Education

NY Teachers Aren’t Crazy About Evaluations Being Based on Student Performance

NY Teachers Arent Crazy About Evaluations Being Based on Student PerformanceNew York State United Teachers, the largest public-school teachers union in New York, is suing the state Board of Regents over a new teacher evaluation system based off student standardized test performance.

WSJ:

“In court papers filed in state Supreme Court late Monday, New York State United Teachers claimed that education officials violated the law when they gave school districts the option of assigning significantly more weight to state assessments in their annual reviews of teachers.

Under the law, teachers could lose their jobs if their students continually fail to improve their scores on state standardized tests.”

The law in question was signed in May 2010 and the NYSUT claims the regulations would allow school districts to double the weight for state assessments, and allow the use of student results on a single test to count for up to 40 percent of a teacher’s annual evaluation. NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi takes issue with the evaluation and feels it is unfair, pointing to frequent flaws in the state’s standardized tests. From NYSUT press release:

“‘Using standardized tests as 40 percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be bad for students and teachers alike,’ said Richard Ognibene, 2008 New York State Teacher of the Year, who joined eight other teachers of the year to decry the regulations. ‘Testing is an important part of our profession, but it is only part. What we do in schools is incredibly complex and much of it cannot be measured with a #2 pencil’”

Over 600,000 educators align with the NYSUT, which is also affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and AFL-CIO. The average elementary school teacher in New York makes $62,490, secondary school $64,020, with 15 vacation weeks per year. Educators in the New York can obtain tenure after three years. WSJ:

“The state law laid out that 40% of a teacher’s evaluation score would be based on student achievement measures. The union last year resisted the legislation, which was a key component of the state’s winning bid for more than $700 million in federal ‘Race to the Top’ grants.

New York told the federal government that the reviews would start this coming school year, beginning with most math and English teachers in grades four through eight. If the legal dispute postpones those plans, it’s possible the special grant money could stop flowing to New York

The union claims that the law intended for the state assessments to account for no more than 20% of a teacher’s review. The remaining 20%, according to the union, was supposed to be based on other kinds of assessments, the terms of which would be subject to collective bargaining between districts and local unions. In May, though, the state school officials said districts could adopt an evaluation policy in which state assessments account for the entire 40%, instead of just 20%.”

In light of the lawsuit the state still defends the law, with spokesman for the state education department saying they have followed the rules and the law creates an ”objective and expedited means of removing ineffective teachers from the classroom.”

A NY State Supreme Court Justice has signed an order requested by NYSUT to require the board and Commissioner John King to show why the disputed regulations shouldn‘t be suspended pending a ruling on whether they violate state law and the regents’ authority.

Comments (50)

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  • RugDog
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 4:47pm

    FIRE THEM ALL. Idiots.

    Report Post » RugDog  
  • jessieH
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 4:39pm

    Of course they are upset. They will have to work for their paychecks, now. How dare they make a teacher teach! Why, that’s un-American!

    Report Post »  
  • Norden
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 3:52pm

    Ah, the dilemma of education. To make this an argument about how heavily standardized testing should be weighted in the evaluation of teachers is a gross over-simplification.

    We are talking about repairing plumbing on the Titanic here. The whole system of institutionalized education based upon an assembly-line model needs a major overhaul, all the more so since schools have become indoctrination centers of the state. As with so many institutions in our society, education has become top-heavy, like an inverted pyramid. The ideologies and educational theories of those at the top are grossly out of touch with the realities on the ground. The very idea that we can quantify a student’s understanding with a highly abstract, numerical score on a standardized test betrays how undervalued education really is. You can not treat the minds of children as blank space into which modular pieces of information can be placed and assembled according to some universal template. There are no shortcuts. Education in our society is really triage indoctrination, and educational theorists will admit as much. It is a fact that one of the reigning theories of education in this country for the past century has been rooted in the ideology of “social efficiency,” that is, training children to be productive cogs in the wheel. Call a spade a spade, just don’t call it education. Don’t expect to get a clean shave with a chainsaw.

