Tisch Defends Using Error-Riddled Tests For High Stakes Teacher Evaluations

Merryl Tisch continues to stand behind the error-riddled state tests and states they WILL be used for high stakes decisions like holding students back, firing teachers and closing schools:

After revelations nearly 30 flawed questions appeared on state exams, Chancellor Merryl Tisch bashed the mistakes as “really disturbing" and “inexcusable.”

But despite her strongest condemnation to date

, Tisch said the tests’ scores would still be used for high-stakes teacher evaluations because experts maintain the errors had not “contaminated” results.

“I would like everyone to know here that yes, New York State plans to go on and use these tests for the accountability system and for the initial implementation of the teacher evaluation system,” Tisch said at a Crain’s New York breakfast Wednesday.

It is not actually clear who these "experts" Tisch is standing behind are or whether they actually have conducted a rigorous and thorough review of the tests and how the errors have affected the scores since, as the Daily News article notes, it takes five weeks for the scores to be completed.

Would these be the same "experts" who decided administering these error-riddled tests was a good idea in the first place?

Even if they're a different set of "experts," let's see the analysis they have conducted that has helped assure Ms. Tisch that the tests have not been "contaminated" by the numerous errors.

The reality is, the Regents and the NYSED have conducted no such analysis.

Merryl Tisch is winging her excuses, trying to divert attention from the fact that in the first year the new "objective" and "scientific" teacher evaluation system is implemented, they are going to be using tests with more errors than the 1962 Mets.

But Tisch's attempts at diversion won't work anymore.

People already know that the emperors at the Regents and the NYSED have no clothes.

NYSED Commissioner King has already lost his credibility on this issue after he claimed the "Hare and the Pineapple" passage was just fine, then blamed the teacher panel that rubber stamped it for the state rather than taking responsibility for the garbage tests himself.

And Tisch has lost all credibility by admitting these tests are horrendous but insisting they WILL be used to make high stakes decisions to leave students back, close schools and fire teachers.

If these two people were honest, they would admit there are tremendous problems with these tests and the evaluation system they have created around the tests, they would admit they have rushed everything and they would admit that at best they need to slow down before they implement this system across the state.

But neither John King nor Merryl Tisch are honest about this.

Instead they are playing their parts to continue the BLAME TEACHERS FIRST movement even as the system they are using to scapegoat teachers is coming undone right before them (and more importantly, right before the public.)

Now I'm not naive enough to think Governor Cuomo, who respects nothing in this world so much as people with a ton of money, would actually have anyone named "Tisch" fired over this.

But Merryl Tisch should be forced out as chancellor, as John King should be fired as NYSED Commissioner.

They have both proven that they cannot be trusted to lead at the Regents or the Education Department.

They have both proven they care nothing for children, students or schools - they only care about promoting their Endless Testing agenda.