Cuomo compromise leaves evaluations for low-rated teachers

Jessica Bakeman

ALBANY—Governor Andrew Cuomo, teachers' unions and legislative leaders reached a deal on amendments to the state-mandated teacher- and principal-evaluation system that would remove student performance on Common Core-aligned test scores from the ratings of educators who perform poorly under the current system.

The program bill, which Cuomo released on Thursday, applies only to educators who are rated "developing" or "ineffective," the two lowest ratings, under the current system, which state officials estimate would number fewer than 1,000.

The proposal aims to provide a "safety net" to educators whose ratings were affected by the rough transition to the Common Core standards in New York and who could be fired because of it. The bill does not apply to educators who are rated "effective" or "highly effective" under current law.

Evaluation plans vary among New York's 700 school districts, but generally, they are calculated as follows: Student progress on state exams counts for 20 percent, local assessments count for another 20 percent, and the largest piece, 60 percent, is based on observations.

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