    Report Post »  
  • patriotone
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 3:01pm

    Abolish the Dept. of Education. Return decisions to the local communities. That is the only way to improve education. I fear legislation like this will cause more teachers to “teach to the test” rather than teach the children the understanding they need to pass the test without “this is what it will look like” kind of preparation.

    I was a teacher and my wife remains one. Nothing hurts student learning more than mandated curriculum that does little to improve the intelligence of today’s youth.

    Report Post »  
  • EdBoo
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 1:36pm

    Welcome to the real world you union slobs!

    You are overpaid, underworked and not accountable. This is going to change in NY and elsewhere.

    My teacher friends are whining and crying and have been for six months since the Wisconsin funnies. They are my friends but privately I absolutely love it.

    Report Post »  
  • bifgroovey
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 12:25pm

    This has nothing to do with testing or teaching. It has everything to do with a failed socialist model of education. Eliminate public schools and on day one education in America will improve. Teachers and schools who excell will increase their pay as their school becomes high demand for parents who want a quality product. Test scores will rise as failed schools with close to higher quality competitors.

    Pro Education Choice

    Report Post » bifgroovey  
  • Creative Name
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 10:12am

    Of course there are all types of teachers: those who care, those who don’t care. However, we can‘t always just throw a teacher under the bus because our kid doesn’t learn. A lot of times the problems come from home. Parents have to get on board with the teachers and work out a way to help the children learn!

    It all starts with respect. It’s wonderful to support your child– everyone should. But keep in mind that when all a kid hears is “your teacher gets paid too much” or “she/he doesn’t know what she/he is talking about” they take that to school with them. All of a sudden, the teacher’s words are a little less valuable to this child and they have less respect for them. No one is a perfect teacher and no one is a perfect parent. The important thing is working together to get the most out of our students, teachers and parents.

    Report Post »  
    • IMAWAKENOW
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 10:08pm

      All I hear is how underpaid teachers are. There are about 2% of kids that have EVER heard that from their parents. Get Real.

      Report Post » IMAWAKENOW  
  • ynotindependent
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 10:07am

    A school voucher system would help eliminate the bottom half of the teachers by giving PARENTS the right to decide where their child attends school (allowing parents to choose the BEST schools as opposed to the mandated district). No kids in class, no paycheck….pretty simple.

    Report Post »  
  • furnatic
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 10:00am

    The big problem are the standardized text. Down here in FL, we had the FCAT and that’s ALL the teachers taught. Their evals were based on that test. Not the overall grades of the students.

    Report Post » furnatic  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 7:24am

    The average salary for an Milwaukee Public School teacher is $56,500. When fringe benefits are factored in, the annual compensation will be $100,005 in 2011. Students are 41% proficient/advanced at reading and 28% proficient/advanced in math in the MPS system. Nine months a year job. From the people screaming to retain their free Viagra from the system.

    Report Post »  
  • Dionyz
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 6:51am

    I am all for this. However, one fundamental factor that is critical to a child’s performance doe not depend on the teachers, which is the culture/parents.

    In certain groups/cultures, and it is usually whose children perform horribly in school, the parents just don’t care about education and do not spent the time required to make sure the children study and do well.

    In these situations, it does not matter how good the teacher is or how much money you throw at education, the children will not perform well.
    Detroit school system is a perfect example – you could spend $100,000 per student and still get horrible results – the parents just don’t care – they do not instill the value of education in their children.

    Report Post »  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 5:36am

    Yes, evaluate teaches UP TO 40% now, on the basis of how their students do on standardized tests.

    And we’ll start evaluating auto workers on the basis of the crash-worthiness of a car they didn‘t design and the physical properties of the steel they didn’t forge. Not on how well they actually did their jobs, which is just to assemble the cars per specification with the materials they are given.

