Bowing to pressure from the teachers union, Gov. Cuomo and the Legislature reached a tentative deal Thursday that delays the use of state Common Core student test results to grade teachers who’ve been rated “ineffective” or “developing.”
The low-ranked teachers’ extended lease on job security would last for two years, 2014 and 2015, when their evaluations would be recalculated by excluding the state test score results of their students.
The Common Core test results would still count for teachers who were rated “effective” or “highly effective.”
Under current law, student results on state exams account for 20 percent of a teacher’s evaluation. The remaining 80 percent includes a mix of other measures, including non-state tests and a principal’s classroom observations.
The moratorium is a big victory for teachers’ unions that have fought the accountability program tied to the new Common Core standards since they were rolled out two years ago. Union leaders complained of flawed implementation.
They were jubilant at the delay.
“I would say we have finally made sure our message is heard more than anything right now,” said Karen Magee, president of New York State United Teachers.
She said the agreement would cover 1,000 ineffective teachers and 10,000 developing teachers statewide,
But parent advocates were furious.
“Cuomo and the Legislature absolutely caved in because it’s an election year,” she fumed.
Davids said New York City is already a year behind the rest of the state in implementing the more rigorous teacher evaluation program because the city teachers’ union resisted reaching a deal with former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, an impasse that cost the city $290 million.
Said Jenny Sedlis of Students First NY: “The two-year safety net that will allow ineffective teachers to remain in the classroom regardless of how their children perform on state tests is wrong-headed. This safety net opens the door to dismantling the whole evaluation system.”
State education officials questioned the need for the delay and gave only begrudging, qualified approval to the compromise.
“I hope this is the end of the debate,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch “I’m all for this compromise as long as the standards go forward. “
“If it’s a two-year pause it’s OK. If we end up two years from now with a push back for another two year delay, it becomes worrisome. I don’t have the appetite for sliding back when 60 percent of our students are not college or career ready,” added Tisch.
State Education Commissioner John King noted despite the firestorm of criticism, only one percent of teachers were rated ineffective last year.
”Despite that very small number, anxiety around the link between higher standards and teacher evaluation has persisted,” King said.
“The short-term safety net around evaluation consequences proposed by the governor and legislative leadership should relieve that anxiety while preserving a multiple measures evaluation system that includes student performance.”
When Common Core tests were first implemented, student scores plummeted — drawing outrage from parents, who complained the lower scores would hurt their kids’ chances of getting into better middle schools and high schools.
In response to parental complaints, Cuomo and lawmakers temporarily barred the use of grades 3-8 English and math test results from being put on student records to ease the transition to Common Core standards.
“Similarly, this legislation would address consequences for teachers and principals whose evaluation ratings are ineffective or developing in 2013-2014 and/or 2014-2015 due to Common Core State tests,” a bill memo released by Cuomo’s office said.
The Common Core test results will still count for teachers who were rated “effective” or “highly effective.”
Cuomo and legislators insisted the safety net for low-performing teachers did not constitute a moratorium or delay. Teachers rated ineffective two years in a row still face getting fired under an expedited hearing process, the governor’s office said.