By Jocelyn Huber, DFER’s Director of Teacher Advocacy
Did you ever think you’d see this day? The National Education Association’s board of directors passed a policy statement that considers the role of standardized tests in evaluating teachers. Granted, the fact that the proposal must still be passed and has the potential to be significantly altered by the NEA’s Representative Assembly means that the impact of this statement is yet to be determined. And, the proposal isn’t nearly as rigorous or student-focused as most education reformers or we at DFER believe it must be to be considered a real attempt at reforming teacher evaluation systems.
But it’s a start. And the fact that the NEA has FINALLY stepped into the modern era of education and entered the discussion on evaluations is monumental and gives me a glimmer of hope for states that are struggling to develop more rigorous systems for evaluating teachers and principals.