    Let’s start evaluating truck drivers on the basis of the value of the cargo they haul and the money the spend for fuel. Not on how well they actually did their jobs, which is just to get the cargo they’re contracted to haul from point A to point B safely.

    Let’s start evaluating doctors on the basis of how virulent the diseases and how severe the injuries are that they treat regardless of the level of patient cooperation. Not on how well they actually did their jobs, which is just to treat the illnesses and injuries that the public presents to them and give their patients good advice and instruction and leave the following of those instructions up to the patient.

    We already decry teachers for “teaching to the test”. This is going to do nothing but exacerbate that. If a teacher’s job performance evaluation is nothing so much as the results on the test, that will be ALL THEY DO, to the detriment of their students. Everyone who things teaching is easy, I defy you to write one unit plan and last as long as a week teaching it.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • courtcopphil
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 12:03pm

      While writing your lesson plan, Ms. Lesbian, you may wish to include that the word “Think” is not spelled with a “G”. The only people decrying the “Teaching to the test” are the teachers who don’t get to shove their leftist propaganda down the throats of innocents if they actually have to “teach” instead of the teachers real aim, to indoctrinate.

      Report Post » courtcopphil  
  • Callie369
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 5:19am

    I have a friend who is a teacher. Several years ago she said to me, “If I have more than 2 students in my class not doing well, I AM NOT DOING WELL AS A TEACHER.” And she taught algebra, trig, geometry and calculous to high school students!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • yazoo
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 4:00am

    The only valid reason for an evaluation of learning (any type of test) is…to evaluate the teaching. Learning can be done only by the “Learner”.
    While teaching systems, and teachers, must be evaluated; how that is done is the rub. For instance, suppose your performance was based on an outcome that you had no ways to influence. Even in a perfect situation, creating and maintaining a system that meets its’ Learning Objectives is an arduous task. Combine that with all of the negative hurdle Teachers must face in a modern classroom and I believe it is understandable they feel it is unfair to base their very livelihood solely on whether or not a Learner did not, or could not, learn.

    Report Post »  
    • obfuscatenot
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 7:30am

      Review,and rethink. Your logic screams that your beef is with administration not the customer. Each customer needs a different product so why is it that the schools insist on the same teaching methods for every single kid. The customer(student) DESERVES the ability to learn in the manner that works for them-not what is convenient for the teacher and or school.

      Report Post »  
  • Cold War Vet
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 3:56am

    Please, New York teachers unions…

    Can we base your evaluations on your ability to walk out on the kids to protest at a government venue, and shut down the entire legislative process? Vandalism? Screaming vile obscenities in public? Terrorizing people who disagree with you by showing up at their home with an angry mob? Comparing the people who pay YOUR SALARY to NAZIs?

    Can we cut your pay and benefits by 50%? Since you are doing such a bad job, on the public dime, fair is fair.

    Report Post » Cold War Vet  
  • fixer
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 2:05am

    what a bummer to be judged by your performance as a teacher.TOO FRIGGIN BAD whether they like it or not.Time for the gravy train to end.

    Report Post »  
  • HumbleCitizen
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 12:42am

    It’s not as simple as it seems. First, public schools MUST take all kids, including physical/mental handicapped, non-English speakers, crack babies, etc. BUT these students are tested at the same level as their peers. So you have a 5th gr. student with an IQ. of 50 who can’t read or write dispite years of “special” services and they are expected to do the same tests. Then there are the children who just don’t give a cr.ap and yes, that happens in elementary schools. These students hate everything about school and refuse to have any part of thier education. Teachers have to “teach” these rebellious kids in spite of themselves. These are but two examples, there are more; many more. YES teachers should be held accountable, but so should PARENTS and STUDENTS. All three are equal partners in the educational prcess. Parents who come in with $75 hair and $60 nails but refuse to buy a 25 cent glue stick, who don‘t check homework and doesn’t return calls, notes, etc. The value of an education starts in the home.

