VAM Design Flaw: Where You Teach Matters!
(Illustration by Peter Hoey / For The Times)
First and foremost, I don’t consider myself a blind ideologue. I’m more than capable of appreciating the work and dedication put forth from both sides of the education debate. As a teacher in a low socio-economic status (SES) public middle school, I absolutely agree that our line of work is in need of modernization and professionalization. There is no denying that the greatest in-school factor in promoting student growth is teacher quality. That being said, the main concern I have centers on HOW education reformers are holding teachers accountable for student test scores. More specifically, I’m concerned with the DCPS IMPACT Plus Group 1 teacher evaluation system; and, how test scores negatively affect low SES DC public middle school teacher evaluations in Ward 8. I am not making “excuses”; I am merely shedding light on a significant flaw of the evaluation method.
First, there is no denying that a student’s academic starting line is further back in Ward 8 than in Ward 3. (Refer to chart below). Given this disparity, allow me to elaborate further by providing an example. Let’s say a public middle school student in Ward 8 (A) enters the sixth grade with the ability to read and compute on a third grade level. His or her sixth grade teacher must
Don’t Preach Like a Champion; Teach Like One.
There’s a huge misconception that all public schools are the same. Nothing is further from the truth. Although poverty is neither an excuse nor a reason to lower expectations, it’s a significant factor in the composition and operation of a public school. Many education reformers love to focus narrowly on setting high expectations and establishing a no excuses school culture. Both are importa
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