Finally, the Principals Have Principles

Perhaps it is the spirit of the Occupy Wall Street protesters, but it is certainly praiseworthy that the principals of Long Island are taking a stand.  For too long educators have been at the mercy of politicians and commissioners who have very little experience in the classroom.  They make the rules for the new teacher evaluation system using a top down business model which doesn't work with educators. These administrators at the local level deserve credit for courageously and respectfully objecting to the use of student testing to evaluate teachers.

Tying test scores to the competency of a teacher is a ridiculous idea.  There are just too many variables in a each classroom and even more from district to district.  It is no surprise that students from affluent districts do better on state tests. Wealthy districts can supply their students with more test prep material, support staff, and parents who can afford private tutors.  Does that mean their teachers are more competent?  Those districts also have fewer students with special needs and/or English as a second language.  Within a school, some teachers just end up with better students due to parental requests, while other teachers get students who are less capable or whose parents are not involved.  Both teachers and administrators alike understand that when your job depends on a reading and math score, the other subjects take a back seat.  In the end we only produce excellent test takers and the love of learning is lost.

Teachers need to support these principals who dared to speak up against an injustice.  Educators across this land need to become more vocal and voice their opinions at PTA meetings, school board meetings, staff meetings, and in editorials.  They need to demonstrate publicly in Albany and let their representatives know that this evaluation system will not be tolerated.  If every teacher in the state signed a petition protesting this evaluation system, we could send a clear message to Albany that we are mad as hell, and we are not going to take anymore.  It is time to rise up and be heard.