Monday is the first day of school for BHS and MIlls students. Today's SM County Times editorial raises an important issue on the eve of a new school year. I can't find the link on their web site, but here is the start:
California lawmakers face a challenge from the Obama administration: Revise a law that bans state use of student test scores to evaluate teacher performance or lose out on a share of $4.35 billion in federal funding for education.
In its federal "Race to the Top" program, the Obama administration has made it clear that test data must be used, along with other criteria, to weigh teacher performance. The president rightly said, "You cannot ignore facts. That is why any state that makes it unlawful to link student progress to teacher evaluations will have to change its ways."
Unfortunately, the California Teachers Association has been firmly opposed to changing the law. In 2006, when the law was drafted, teachers unions persuaded legislators to add an amendment stating: "Data in the system may not be used...for purposes of pay, promotion, sanction, of personal evaluation of an individual teacher or group of teachers, or of any other employment related decisions related to individual teachers."
This one is complicated for sure and I don't know the solution. "Teaching the test" can be counter-productive and there are plenty of other variables at play in any kind of data. One thing is for sure, if even a sliver of $4.35 billion is lost because of this, it will raise some eyebrows in California. And since the CTA is headquartered on Murchison Dr. in Burlingame this editorial might have been on some of their employees' driveways this morning. Here's hoping for a productive school year for all!
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