Test rollback passes Georgia Senate, affecting teacher evaluations
The Georgia Senate unanimously approved a school testing bill that will affect more than 100,000 teachers.
The 45-0 vote on Senate Bill 364 pushes it over to the House a day before the "cross over" deadline Monday.
Under current law, at least half of each teacher’s evaluation must be based on the their students’ performance on state-mandated tests. Teachers say many of the tests are not designed well for accountability and, perhaps more importantly, that they cannot make students take the tests seriously, especially those kids who have unstable home lives and may have no plans to graduate.
SB 364 reduces “growth” results on tests to 30 percent of a teacher’s job review. It also reduces the number of tests required.
“We are being over tested,” said Sen. Lindsey Tippins, R-Marietta, the bill’s author.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
