Linking evaluation to MCAS a mistake
MY JAW dropped on reading that a teachers union was agreeing to use standardized testing, such as MCAS, to evaluate teachers for promotion and retention (“Teachers would tie own rating to MCAS,’’ Page A1, Dec. 21). Do the policy makers of the Massachusetts Teachers Association think this is a tactic in a larger grand strategy? Were I a member of that union, I would advocate firing the leadership.
Then came the Dec. 22 editorial “A teachers union steps up’’ to pile on.
Subpar academic performance is mostly a socioeconomic ill. It will not be corrected by restrictive teaching to the test. Subpar teaching, though infrequent, is nearly always apparent soon after a teacher is hired, well within a teacher’s probationary period. An eye, an ear, and a little courage are all
LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES
- New Catholic school receives $100K grant (AP, 12/26/10)
- Incoming Conn. AG hoping to visit classrooms (AP, 12/26/10)
- Mass. college considers backing off biotech plans (AP, 12/26/10)
- Exhibit opens on Curious George's wartime escape (AP, 12/26/10)
- Match made in Kenya leads to Conn. campus 'heaven'(AP, 12/26/10)
LATEST K-12 EDUCATION NEWS
- Flooding, key elections dominate RI news in 2010 (AP, 12/24/10)
- RI superintendent's pay tied to performance (AP, 12/24/10)
- New Haven school official accused of harassment (AP, 12/24/10)
- Japan falls for novel on management guru Drucker (AP, 12/24/10)
- Business Highlights (AP, 12/23/10)
LATEST HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS
- Board recommends Glenn to be next Northern Essex Community College president (Boston Globe, 12/26/10)
- Sebastian Smee’s picks for top art shows of 2010(Boston Globe, 12/24/10)
- College night owls get chances to hit books (AP, 12/24/10)
- Tax agreement could bring significant benefits (AP, 12/24/10)
- US returns items taken from MIT researcher, ACLU says (Boston Globe, 12/24/10)