Principals back teachers, appeal to NYS

Published: December 15, 2011 7:57 PM
By JO NAPOLITANO  jo.napolitano@newsday.com

Photo credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara | A file photo of a school bus on Long Island. (May 3, 2011)

More than 1,000 school principals from across New York -- including 507 from Long Island -- have signed a letter calling on the state to reconsider its controversial new teacher evaluation system.

The plan was crucial to New York's winning $700 million in federal Race to the Top money, but it has been unpopular from the start. The state's teachers union is fighting in court to block the regulations.

The letter signers take issue with how the state plans to tie student data to teacher effectiveness. The unprecedented grassroots effort has gained the support of some 76 percent of Long Islandprincipals and roughly 23 percent statewide.

Sean Feeney, principal of The Wheatley School in Old Westbury, and Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, co-wrote the missive.

Feeney said Thursday he's glad to see the issue gain traction as states across the country -- contemplating or enacting similar teacher evaluation plans -- are watching New York's battle unfold. He said he'll spend the next several weeks reaching out to those who have not yet signed.

Feeney and Burris met with several state officials Wednesday -- including New York State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. -- in Albany to talk about the plan. The meeting was organized and hosted by state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) and lasted nearly three hours.

Feeney called the gathering productive, despite his fundamental disagreements with King about the way the evaluations should be conducted. Feeney supports the use of student data in determining teacher effectiveness but believes the method the state has enacted is untested and unfair.

"We appreciate that Sen. Flanagan is taking the issue so seriously," he said. "There is plenty left to do. We want people to understand this issue."

A spokesman for King said the meeting was informational and that King spoke at length about the policy before taking questions.

Flanagan could not be reached for comment.

The letter was signed by 238 principals in Nassau County and 269 in Suffolk County. It has the signatures of 1,042 principals statewide. Thousands of teachers and parents have also signed on, boosting total signatures to 4,800.