Tennessee Tied Teachers’ Jobs to Standardized Test Scores. Here’s How They Pushed Back—and Won

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/tennessee-tied-teachers-jobs-standardized-test-scores-here-s-how-they-pushed-back-and-won-1401509408

Their campaign ended successfully on April 24, when Governor Bill Haslam signed a bill rolling back the use of a statistical instrument known as TVAAS in teacher licensing decisions—and hitting the pause button on an important facet of the testing trend in Tennessee, at least for the moment. Last year, public school teachers in Tennessee faced precisely that situation, but they didn’t take it lying down. Instead, they started a year of creative actions that led to a decisive change in policy—despite a governor determined to keep an unreliable statistical formula as a key method of evaluating teachers.

Education experts are divided as to what this development will mean for America’s schoolkids. But many believe that it could spark similar campaigns nationwide.

“The change in Tennessee sends a message about politics,” said Dan Goldhaber, director of the Center for Education Data and Research at the University of Washington. “It will embolden people in other states who think that tests ought not to be used for teacher evaluations to continue the pushback.”

According to Bob Peterson, president of the Milwaukee teachers’ union, the development in Tennessee is just one piece of the puzzle. “The success of the pushback in Tennessee is one part of the larger growing movement for testing reform, against the use of standardized tests to pigeonhole and sort our students, and to scapegoat our public schools and teachers,” Peterson said. “New York, California, Oregon—there’s growing grassroots activity.”

[blkmusclmachine]

1. Fight against the Duncan/Rhee/Obama Educational Deform!!!

[Sancho]

2. If wish Florida teachers would wake up!!

We still have too many who don't vote despite a crazy governor and a similar VAM formula.



Kudos to the folks in Tennessee.

[madfloridian]

3. Most teachers here are too complacent. But I know some are getting upset.

[YvonneCa]

4. Teachers everywhere are too complacent...

... California included. That may be because they are overworked and exhausted much of the time doing the hard work of supporting their students.

[charmay]

6. They certainly are!

I was a local union president, and I couldn't even get them to attend a 15 minute meeting. Most were very happy to let a few do the work.

[LWolf]

5. I'm wondering

if Tennessee got a waiver from NCLB; not using test scores to evaluate teachers will invalidate that waiver.