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Principals' opposition to teacher evaluation grows
Principals'
opposition to
teacher evaluation
grows
opposition to
teacher evaluation
grows
LoHud
Eighteen high school principals from
northern Westchester and Putnam counties
have joined the growing ranks of school
administrators who are publicly opposing
the state’s new teacher evaluation system.
The group said the new system, which will
grade teachers in part on student test
scores, is “problematic at best, damaging
to our students and our profession at
worst.”
A statement from the Northern
Westchester/Putnam High School Principals
Association said that the new system would
pressure teachers to “teach to the test” and
would focus attention on English and math
— the subjects most tested — at the
expense of social studies, science, the arts
and physical education.
“Schools that were moving away from
ubiquitous, test driven curricula in an effort
to offer deeper, richer, more authentic
curricula will now be forced back into a test
driven curriculum,” it said.
Cheryl Champ, principal of Lakeland High
School and leader of the group, said it’s
going to be difficult to have the new
system, the parameters of which are part
northern Westchester and Putnam counties
have joined the growing ranks of school
administrators who are publicly opposing
the state’s new teacher evaluation system.
The group said the new system, which will
grade teachers in part on student test
scores, is “problematic at best, damaging
to our students and our profession at
worst.”
A statement from the Northern
Westchester/Putnam High School Principals
Association said that the new system would
pressure teachers to “teach to the test” and
would focus attention on English and math
— the subjects most tested — at the
expense of social studies, science, the arts
and physical education.
“Schools that were moving away from
ubiquitous, test driven curricula in an effort
to offer deeper, richer, more authentic
curricula will now be forced back into a test
driven curriculum,” it said.
Cheryl Champ, principal of Lakeland High
School and leader of the group, said it’s
going to be difficult to have the new
system, the parameters of which are part
of state law, amended. Gov. Andrew
Cuomo has made teacher evaluations the
centerpiece of his new education reform
agenda.
“This approach is more politically driven
than education driven,” she said. “We still
hope certain things can be changed to
make it more educationally sound.”
In an unusual public showing of solidarity
and concern, hundreds of principals from
across the state have signed statements
opposing the high-profile new evaluation
system, which will be used to grade
growing numbers of teachers and
principals in the next few years.
The movement started late last year with a
public letter written by two Long Island
principals that has been signed by 1,359
principals across the state and more than
4,400 other educators.
Since then, groups of principals from
southern Westchester and Rockland
counties have signed similar statements
Cuomo has made teacher evaluations the
centerpiece of his new education reform
agenda.
“This approach is more politically driven
than education driven,” she said. “We still
hope certain things can be changed to
make it more educationally sound.”
In an unusual public showing of solidarity
and concern, hundreds of principals from
across the state have signed statements
opposing the high-profile new evaluation
system, which will be used to grade
growing numbers of teachers and
principals in the next few years.
The movement started late last year with a
public letter written by two Long Island
principals that has been signed by 1,359
principals across the state and more than
4,400 other educators.
Since then, groups of principals from
southern Westchester and Rockland
counties have signed similar statements
opposing the evaluation system.
The new statement from the northern
Westchester/Putnam group questions the
use of student test scores to grade t
eachers. “‘Student achievement’ carries
with it a complex set of variables, which
cannot be fully measured by quantitative
analysis of standardized test scores,” it
said.
The new system will grade teachers on a
100-point scale and give them one of four
overall ratings: highly effective (91-100);
effective (75-90); developing (65-74); and
ineffective (0-64).
It was adopted as state law in 2010 in
order to strengthen New York’s application f
or the federal Race to the Top program.
The state was subsequently awarded a
$700 million federal grant.
Sixty percent of a teacher’s grade will be
based primarily on classroom observations.
Twenty percent will be based on how a
teacher’s students progress on test scores.
The final 20 percent will be based on a
locally determined measure, which could
be state or other tests.
Somers High School Principal Irene Perrella,
who signed the statement and is retiring at
the end of the year after four decades in
education, said educators are put off by
the growing numbers of mandates and
regulations coming from Albany.
“Philosophically, the biggest question we
have is how you reduce everything that
goes on in the classroom to numbers,” she
said. “It’s very unsettling. I’ve lived through
a lot of change, but I’ve never seen so
much change coming so quickly. It makes
you question the validity and the purpose
behind it all.”
Last week, Cuomo and leaders of New York
State United Teachers announced an
agreement on several sticking points. But it
remains up to individual school districts to
adopt the new evaluation requirements
through collective bargaining with teacher
and principal unions.
In fact, districts with contracts that were in
effect before July 2010 do not have to put
the system into effect until they negotiate
new contracts. But the state is urging
districts to move quickly, and Cuomo is
threatening to withhold state aid from
districts that do not have new evaluation
rules in place by next January.
said. “It’s very unsettling. I’ve lived through
a lot of change, but I’ve never seen so
much change coming so quickly. It makes
you question the validity and the purpose
behind it all.”
Last week, Cuomo and leaders of New York
State United Teachers announced an
agreement on several sticking points. But it
remains up to individual school districts to
adopt the new evaluation requirements
through collective bargaining with teacher
and principal unions.
In fact, districts with contracts that were in
effect before July 2010 do not have to put
the system into effect until they negotiate
new contracts. But the state is urging
districts to move quickly, and Cuomo is
threatening to withhold state aid from
districts that do not have new evaluation
rules in place by next January.
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