To say the US public education system is undergoing a major transformation would probably make some educators laugh. Teachers, particularly in urban and rural districts, are coping with an onslaught of criticism and intense scrutiny.
teacher evaluations
Posted inNews & Opinion
What did Rhee know about cheating in DC schools?
This is a corrected version:Nearly 200 teachers in roughly 70 schools appear to have been involved in another widespread city school district cheating scandal. This time, however, the “wrong to right” erasures may have happened during the tenure of the grande dame of education reform: Michelle Rhee, founder of Students First. In a report called […]
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Teachers warn of the end of public education
It seems like at least once a month, a long-time teacher’s retirement or resignation a letter gets picked up by national media. The letters thank students, parents, and colleagues, but they typically end on a sobering note about the state of our public education system and the demise of the teaching profession. The Washington Post […]
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Was the Atlanta education scandal inevitable?
The cheating scandal in the Atlanta public school system has shocked the nation, though it’s a little unclear why. Educators and parents concerned about overemphasis on high-stakes standardized tests have been predicting this kind of thing for years. Late last week we learned that Atlanta’s former superintendent, Beverly Hall, had been indicted on racketeering charges. […]
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High school teacher cautions college profs
I have to admit I’m torn on the issue of high-stakes testing. In a recent article for the Washington Post, Valerie Strauss aptly describes it as a national obsession in education thanks to No Child Left Behind. Her piece includes a column by Kenneth Bernstein, an award-winning teacher and education blogger. Bernstein, who is now […]
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Rochester teacher evaluations approved
The Rochester school district’s teacher evaluation plan has been approved by the State Education Department. The SED requires all teachers and principals to receive an annual evaluation, which will result in a score of highly effective, effective, developing, or ineffective. The new plans mark the first year that evaluations are directly linked to student performance […]
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All eyes are on Chicago
It’s hard not to be fascinated by what’s going on in the Chicago School District. The teacher strike in the nation’s third largest school district, now in its second day, has all of the elements of great drama. For starters, there’s Rochester’s connection to the Chicago schools’ chief, Jean-Claude Brizard. After a tumultuous three and […]
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Teacher evals revamped
The Rochester school district’s first attempt at a teacher evaluation plan for the 2012 to 2013 school year was rejected by the State Education Department. Revisions have been resubmitted, and Rochester Teachers Association President Adam Urbanski says he’s confident that this version will be approved. | The SED wanted to see greater clarification of the […]
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New York’s teacher evaluations go public
Imagine having your next work performance review made public. Thankfully, most of us don’t have to worry about that. But New York’s teachers do. Lawmakers wrestled for weeks over how to give parents useful information about the competency of their children’s teachers and principals. Some lawmakers wanted everything about the evaluations out in the open, […]
