NYSUT responds to governor's statement on teacher evaluations
ALBANY, N.Y. Jan. 10, 2012 - New York State United Teachers today respectfully disagreed with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's characterization of New York's teacher evaluation law enacted in 2010 in concert with the state's Race to the Top application.
"This legislation was not designed to protect unions but, in fact, was jointly supported by NYSUT and the State Education Department, and had strong bi-partisan support in the Assembly and Senate. In fact, it has been widely lauded for its focus on strengthening teacher effectiveness to enhance student learning," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "The law has been recognized as a national model precisely because it emphasizes the value of collaboration."
"New York is ranked No. 2 by the U.S. Department of Education in the Race to the Top awards on the strength of the law being called into question," he added. "We share the governor's frustration with implementation. However, the failure lies not with the law, or with teachers and local school districts, but with the State Education Department's lack