Here’s a look at some of the principals who gathered on Long Island this week to be photographed for a new ad protesting the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system.
All together, almost 100 principals from around the state showed up at South Side High School in Rockville Centre on Monday afternoon topose for the ad, which will be published in the Legislative Gazette and other publications next week.
The ad is the latest tactic in a grassroots movement that started on Long Island, when principals there objected to the way the state was moving ahead with a teacher evaluation system.
So far 1,400 principals from across the state have signed an online letter calling on the state to reassess the way it is going about evaluating teachers.
On Thursday, state officials announced that the governor and legislative leaders had agreed to turn a deal between the governor and the teachers’ unions establishing a framework for a new teacher evaluation system into law.
Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School and a founder of the protest group, said:
We are disappointed but not shocked. I am surprised that the legislature would want to approve a point band in legislation in which a teacher could be rated effective in both student achievement categories, receive 46 out of 60 overall, and yet be rated ineffective overall. We will continue our efforts to educate the legislature, the public and educators regarding the flaws of APPR and how it will negatively impact our students and our schools. This Tuesday we will run a full page ad in the Legislative Gazette explaining our concerns. In the coming weeks we will continue to educate taxpayers, educators and parents. Our numbers continue to grow at an accelerated pace.
In a news release about the ad campaign, the organization says:
Although these principals agree that evaluations should be improved, they are dismayed by the rapid pace, high costs, unfinished nature and lack of research associated with the APPR system. In addition, while they recognize that school-wide achievement results are critical, they are concerned by the growing number of standardized tests that are being imposed on our students in part to measure their teacher’s performance. Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School, stated: “A teacher evaluation system that has not been piloted and relies heavily on student test scores is a poor indicator of teacher quality. Students and communities will lose, while consultants and other vendors will profit from the excessive testing of students.”
