The End of Education as We Know It

The administrator who runs this cockamamie plan to rate teachers by how students perform is quoted, "If you know as a parent what’s the deal, I think that whole aspect will change behavior."

Yes sir. Change behavior is what it will do. But do you know how? It will instill resentment into the profession of teaching. It will sow fear and loathing. It will encourage cheating, not by the students, by the teachers! It will poison a generation of teachers.

This is a very very very bad idea.

New York Measuring Teachers by Test Scores
By JENNIFER MEDINA

New York City has embarked on an ambitious experiment, yet to be announced, in which some 2,500 teachers are being measured on how much their students improve on annual standardized tests.

The move is so contentious that principals in some of the 140 schools participating have not told their teachers that they are being scrutinized based on student performance and improvement.

While officials say it is too early to determine how they will use the data, which is already being collected, they say it could eventually be used to help make decisions on teacher tenure or as a significant element in performance evaluations and bonuses. And they hold out the possibility that the ratings for individual teachers could be made public.

“If the only thing we do is make this data available to every person in the city — every teacher, every parent, every principal, and say do with it what you will — that will have been a powerful step forward,” said Chris Cerf, the deputy schools chancellor who is overseeing the project. “If you know as a parent what’s the deal, I think that whole aspect will change behavior....”