Texas

TexasTowelie

(112,399 posts) Tue Sep 29, 2015, 05:44 PM Sep 2015

Texas receives federal waiver, but is defiant in meeting requirements

The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that it was renewing for one year Texas’ waiver from some of the provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act but continued to take issue with the state’s teacher and principal evaluation system.

In a statement announcing Texas’ waiver approval, the department also placed the state under a “high risk status,” which could mean the Lone Star State may be at risk of losing the waiver beyond the 2015-2016 school year. Besides South Dakota, Texas is the only state to receive the high-risk designation. Texas’ waiver in future years is conditional on statewide use of specific teacher and principal evaluation systems, something Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams rejected in a response Tuesday.

Williams said the state is not changing its position on allowing local school districts to choose their own evaluation systems. He struck the same defiant tone earlier this year, saying he does not have the authority to compel local districts to use a uniform system, nor did he plan to erode the agency’s commitment to local control in public education.

“Our state believes strongly in local control of our schools,” Williams said Tuesday. “As a result, we will continue discussing this specific point with the U.S. Department of Education, but they should not expect any shift in Texas’ position.”

Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional/texas-receives-federal-waiver-but-is-defiant-in-me/nnqtt/?icmp=statesman_internallink_referralbox_free-to-premium-referral

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Texas receives federal waiver, but is defiant in meeting requirements (Original Post) TexasTowelie Sep 2015 OP

When a teacher moves and is then employed at another school district, that evaluation goes DhhD Sep 2015 #1

In Texas, some teachers get mostly advanced students and other DhhD Sep 2015 #2

DhhD

(4,695 posts)

1. When a teacher moves and is then employed at another school district, that evaluation goes

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Wed Sep 30, 2015, 06:55 AM

Sep 2015

with the teacher. IMO there should be both a federal uniform evaluation that allows no discrimination and a state evaluation that districts use for teachers that live in the neighborhood that they grew up in and are politically tied with, the surrounding community. Making way for your friends, neighbors and family members to have the local education jobs, is the politically correct things to do in Texas, the Good Old Boy, State. Hiring the best teacher, is second to politics in Texas. Keep in mind the school funding suite when you think Texas Conservatism has any regard for its children. College teachers with a PhD, are becoming temporary workers with no benefits, by the decisions of the Texas Legislature.

DhhD

(4,695 posts)

2. In Texas, some teachers get mostly advanced students and other

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Wed Sep 30, 2015, 03:40 PM

Sep 2015

teachers, in the same school, get the average general education students. The curriculum objectives are different. And advanced student work give duel college hour credit.
How could an assessment be fair if the Pre-Advanced Students and the Advanced Students were given to certain teachers? Which students test scores would be much better? And how could a stipend for the better student scores be given to only these teachers year after year? The NCLB model does not fit Texas teachers or the state's curriculum. Wonder why there is such a turn over every two to five years.

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