Tuesday, February 16, 2010

They must make the grade: DOE will finally use test scores to grant teacher tenure

They must make the grade: DOE will finally use test scores to grant teacher tenure



Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is about to consider how well probationary teachers have proven themselves in the classroom before granting them the lifetime job protection of tenure.
Sound like common sense? Sure does.
You thought chancellors already checked teacher quality in making tenure decisions? Silly you.
Only in recent years has the school system had the test-score data necessary to gauge whether individual teachers were raising student achievement. One result was that tenure decisions, made when instructors have completed three years on the job, were pretty much rubber-stamped.
In 2009, fully 93% of the teachers up for tenure got it, including many who had been given unsatisfactory performance ratings.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/02/14/2010-02-14_they_must_make_the_grade.html#ixzz0fhsaRcLK