Fire the Teacher over Testing is BAD POLICY

Only a monumental dumb ass would advocate for the policy to tie one shot test scores to teacher evaluations and terminations being proposed by HISD at the board meeting today. The supporters of this policy have abandoned research-based practices in favor of political expediency that will damage our ability to attract and retain teachers in some of the hardest to staff schools in the state.

I am betting that our District leaders will vote for taking the quick and easy route over doing the real work to improve schools. It is easiest to blame everything on the teacher or even the principal. We have a very important role in the process, however teachers who have the least amount of power in the process also are the targets of the most extreme examples of "accountability" gone amok. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with accountability. I want fairness and equity for everyone: our students, parents, and yes-- our teachers. What we will undoubtedly end up with once this is implemented is 110% teaching to the test and an increase in teacher turnover. Schools will be marginally better, at best. The dropout rate will continue to rise because our efforts are being spent on fighting teachers instead of fighting stressers that lead students to drop out.

More later, but if you haven't read the peer-reviewed journal, "Methodological Concerns About the Education Value-Added Assessment System, " then I suggest you take a look at it for explanations why I feel the way I do. It was written by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Professor at Arizona State University.