Evaluation agreement clears union hurdle; teachers endorse Zimmer
The governing body of the Los Angeles teachers union has endorsed a tentative agreement on teacher evaluations that incorporates the results of student standardized test scores. The approval was a key hurdle but rank-and-file members will have the final say when they vote at their schools in January.
The Wednesday evening vote took place at the Koreatown headquarters of United Teachers Los Angeles during a meeting of the union’s House of Representatives. The tally was 123 in support, 42 opposed and 12 abstentions, according to teachers at the meeting.
Proponents emphasized that the deal did not permit a “value-added” calculation for an individual teacher to be a specific part of that teacher’s job evaluation. Value-added formulas gauge a teacher’s role in student growth by attempting to account for past student performance and outside factors that affect test scores. Many teachers