Opinion

That evaluation deadline

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott stepped up pressure last week for a deal on a new teacher-rating system by setting a Dec. 21 deadline — weeks ahead of Gov. Cuomo’s Jan. 17 cutoff for extra state aid.

But both dates may well be meaningless.

Because the idea that the teachers union, the United Federation of Teachers, would ever agree to anything — other than, perhaps, a sham system — has always seemed, well . . . unlikely.

(If not preposterous.)

After all, the point of a teacher-grading system is to identify which teachers are effective — and which aren’t.

Then, at least in theory, those who deserve it can be rewarded — and those who are struggling can be helped. Or let go.

But unions are meant to shield teachers from potentially negative outcomes, however well-deserved they may be.

So why would they ever sign off, at least willingly, on aplan that could lead to just that? Actually, they wouldn’t.

Which is why we’ve been expressing doubt from Day One that the city and UFT would ever strike a meaningful deal.

Notwithstanding the fact that Cuomo put $250 million in state school aid at risk, absent an agreement by this January. “As long as Cuomo leaves the union with a veto over reforms,” we said last winter, “there’ll never be any — even if districts lose state aid.”

No matter. Back in February, the governor boasted of a major breakthrough: The unions, he said, had agreed to a “ground-breaking” teacher-evaluation plan.

It would “put students first,” relegate politics to the back seat, “transform” schools and “make New York a national leader.”

If only.

In truth, his breakthrough did no such thing. Rather, it left final terms still to be agreed on by local districts and unions.

State aid, supposedly, would be the sweetener that would ensure a deal. But the unions nonetheless could still exercise a veto — and to hell with state aid — if they didn’t like the terms.

Which is just what the UFT has been doing all along: resisting a meaningful plan.

Now Walcott says there are only days left before final terms can be reached: To meet the state’s Jan. 17 deadline for aid, talks must wrap up by Dec. 21.

Walcott says he’s “an eternal optimist” and thus remains hopeful things will go well. Others think it will take some tough strong-arming by Cuomo himself to break the logjam.

But it may well be that nothing can get the UFT to buy in. Even if a deal is reached, you’d have to wonder if it had teeth.

The upshot may well be that only stronger legislation — passed over union objections — can lead to real reform.

Cuomo has so far refused to go that far.

New Yorkers may soon be able to judge the results. Or lack thereof.