Two teachers on using test scores to evaluate teachers

by: teacherken

Sat Sep 05, 2009 at 08:19:50 AM EDT

One of the more controversial aspects of the Obama Education Department's approach has been its insistence upon using student test scores as a means of evaluating teachers for merit pay.  This is in fact something Sec. Duncan has posed as a non-negotiable requirement for a state to be eligible for $4.5 billion in grants that are part of ARRA (stimulus).  These funds, a part of the badly named Race to the Top (RtTP - as if the purpose of education is a race) have led Gov. Schwarzeneggar to try to change current law which that keeps test scores from being used to evaluate teachers.

I want to share an op ed in the Sacramento Bee by 2 teachers who are part of the Accomplished California Teachers Network.  David Cohen, who teaches in upscale Palo Alto, is like me a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of the Teacher Leaders Network.  Alex Kajitani is California's current Teacher of the Year, and teaches at an inner city middle school in San Diego.  And they clearly make the case in their title: Test scores poor tool for teacher evaluation.