spelling and then of course addition, subtraction, memorizing multiplication tables and then learning to divide. Scrap developmental spelling and expanded form for math. Curriculum that is consistant and transfers from year to year. How about a reading program such as AR mandatory for every school. Perhaps you didn’t notice but NCLB was implemented for inner city schools and THE SOUTH. Ever wonder why??? As for telling you what to do on your vacation your still doing the same thing you do for your 180. Nothing. As for you doing my job for 180 again extremely ARROGANT. Please explain why I have to do your job daily after my children have attended your classrooms??? Oh, I thought it was 175 this year. And aren’t there 12.5 sick days and 5 personal days associated with you very demanding job??? I’m just asking!! Get over yourself!! P.S. Everyday is a nice day!!
Just a Thought
December 20th, 2010
11:45 am
@Maureen. You said new tests will be developed for common core standards but there are only standards for math and ELA. What about the rest of the content areas?
I could have read it wrong or maybe I missed something, but the DOE website didn’t mention the common core standards or new tests. Is there more information on this somewhere?
Thanks!
Really? Seriously?
December 20th, 2010
11:58 am
@sloboffthestreet ~ I thought you were on your way to the museum? How are you doing your job ~ being a parent ~ when you are on a blog attacking people you don’t even know. Just sayin’ . . .
TopPublicSchool
December 20th, 2010
12:22 pm
@ Happy Teacher… I don’t mean to be rude…but you must take a look at the total picture…
I was a superior tenured teacher prior to filing a grievance with Atlanta Public Schools. I taught at Warren T. Jackson for 13 years.
Do the research at the site:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSchoolAtlanta
You only know… what you know… from what you’ve experienced…
So evaluate this…open your eyes…I know the information is a bit much…but I experienced it. It is vile if you know too much.
The same rules for teachers do not apply to the administrators when Reporting to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
I tested it…It does not work.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS CODE OF ETHICS…
(d) Standard 4: Honesty – An educator shall exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to, falsifying, misrepresenting or omitting:
505-6-.02 Page 3
1. professional qualifications, criminal history, college or staff development credit and/or degrees, academic award, and employment history;
2. information submitted to federal, state, local school districts and other governmental agencies;
3. information regarding the evaluation of students and/or personnel;
4. reasons for absences or leaves;
5. information submitted in the course of an official inquiry/investigation; and
6. information submitted in the course of professional practice.
TopPublicSchool
December 20th, 2010
12:27 pm
READ IT…The entire case…They applied the law…
I was not fired. I was not terminated…What was the problem?
The judges failed to look at the total picture…
2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 11987,*;225 Fed. Appx. 840
http://www.lexisone.com/lx1/caselaw/freecaselaw?action=OCLGetCaseDetail&format=FULL&sourceID=gdjf&searchTerm=eOUd.jLWa.aadi.YbOZ&searchFlag=y&l1loc=FCLOW
JOHN SAM, JR., ALL ABOUT LEARNING AFTER SCHOOL, INC., Plaintiffs-Appellants, versus LORRAINE B. REICH, BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA, ATLANTA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL SYSTEM, Defendants-Appellees.
No. 06-11580
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
225 Fed. Appx. 840; 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 11987
May 22, 2007, Decided
May 22, 2007, Filed
NOTICE:
[*1] PLEASE REFER TO FEDERAL RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE RULE 32.1 GOVERNING THE CITATION TO UNPUBLISHED OPINIONS.
PRIOR HISTORY:
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. D.C. Docket No. 03-03178-CV-JOF-1.
Sam v. Reich, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8238 (N.D. Ga., Feb. 9, 2006)
DISPOSITION:
AFFIRMED.
COUNSEL: For John Sam, Jr., Appellant: Holly Page Cole, Stack & Associates, P.C., ATLANTA, GA.
All About Learning After School, Inc., Appellant: Holly Page Cole, Kimberly Ann Sturm, Stack & Associates, P.C., ATLANTA, GA; Martin Arthur Shelton, Schulten, Ward & Turner, ATLANTA, GA; Richard E. Condit, PEER, WASHINGTON, DC.
For Lorraine B. Reich, Atlanta Independent School System, Appellees: Dorsey E. Hopson, II, Greenberg Trauig LLP, ATLANTA, GA.
JUDGES: Before PRYOR, KRAVITCH and ALARCON, * Circuit Judges.
