ALBANY—The state Assembly majority is now debating whether to entrust the Board of Regents, a powerful 17-member education policymaking panel, with overhauling the state’s teacher-evaluation system.
Earlier this week, lawmakers indicated they might use the budget to establish a six-member expert commission to develop a new performance rating system, but both the Assembly Democratic and the Senate G.O.P. conferences rejected a plan to withhold an increase in school aid until the panel reached an agreement in June.
But now that panel’s out, Assembly members said on Thursday, and instead Governor Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers want to task the existing board with the job it was constitutionally created to do: crafting education policy. The board’s work would not be linked to appropriations, members said.
The new evaluations would still be required to incorporate student scores on standardized tests as a measure of teacher performance, and the board would have to develop the new system by July 1, according to a state official familiar with the plan.
If the Regents get the task of re-doing evaluations, we have a pretty good idea what that work will look like - Regents Chancellor Tisch has stated publicly that she thinks 40% test scores, 60% observations is what the system should look like.
You can bet that is the system she will push for if given the power to overhaul the system.
There are four new members on the Board of Regents and a few of the stalwart reformers were ousted a few weeks back.
But I suspect there are still enough reformers left over to back Tisch for a reformy outcome and enough pressure will be applied from the outside on anybody not on board with reforminess to ensure that something like 40% tests and 60% observations is what we get in the end.
The politicians will get exactly what they want with this move - a more reformy teacher evaluation system and political cover because it will be coming from another entity and not the legislature itself.
Looks like our death sentences will be handed out by July 1.
ReplyDeleteWill their decision affect the state equally? Will NYC have the same system as Long Island? As it is now the rating scores are worlds apart between NYC and the rest of the state so if they all become equal it would have to be an improvement. Isn't an 11/20 in NYC ineffective while everywhere else can get an effective with a 3/20?
ReplyDeleteThat is a locally negotiated issue. UFT needs to negotiate its APPR better...the rest of the state should not be on the hook for UFT's appr.
DeleteRBE - You and all of us have every reason to be skeptical about this, especially given Tisch's track record. However, there is some reason for a small degree of hope. The surviving members of the Board of Regents have seen there fellow "elders" being swept away over the last two years. Those who managed to navigate through to another five year term, such as Tisch, have denounced using any percentage of test results for APPR purposes. Tisch seems resigned to the fact she could very well be ousted next March. If she does as you believe she will do, it is a good bet NYSUT could get Assembly Democrats to remove her. While Tisch got the obligatory vote of confidence from some of the Regents two weeks ago, it is clear she is on her way out of the chancellor's post, if not off the board entirely.
ReplyDeleteI agree that no body is going to be politically independent. Tisch has shown herself to be an enemy of public schools and public school teachers. However, if this does come to pass, it is probably the best of the worst case scenarios. The UFT and NYSUT are pretty weak. With Mulgrew constantly working against it, it is a miracle we are even at this point.
RBE,
ReplyDeleteI can understand your frustration but this is ALBANY. I wonder what you think might be a better "solution." I certainly would not have wanted completely ignorant politicians trying to develop a state-wide evaluation plan and establish it with legislation that would have required new legislation to change.
I wouldn't want a new "commission" stacked 4-2 against us appointed by politicians with some unclear mandate to do awful stuff and either impose it directly or have it go through the Legislature again.
I just don't know that there is any alternative to the Regents, where a plan might at least be subject to some, granted pro-forma, review process and which could be changed when we get rid of Tisch and get a few more progressive members appointed.
And I do think that a state-wide plan, rather than one imposed specifically on the City by John King, may improve the lives of City teachers. I've seen the evaluation plan they use here in Yonkers and it's night/day compared to Danielson and the rest of the muck we have here. If we need to be involved in some process I'd rather have it be one where school districts in Scarsdale and Hewlitt have to play by the same game as the one here in the City--they'll have an interest in the outcome and the resources to protect themselves, and us.
I agree. Everyone knows that NYC's evaluation is the worst in the state due to King wanting to punish the UFT for not coming up with a evaluation to his liking. Hopefully NYC will get a more "sane" evaluation deal out of all of this. (No Danielson, less observations, etc)
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the locals who negotiated a better deal should not be held accountable for UFT leadership allowing King to impose an APPR on them. UFT leadership is going to destroy NYSUT from the inside out on this! Karen and Andy have both spoken about a state wide APPR inspite of what membership has said!
DeleteIn Newark, Anderson is applying for a waiver to deprive veteran teachers of seniority. Harris L., you have too much faith in political solutions. I have a novel idea. Form a committee of teachers to develop an evaluation system.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather say that I'm a pragmatist who spent twenty-five years in the NYC and NYS political game before I became a teacher and who has some vague sense for what may be achievable on this place we call Earth, in this state we call New York.
DeleteI may have too much faith in political solutions but hoping that a committee of teachers would be appointed to develop an evaluation system def is too much faith in the tooth fairy :)
Teachers? Gasp! What do they know about teaching? Let some billionaires do it.
ReplyDeleteBy July, Karen will be begging to leave Iannuzzi's APPR in place!
ReplyDeleteAs a Long Island teacher I can tell you that the Iannuzzi APPR plan has zero support among my colleagues. It is a true mess. Dick was an awful president. His re-election campaign slogan was basically "vote for me because the other guys are even worse." That might be true, but it is a pretty sad commentary.
ReplyDeleteDick collected approximately $300,000 per year in salary and benefits according to IRS Form 990 filings. That's obscene. But, worse was his performance. Raked over the coals on APPR; called it totally wrong on Common Core and Race to the Top; was steamrolled on Tier 5 and Tier 6. Did nothing when the gap elimination adjustment stole billions from public schools. In fact, he kept endorsing most of the same crew that voted to approve the budgets containing GEA.
Yes, Andrew Pallotta is just as bad as Dick; probably even worse. They are all sickening, self-serving and out of touch people.
Anonymous 1:52pm
ReplyDeleteThey are so very in touch, just not with what we want them to be in touch with. No different from Pelosi who just negotiated away years of Medicare with Boehner. There is their side and our side. Unfortunately, we are the ones that will have to light the torch of change. Things are very bad here in the US, when the government can find trillions of taxpayer dollars for continuous wars to support the war machine and no money for paving roads, overcrowded classrooms, healthcare, it is time folks. When will people stand up to fight the insanity?