Across the country states are deciding to tie pupil progress on standardized tests and overall achievement to teacher tenure and salary. In New Jersey a Task Force was created to research how this might be done in the NJ schools. This Task Force was discussed in an earlier post where I questioned the efficacy of the idea. Governor Christie has established a program that will award 1.1 million dollars to 9 school districts selected to pilot the program. That is roughly $100,000.00 per district selected. If you are anything like this author you are wondering how this will affect the school district that is poorly run and failing miserably. You are also wondering how an administration that has been documented demonstrating terrible bullying attitudes may be trusted with such an important assignment.
 |
| We fight for everyone's grandchildren. |
Oh no, not another program that uses our children as guinea pigs! What ever happened to schools being a safe, welcoming place for children? This town does not need less State mandates. Several Doctoral theses have been written on how this town's Board has demonstrated a history of deceiving and ignoring state recommendations without repraisal from the state department. It would be a fearsome thing to give this Board and this almost Superintendent more unsupervised power. The state hopes that Educators from pilot districts will be fully engaged in the program and will receive ample training. Englewood has a way of perverting programs that have proven successful in other towns into a poor, ineffective replica of the real thing. The AVID program is a fine example. A program designed to lift underachievers is actually being used to segregate students that have been tracked since they entered school. When parents complain, their children are removed. Who will watch the watchers? Who will evaluate the evaluators?
The up side of this initiative is that the State Department wants to know what you and I think about the idea. The Governor’s Education Transformation Task Force will hold two public hearings next week to solicit input for its review of the state’s education regulations. All members of the public are welcome to attend. Before attending, please follow the links below to increase your knowlege of the idea prior to attending.
Monday, July 11, 3:30pm, Pittsgrove Municipal Building, 989 Centerton Road, Pittsgrove, NJ
Tuesday, July 12, 3:30pm, Seton Hall University, McNulty Hall, Amphitheater SC101, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ.
Tuesday, July 12, 3:30pm, Seton Hall University, McNulty Hall, Amphitheater SC101, 400 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ.
Description: Excellent Educators for New Jersey (EE4NJ) is an initiative to pilot a new teacher evaluation system in several LEAs in the 2011-2012 school year. Governor Christie established the Education Effectiveness Task Force through a September 28, 2010 Executive Order. Nine members, with experience in and knowledge of education policy, administration, and teaching, were selected on October 28, 2010.
Link to the New Jersey Educator Effectiveness Task Force Interim Report
Read this report carefully. Something like it may be coming to your school district.
Link to Grant announcement of the Pilot program. Christie Administration Announces $1.1 Million Competitive Grant Encouraging School Districts to Participate in Teacher Evaluation Pilot Program. Pilot System Drives Districts and Educators to Innovate and Improve
http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2011/0621eval.htm
Link to the announcement and invitation. The Task Force also welcomes input on a next-generation accountability system for districts and schools that demands results while encouraging innovative approaches to improving student learning
http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2011/0707hear.htm
After examining the above information, use the email address below to express your opinions and or attend the public hearings listed above.
"We know that business is booming, facilities are beautiful, and profits are high, but how are the children?"
No comments:
Post a Comment