Quinnipiac Poll: Two Thirds Say Teacher Tenure, Pay Should NOT Be Based On Test Scores

Politico NY on the Quinnipiac Poll released this morning:

Voters also sided with unions on teacher pay and tenure, with 69 percent saying pay should not be based on how well the students perform on state tests and 26 percent saying it should.

Similarly, 67 percent say teacher tenure should not be based on test scores, with only 28 percent believing it should. This goes against the new teacher evaluation system pushed by Cuomo, which bases half of teachers’ scores on students’ performance on the exams.

...

The majority of voters - 65 percent - said state tests are not an accurate way to measure how well students are learning, compared to 31 percent who said they are.

69% opposed to merit pay based upon test scores, 67% opposed to tenure based upon test scores, 65% say standardized tests are no the best measurement of student learning.

The question wasn't asked, but you'd have to htink based upon these numbers that voters would not support Cuomo's APPR teacher evaluation system that bases 50% of a teacher's rating upon test scores.

And yet, here we have the system based upon just that and the teachers unions in the state helping Cuomo tweak it with an appeal process instead of just working to get the thing shelved outright.

The poll numbers against testing are about two to one against using them for merit pay, tenure or measurement of student learning.

Isn't it time NYSUT and the UFT ran ads touting these numbers and calling for the end of APPR as we know it and instead of helping Cuomo try and save it with some minor tweaks?