    Report Post » HumbleCitizen  
    • Callie369
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 5:21am

      I take it your spouse is a teacher?

      Report Post »  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 7:17am

      So the system is built to produce, from kindergarten on, students who “don’t give a cr.ap” Then fix the system. They spend in many cases almost as much time with you as with their parents. As for a student or two per class, with an IQ of 50 that would throw off the real numbers. Let the teacher pick two students grades to be thrown out of the average. If you have more than two kids with IQs of 50, I‘m guessing you are a special needs class teacher and wouldn’t be part of this evaluation/raise system.

      Report Post »  
    • IMAWAKENOW
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 9:58pm

      I wonder how many “special needs” kids are really special needs. The school loves them because they get a higher $$ from the gov. The parents love the clasification because they can claim SSDI and collect. The new disability is autisum. It is like the old bad back scam, hard to disprove and easy to qualify for. these are empty excuses.
      As far as the kids that don’t care, that is what they have seen at home for a generation or two. Government should give you EVERYTHING!! working for something is for suckers. Why take their time to study when the gov will take it from someone else and provide income and housing and food.
      As lib teachers you have been sewing these seeds for a long while now. Time to reap.

      Report Post » IMAWAKENOW  
  • Matlor
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 12:33am

    Our soldiers don’t even break $33,000 at least not a private. Police Officers at best $38,000.

    I have no sympathy for these teachers at all.

    Report Post »  
  • Matlor
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 12:26am

    $60,000 a year ….. oh my heart just breaks for the union protected premadonnas!
    There‘s those of us out here that work twice as hard in all conditions and all hours and don’t even break $30,000.

    Report Post »  
    • one years food ration like glenn says
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 8:21am

      And get three months vaca to boot.. WOW !!!!

      Report Post » one years food ration like glenn says  
    • IMAWAKENOW
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 9:44pm

      I would also add that there are very few full five day school weeks during those nine months. The local schools have movies a lot of Fridays. And who only makes 60K, they must be fairly new.

      Report Post » IMAWAKENOW  
  • Matlor
    Posted on June 30, 2011 at 12:20am

    Here comes the next protest. Awwwwww, lemme get my tissue for all these tears HAAHAHA

    Report Post »  
  • miles from nowhere
    Posted on June 29, 2011 at 11:32pm

    What do you expect from teachers that would flunk a SAT test.

    Report Post »  
  • looseyloo
    Posted on June 29, 2011 at 11:09pm

    How could anything– let alone what some runnynose kid does or doesn’t learn– possibly be the fault of a teacher ?

    Let’s just let teachers grade teachers. Better yet, let’s make it a teacher who is also a union rep. After all, it takes a person who teaches to know whether somebody is doing their teaching job correctly. It is not possible for a non-teacher to evaluate a teaching professional. Lack of learning is the fault of the student.

    Would you allow patients to evaluate doctors ? Homeowners to evaluate house painters ? Mere coffee drinkers to evaluate the talents of a skilled barista ? I think not.

    Report Post »  
    • obfuscatenot
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 7:25am

      Loosey,
      We DO evaluate these groups you list. We use their service and if we don’t like it we change to someone else, and or call the better business bureau or regulating services-we tell our friends and neighbors not to use these places. Imagine the health dept. being regulated by the restaurants they inspect. Hmm?
      The overwhelming majority of us do not have another option than the public schools for educating our kids. They regulate themselves. Obviously, poorly so. How do you solve a problem like monopoly? How do you hold a moon beam in your hand? Money should follow the kids. Money should follow the kids. Money should follow the kids. Epiphany…. Homeschool!

      Report Post »  
    • Wolf
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 9:33am

      Yah, sure, Lucy- let’s let incompetant, self-centered teachers grade each other. That way the useless lazy ones can eliminate those good teachers who’re actually doing their jobs. Just like is done on Survival Island… rid the tribe of the best competition.
      Fools are everywhere- go have another sip of the kool-aid.

