Sent to: eval2015@nysed.gov

An April Fool

On April 1, I learned that 50% of my evaluation this year would hinge on my students’ performance based on three days of standardized testing—the NYS ELA Assessment in mid-April. My remaining 50% falls to my local APPR contract, which in essence is a bastardized version of Danielson’s evaluation rubrics.

What does this really mean? If you are not an educator, do you have any idea how this system actually works? Do you even know who Danielson is? Do you even know what the tests looks like that will evaluate my performance, my profession, my livelihood?

On April 1^st, I wondered if I had been taken for a fool. I pride myself for not “teaching to the test” from September through April. But my world was ripped apart on April 1^st, 2015 when I read Cuomo’s edicts. I had one teaching day remaining and one week of spring break before my students would take that “high-stakes” test. For my entire break, I felt a failure. Should I have “taught to the test”? Should I have spent more class time prepping my students? What if I had known about this dramatic evaluation change in September? Would I have revamped my teaching methodologies?  After all, 50% is a whopping number. And what if my other 50% isn’t stellar? After all, my district boasts an APPR rate of only 7% highly effective teachers.

Let me give you a little background about me. For 22 years, I have taught middle school English. I have made it my vocation since I was a twelve year old administering homework and creating extra lesson plans for my younger siblings and cousins. I was genetically engineered to be a teacher. I graduated top of my class in high school. I attended SUNY Binghamton and Columbia University’s Teachers College. Yet, when I shared this with my current 7^th grade class, I received this instinctively blurted question from one of my students: “And you became a teacher?”

My accolades are numerous. I was honored as a Hofstra/News 12 Teacher of the Month. I received the New York State Educator of Excellence Award by NYSEC. I was instrumental in writing award winning grants and achieving the prestigious NYS Blue Ribbon Award for my school. I have presented at numerous conferences, and I have been a teacher of teachers.

But I cannot surmount the “Ed Effect” or Cuomo.  

I had the privilege of hosting a student observer this year, and I would like to share with you her thank you note to me: “Over these past few weeks, I’ve learned so much from you that I hope to use when I become a teacher like classroom organization to working with the ‘Ed Effect.’ I am so grateful I had the opportunity to observe such a great and talented teacher.”

What exactly is the “Ed Effect” and why can’t I prevail? I developed a simple teacher inquiry for my students. I asked them to answer two questions in a Google survey form for homework (easily and readily accessible to all my 130+ students). My two simple questions: 1) Did you use any of the study strategies you learned in preparation for your unit test? and 2) What was your score? The following day, my students received an in class “Do Now” asking them to determine the hypothesis of my teacher inquiry. Many of them were able to develop my basic premise. Next, I asked my students to surmise how many students would have to respond to my questions in order to have sufficient data to prove or disprove my hypothesis. General consensus hovered around the at least 100 out of 130+ students. However, one student in particular, “Ed,” simply stated, “You will never be able to prove or disprove your hypothesis because I and many other students will NEVER do our homework.” And he was right. Out of 130+ students, only 48 had responded to my Google Form.

I create authentic, creative, and interactive lessons and homeworks. My homework hones the skills necessary to be life-long readers and writers. I tell my students that the best way to prep for any test is to complete my reading and writing homework from DAY 1 and every day after through to the end of the school year. I can shout it from Mt. Saint Helens in Italian. I can figure skate salchows around my students. I can run faster than some of my 7^th grade boys. But I cannot magically motivate my students to do their work. And I certainly cannot prevent my students from leaving blanks on the state assessment, or writing “IDK” a zillion times, or writing diatribes to the NYS Dept of Ed. about their hate of tests on the lines provided for responses.

My magic wand is broken. For 46 minutes, I teach to the best of my ability, and I can rate myself highly effective for my intrinsic motivation and my devotion to what I do best. Evaluate me all you want. Come to my classroom. Be a student in my teacher facilitation. Spend a retreat with me in a writer’s workshop. Watch me lesson plan and create. Co-teach with me. Write with me. But please do not use my students’ tests as my test.

Cuomo seeks to do otherwise, so who is the fool?