State labor board challenges L.A. teacher evaluations
| L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy says the district has not violated labor law with its new teacher evaluation system. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / August 8, 2013) |
California's labor oversight board has issued a complaint alleging that the Los Angeles Unified School District improperly established a new evaluation system for teachers.
The nation's second-largest school system erred by failing to reach agreement on key elements with the teachers union, as required by law, according to the L.A. regional office of the Public Employment Relations Board.
The allegations are contained in a complaint dated Sept. 4. It faults the district for unilaterally adopting a four-level evaluation system that would rate a teacher as ineffective, developing, effective or highly effective.
The complaint also accuses the school district of creating "lead teacher" positions related to the new evaluation without completing the negotiating process.
The labor board "will attempt to mediate a settlement," said union attorney Jesus E. Quinonez. "If no mutual agreement is reached, an unfair practice trial will be held before a state administrative law
U.S. secretary of education opposes California's testing plan
The nation's top education official threatened Monday to withhold federal funds if California lawmakers approved pending legislation to revamp the state's standardized testing system.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the warning as AB 484 awaits a full vote of the Assembly and state Senate.
The proposed law would end the standardized exams used since 1999 and replace them next spring with a computerized system. The purpose is to advance new learning goals, called the Common Core standards, that have been adopted by 45 states.
California would be moving up its timetable for the computerized tests by a year, leaving some school districts scrambling to prepare. The plan also would result in the suspension of test scores for at least a year during a trial run of the new exams.
The lack of test scores attracted Duncan's criticism.
"Letting an entire school year pass for millions of students without sharing information on their schools’ performance with them and their families is the wrong way to go about this transition," he said in a statement. "No one wants to over-test, but if you are going to support all students’