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eridani

(51,907 posts)
Sun Jun 1, 2014, 02:51 AM Jun 2014

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

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.”
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Tennessee Tied Teachers’ Jobs to Standardized Test Scores. Here’s How They Pushed Back—and Won (Original Post) eridani Jun 2014 OP
Fight against the Duncan/Rhee/Obama Educational Deform!!! blkmusclmachine Jun 2014 #1
If wish Florida teachers would wake up!! Sancho Jun 2014 #2
Most teachers here are too complacent. But I know some are getting upset. madfloridian Jun 2014 #3
Teachers everywhere are too complacent... YvonneCa Jun 2014 #4
They certainly are! charmay Jun 2014 #6
I'm wondering LWolf Jun 2014 #5

Sancho

(9,065 posts)
2. If wish Florida teachers would wake up!!
Sun Jun 1, 2014, 06:47 AM
Jun 2014

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



Kudos to the folks in Tennessee.

YvonneCa

(10,117 posts)
4. Teachers everywhere are too complacent...
Sun Jun 1, 2014, 01:40 PM
Jun 2014

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

charmay

(525 posts)
6. They certainly are!
Tue Jun 17, 2014, 09:55 AM
Jun 2014

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

(46,179 posts)
5. I'm wondering
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 11:49 AM
Jun 2014

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

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