      Report Post »  
    • TXWildfire
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 9:43am

      I’m thinking Loosey was being sarcastic… hopefully.

      Report Post » TXWildfire  
  • White Ninja
    Posted on June 29, 2011 at 11:09pm

    Student performance only accounted for UP TO 20% before this passed? Wow. If your job is to teach, and your students are consistently not testing well…how else are you supposed to evaluate your job performance? It’s so weird that teachers claim to be advocates for students but are fighting tooth and nail to defend the status quo.

    Report Post » White Ninja  
  • I.Gaspar
    Posted on June 29, 2011 at 3:53pm

    Ah, come on…why hold the teachers responsible for anything?
    Just keep giving them raises and quit complaining.
    Who cares if the kids can’t read? There won’t be any jobs for them anyway, literate or illierate.
    But obama won’t rest til everybody has a job…

    Report Post »  
  • KickinBack
    Posted on June 29, 2011 at 3:52pm

    If I do poorly at my job, I get fired.

    Report Post » KickinBack  
    • fastfacts
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 1:52am

      IT IS TEACHERS LIKE THESE, THAT ARE SO COMFORTABLE WHERE THEY ARE THAT DESTROY OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

      Look at the SCHOOL FROM HELL: http://tiny.cc/zo5ar The teachers probably could have taken care of it a long time ago but since they didn’t because of their liberal views they are now scared for their lives. These teachers just don’t seem to care. They will if their kids fail.

      Report Post »  
    • nptden
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 9:21am

      They should be worried. Most of them are incompetents passed through by affirmative action programs which gave them degrees not based on merit. They were hired based on race. They spend more time on union efforts to keep jobs they don’t even deserve or qualify for. It’s the ole Marxist/socialist progressive scam. Their function is to teach there ideology to our kids.

      Report Post » nptden  
    • IronSights
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 10:30am

      Ummm………WHAT else would you base evaluations on!?! I know there is a ton of variables involved working with and educating children, but how is it any different than a Manager, Director, or Business Owner with employees/staff? Either you have the ability to lead and grow people (young / old) and influence their ability to perform, or you don’t. If you don’t have the ability you should choose a new line of work. To teach isn’t simply regurgitating information. If that’s all it is, just deliver classes over the internet or video and you don’t need a teacher.

      Report Post » IronSights  
    • splotch
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 12:04pm

      The problem I have (being a teacher) with using a business model of you don’t do a good job you get fired. If I am a salesman would I spend time with people who have no intention of buying? Same with teaching I have no choice who is in my classroom. If they don’t show up, don’t have any intention of learning etc. why shouldn’t I be allowed under the business model to remove them? Who would want to teach the general ed classes? You would have teachers only wanting to deal with the highly motivated students. Do you want your kids teacher looking at you kid as a potential pay cut if they aren’t doing well. Further I teach at the tenth grade level am I given kids that are up to that level so I can take them forward no I am given kids that can’t divide a bigger number into a smaller number and I am expected to teach them Physics. Which of the 60 + teachers that the student had before would be fired also. Who is at fault? Since the only constant in the situation is the parents and the student (and am sure the student encountered both great and poor teachers) I would place blame there. Ending I would fall back to Ben Franklin – self education – students can learn despite any poor teaching if they get motivated.

      Report Post »  
    • hologram5
      Posted on June 30, 2011 at 3:03pm

      @SPLOTCH:
      You know, I taught knife safety and the likes during boy scouts to 9-12 year old boys. This is the hardest group to teach because of their attention span and with video games and the likes it gets even harder. With that said, I had zero accidents, zero uses of band-aides and EVERYone of my students passed the exams to be able to carry a knife while camping. I don’t think this is much different due to the fact that these kids could feasibly kill each other with the knives. It’s all how you present the material/curriculum. it’s all about getting and keeping their attention. Yeah, you should be fearful if you can’t do it.

      Report Post » hologram5  
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