*
Honorable Arthur L. Alarcon, United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, sitting by designation.
OPINION
PER CURIAM:
After careful consideration of the record and the written and oral arguments of the parties, we conclude that the district court properly dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims of First Amendment and Due Process violations and properly granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants as to the plaintiffs’ claims [*2] of breach of contract and tortious interference with contract. We affirm.
AFFIRMED.
TopPublicSchool
December 20th, 2010
12:34 pm
Google:
Warren T. Jackson Elementary School…
The TOP APS PUBLIC feeder school for Atlanta’s TOP PRIVATE SCHOOLS
iF THIS IS THE TOP…of APS…What would you expect from the BOTTOM?
TopPublicSchool
December 20th, 2010
12:36 pm
APPLY the Rules of Ethics to this Administrator…Tell me what you think…
TopPublicSchool
December 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
Educators and Parents should be out-raged…But this is business as usual in the POLITICS OF GEORGIA’S EDUCATION…
TopPublicSchool
December 20th, 2010
12:38 pm
oVeR AND oUt FOR THE DAY…
I am not getting a paycheck for this.
Rationaled
December 20th, 2010
12:42 pm
@ slob – be careful, your ignorance is showing.
190 day contracts (HA, contract…anyway) include 10 days of professional learning/inservice time – furloughs, in most districts, were taken out of the 10 professional learning days…your kids go to school 180 days, unless your district furloughed instructional days. If that’s the case, blame the school board, not the teachers…
Seeing as how you were generalizing in your statements about teachers, I thought it necessary, in return, to generalize about your lack of parenting skills. After all, teaching nowadays is not just reading, writing, arithmetic…as much as you scream it, no, its not. We have to do more than that…which includes teaching your children how to behave in civilized society. ..speaking of which, how’s the museum trip going? It’s nice that you can afford to take your kids there, seeing as how the funding for such trips in my school district has been cut now for more than 6 years…but hey, thanks for doing your job…on your time.
I’m sorry that you feel you have to do a teacher’s job AGAIN when your kids get home. Some kids don’t absorb the material in the 45-55 minutes we have with them on a daily basis. Thanks for taking the time to go over the material again with them. Must be a pretty devoted parent. Now, only if you could channel all that negativity into something more positive…like perhaps taking your exceptional teaching skills into the public schools and actually showing us how its done…
You've got to be kidding!
December 20th, 2010
1:11 pm
What’s best for kids?
December 20th, 2010
10:09 am
“@sadly, i do believe in publishing teacher effectiveness scores
Are you kidding me???? You teach BAND! An ELECTIVE!!!! Kids want to be in your class.”
You have got to be kidding! Administrators can put up to 100 kids in a band/orchestra class at the same time. Many of those students think they want to learn to play, but find out it takes hard work, discipline, and committment. In some systems, 100 students per class is seen as a plus because the principal can then use his FTE to hire more math teachers and coaches. It is not a walk in the park. If general classroom teachers were half as devoted to their class as the band orchestra teachers…
Bill Ferriter
December 20th, 2010
1:19 pm
Funny to see this coming out of Georgia, considering the widespread cheating scandal in the Atlanta Public Schools that is grabbing headlines.
Do policymakers and parents not realize that attaching incredibly high stakes—like public humiliation—-to end of grade exams will only incentivize: 1) low level teaching focused on nothing other than the kinds of simple content that can be easily tested on multiple choice exams and 2) teachers and school leaders who feel like cheating is the only way to get by?
Hello, people. This is the exact same approach that Rod Paige took to produce the now-disgraced “Houston Miracle” that led to the current accountability wave that is drowning our teachers, students and schools.
I guess history really does repeat itself.
Bill Ferriter
veteran teacher
December 20th, 2010
1:22 pm
@SS teacher I agree school reform is big business. Education also has too many politicians hands in choking the children.
@maureen – Check your spam
@ slob off the street You are the kind of parent for which we have use the acronym PIAHMP. Ask your child’s teacher what it means because he/she has already labeled you.
Tony
December 20th, 2010
1:26 pm
First, there is NO SUCH THING as a teacher effectiveness score. There are several attempts to quantify teacher effectiveness and all of them are rooted in the fallacy that test scores are solid, objective data.
There are so many attempts to quantify things that are not quantifiable. This silliness persists because media people are pushing for something they know will sell papers. After all, everyone wants to get the dirt on the teachers at the local schools.
