Arne Duncan: Common Core Transition Will Give States More Time To Make Evaluations Count
In what some see as a tacit recognition of the Obama administration's overreach into nitty-gritty management of America's schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will give states a reprieve from certain aspects of teacher evaluations' consequences and the new wave of testing tied to the Common Core.
Duncan said Tuesday that he will allow the first two groups of states that received waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act to seek an extra year, until the academic year 2016-2017, before they give their teacher evaluations teeth by applying them to personnel decisions.
"Ensuring that educators are well prepared to implement those new standards is critically important," Duncan said. "After listening to teachers and education leaders, we are providing additional flexibility to states." He added that this will allow reforms to continue "on pace," but that states will "have some flexibility" in when they start "using student growth data for high-stakes decisions."
The announcement comes smack between the U.S. Senate and House hearings on clashing bills that would
Duncan said Tuesday that he will allow the first two groups of states that received waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act to seek an extra year, until the academic year 2016-2017, before they give their teacher evaluations teeth by applying them to personnel decisions.
"Ensuring that educators are well prepared to implement those new standards is critically important," Duncan said. "After listening to teachers and education leaders, we are providing additional flexibility to states." He added that this will allow reforms to continue "on pace," but that states will "have some flexibility" in when they start "using student growth data for high-stakes decisions."
The announcement comes smack between the U.S. Senate and House hearings on clashing bills that would