How do you judge an effective teacher?
Georgia adopted a formula in which half of a teacher’s worth is based on how well students perform on a single test. The rate is even higher for principals; 70 percent of their evaluations depend on the test scores of students in their schools.
Teachers in Georgia have long complained that holding them accountable for test scores overlooks the many other factors that affect how well a student performs, including parents, home life and poverty.
Teachers raised these objections again this year to the General Assembly, but something unusual happened — they got somewhere. Several bills that reduce the impact of test scores on teacher ratings are under consideration by the lawmakers.
One such bill was discussed Wednesday at the House Education meeting. House Bill 1061 by Rep. Tom Dickson, R-Cohutta, would reduce the weight of test scores in education evaluations and put a focus on teacher improvement rather than punishment.
To read why teachers seem to be gaining ground this year, go to the AJC Get Schooled bog on MyAJC.com
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