Usage of student achievement metrics in comprehensive teacher evaluation systems and therefore allow them to have an impact on hiring and firing decisions was one of the points of disagreement that led to the Chicago teacher strike which concluded last Tuesday.
According to the Washington Post, since the system went into effect more than three years ago, it has led to the termination of nearly 400 teachers. Just last month, 98 Washington teachers were notified that they were being relieved of their jobs because their evaluation results were below the threshold required to maintain employment in the district. And far from the layoffs arousing a bad reaction from the union representing Washington teachers, the union leadership has actually expressed support for its use and also thanked district officials for softening the criteria used for employment decisions.
“It was a goal of mine to get to a point where this is business as usual,” schools chancellor Kaya Henderson said. “Any well-functioning organization fires people for performance, and that’s going to be a regular occurrence. Every high-performing organization also recognizes and rewards the highest achievers, and that’s now a regular occurrence.”Although supporters of the new system have said that holding teachers accountable for student performance generally serves to improve the quality of instruction, there are those who feel that the only thing new evaluation systems have done is increase staff turnover and consequently make good teachers more wary about taking jobs in district schools. To support their argument, critics point to the fact that over the years the system has been in place, students have shown only a very modest improvement in academic achievement, based on standardized test results.
Cynthia Joffrion Grants
