As we informed you earlier this week, your union leaders have remained fully engaged in a collaborative process to address the many issues resulting from implementation of new teacher evaluations. Today, along with our public education allies, we moved the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) to recommend changes to the state’s guidelines that our member teachers have been advocating for.
The proposals we shared with you on Tuesday were unanimously approved by PEAC:
Separating student tests – teacher evaluations will not be based upon a single standardized student test score.
Neutral dispute resolution – a subcommittee of a local district’s Professional Development and Evaluation Committee (PDEC) will review unresolved disputes.
Clarifying “performance” in ratings – the definition for each of four evaluation designators will be clarified to reflect progress toward achieving goals.
While all three are significant improvements, the first will no doubt be the most welcome. “De-linking” teacher evaluations from a single test score and focusing on “growth over time” is a major step forward for all of Connecticut’s educators and their students.
The next step is for these recommendations to be submitted to the State Board of Education for formal adoption at their regular meeting on May 7.
More to come, and in solidarity,
Melodie Peters
President, AFT Connecticut
Steve McKeever
First Vice-President, AFT Connecticut
Jean Morningstar
Second Vice-President, AFT Connecticut
Patti Fusco
Pre-K-12 Jurisdictional Vice-President, AFT Connecticut
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