L.A. Unified panel recommends changes in teacher evaluations - latimes.com

L.A. Unified panel recommends changes in teacher evaluations - latimes.com

L.A. Unified panel recommends changes in teacher evaluations

The task force of about 50 parents, teachers and administrators suggests paying high-performing teachers more, using student test scores in evaluations and overhauling the tenure

High-performing teachers should earn more pay, tenure should be more difficult to achieve and teacher reviews should be tied to student test scores, a Los Angeles school district panel is expected to recommend Tuesday.

The proposals, aimed squarely at increasing the effectiveness of teachers, would be the most far-reaching change in years in how the Los Angeles Unified School District decides which teachers to promote and retain.

If approved by the city's Board of Education, the recommendations would be among the most aggressive in the state, if not the nation. Employee unions are expected to oppose some of the proposals, some of which would have to be collectively bargained.

The task force was created by the board, by a narrow margin, shortly before The Times published aseries of articles last May examining the difficulties in firing and evaluating teachers.

A group of about 50 members, including teachers, administrators, union leaders and parents, has been meeting for months to discuss teacher effectiveness.

Among their recommendations:

* Revamp teacher evaluations to include several new categories, including the addition of several years worth of student test score data analyzed to show whether a teacher is effective. Parent and student feedback should also be considered.

* Give higher pay to high-performing teachers willing to work in tough-to-staff schools. The task force discussed starting a small pilot program in which a group of teachers would be eligible for extra pay if their students met certain goals.

* Stop basing some layoffs and staffing decisions on seniority.

* Wait up to four years before granting tenure to teachers rather than the current two years and require evaluators to endorse instructors for tenure.

* Push the state Legislature to eliminate the Commission on Professional Competence, a statewide group that has final say over disputed teacher firings.

The task force, chaired by state Board of Education President Ted Mitchell, has heard from dozens of people inside and outside L.A. Unified, and is expected to present its recommendations to the school