Feds Moving Toward a More Rational and Flexible Approach to Teacher Support and Evaluation
Congress is finally making progress on a bill to replace NCLB. Here’s an excerpt from a summary of the draft law.
TITLE II–
Helps states support teachers– The bill provides resources to states and school districts to implement various activities to support teachers, principals, and other educators, including allowable uses of funds for high quality induction programs for new teachers, ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers, and programs to recruit new educators to the profession. Ends federal mandates on evaluations, allows states to innovate- The bill allows, but does not require, states to develop and implement teacher evaluation systems. This bill eliminates the definition of a highly qualified teacher—which has proven onerous to states and school districts—and provides states with the opportunity to define this term.
This is very positive. It makes teacher evaluation no longer an Obama-imposed requirement but allows states, that want to do it (and there are quite a few of those), to use federal funds to support it. It removes the irrational requirement that “student growth” be a major component of these systems. This will lower the reflexive resistance from unions because the purpose of evaluation can be more clearly associated with teacher support (for more on that argument, see the Real Clear Education piece). It will also encourage the use of observation and feedback from administrators and mentors. Removing the outmoded definition of “highly qualified teacher” opens up the possibility of wider use of research-based analyses of what is important to measure in effective teaching.
A summary is also provided by EdWeek. On a separate note, it says: “That new research and innovation program that some folks were describing as sort of a next generation ‘Investing in Innovation’ program made it into the bill. (Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., are big fans, as is the administration.)”
