When the commissioner says that it is only 20%, he is of course, being disingenuous. Test scores have undue weight, and he knows it... Carol Burris, NYS Principal of the year
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It is vital that all of the stories be told and that the data is gathered so that parents, the media and policymakers understand what a foolish and destructive evaluation system APPR is...
Below is a link to the story I wrote about an upstate New York teacher who was devastated by receiving a score of Developing. Diane Ravitch was kind enough to help me get in touch with her after her story appeared on her blog.
Please read it, share it, Like it for your Facebook page. The more that educators read such stories, the more willing they will be to share their own.
It is vital that all of the stories be told and that the data is gathered so that parents, the media and policymakers understand what a foolish and destructive evaluation system APPR is. Clearly, this teacher was rated poorly because of the undue emphasis that test scores have in this lopsided point system.
When the commissioner says that it is only 20%, he is of course, being disingenuous. Test scores have undue weight, and he knows it.
We should all be especially interested in the stories of teachers and principals who were rated ineffective, yet had not one category rating of ineffective (I believe there is great potential for a winnable appeal as well as a challenge to the system) as well as teachers and principals who were rated Effective or Highly Effective on the "other 60" measure by their principal or superintendent, yet were rated Developing or Ineffective overall. We all need to do our best to get these stories out and to gather data. People cannot be ashamed. They must fight back with dignity.
Carol
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Just got my report card and I am rated an Effective teacher. I would have been rated highly effective if the local testing measurements for "growth" was realistic and reachable. I'm ready to quit because this is such a flawed system!
ReplyDeleteDon't quit - it's them - not you. Tell your story. Fight back. That's what we all need to do right now.
DeleteI retired from the system in April 2013 and I am feeling the stress of the new evaluation for my colleagues.
ReplyDeleteMany of my colleagues work very, very hard with the various challenges in their school that they contend with on a daily basis. I'm feeling their anxieties, the pressure from administration to do much more with less time to do it, the stress of keeping track (date, time, location, who said what) of all the multiple anecdotes they must write down (a form of excessive paperwork), and the inevitable feedback, where principals have up to 90 days to provide, from incompetent administrators.
I hope that the union with the support of their political allies go to Albany and demand a moratorium on this destructive evaluation. I strongly suggest that teachers speak to their assemblyman/woman in their district and tell him/her that King and Tisch do not have the foresight to understand the irreparable harm that the APPR will unfortunately cause to many NYS/NYC teachers.
Do not quit. Treasure your Effective rating. It is no easy feat.
ReplyDelete