Chasing creative teachers from our classrooms

Is the new evaluation system in Georgia that uses student test scores to rate teachers hurting teacher recruitment and retention?

A University of Georgia professor who trains new teachers says “yes” in a column today, warning Georgia risks chasing the most creative young teachers out of the profession.

The focus on testing does not only dampen student enthusiasm, writes UGA professor Peter Smagorinsky. “What seems overlooked in considering this problem is the way in which teachers’ enthusiasm and dedication for their work get undermined by the manner in which their thinking has been taken away from them by the standardization of teaching and learning,” he says.