Here’s why test scores won’t work. First, the state assessments are given once a year. The students have one shot at the test and that’s it. Second, many teachers work with students who have moved frequently during a school year. This certainly does not add any value to the teacher’s effectiveness rating. Third, the tests we are using are not designed to show “student growth.” The tests we use are curriculum based assessments that give an estimate of what a student has learned during a given year. While some are touting the use of these scores along with some fancy statistics, the bottom line is that each year the tests are different and cannot possibly be used to infer a teacher’s added value.
During the last five years, we have seen many attempts to push our good teachers right out the doors of our classrooms. It’s time we get realistic about all these ratings and get back to the reality that teaching is much more complex.
Finally, a couple of years ago I read a research report that gave a clear idea of what parents want from teachers: happy children. Yes. That’s it. Parents (especially middle class) want their children to be happy at school. Learning was not the primary indicator of parent satisfaction! Parents in poverty do want teachers who emphasize learning rather than happiness.
So media people – get over it! Teacher ratings are not and should not be public information.
Rationaled
December 20th, 2010
1:40 pm
….admin can put up to 100 kids in there…but the parents can quickly ask for their child to be removed as it is an ELECTIVE class. No one is saying its easy, but as soon as you create a standardized TEST that ALL students have to take related to BAND, then we’ll talk. You talk as if you have to teach the entire population of students…as math/science/english/socialstudies do…you don’t. You get a SELECT minority of the kids who, for whatever reason, have CHOSEN to take this ELECTIVE.
As far as numbers, for math, you can’t put 100 kids in a class…sorry. 30+ now, unless the request is “unreasonable” the state is ok’ing any waiver application to get out of max class size limits.
BUT, I will say this…give me 100 kids who WANT to learn math and we’ll talk. 100 kids who would want to stay after and practice math problems or get to school early and work on their times tables, sure! I’ll take em…and make sure that you also give them the ability to dropout of that math class when they think its too hard and let them take PE instead…or technology…or chorus. All wonderful classes, I took them all in school and love the teachers that teach those subjects in my district…BUT…it’s not the same as teaching an academic content area. Come back and talk to me when you have make or break tests for all kids…not just those that elected to take your class.
HS Math Teacher
December 20th, 2010
1:49 pm
Bring it on! I’m not worried about these tests, or what they appear to point out. If they’re done right, it will indicate that I’ve worked my butt off, which I’ve always done. Parents can come to my room any time they want and watch me teach….announced, or unannounced. If they’re public servants as well, they should welcome the same scrutiny.
It should be interesting to see how much of an increase these socially promoted kids from middle school experience once they’re in high school.
All these ideas and proposals on testing that try to hold “teachers” accountable are just efforts in futility to some degree….just nibbling at the margins of the real problem. I have to believe that most teachers teach at 80 to 95% full-throttle, if they’re worth their salt. Instead of looking at merit-based pay on such testing, they should look at merit-based promotion for kids. Make the same rules apply from 1st grade on.
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December 20th, 2010
1:56 pm
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Way to Solve the Problem
December 20th, 2010
2:09 pm
Tell your students to “Christmas Tree” the exam at the beginning of the year when they take the 1st multiple choice exam– since it won’t count as it’s the beginning of the “value-added” system. Then, have students study for their final in April/May (or December if it’s Economics in the fall) since the EOCTs will count 25% towards their final grades in the course. Problem Solved.
Oh, wait?!? Did I, as a teacher, just attempt to “cheat” the system? Maybe.. Bet I won’t be the only one..
Cobb Teacher
December 20th, 2010
2:33 pm
Slob Off the Street: I hate to be rude here, but I must point out that your critical rant of educators is filled with writing errors. If you want to be critical of public education, great. It’s a sick system in need of much repair. However, do so in a way that makes it look like you have an education. Anything else discredits you.
teacher&mom
December 20th, 2010
4:13 pm
@Bill Ferriter….glad to see your comments. I enjoy reading your blog on the Teacher Leaders Network (http://www.teacherleaders.org/home).
Dr. Craig Spinks /Augusta
December 20th, 2010
4:31 pm
HS Math Teacher:
How ’bout merit-based bonuses for teachers and merit-based promotion for students?
By the way, are you required to complete a grade-analysis each marking period? Do teachers who “give” under-performing students failing grades still find themselves subject to administrator recrimination?
And, KUDOS to you for your OPEN DOOR POLICY!