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Regional forums set on educator evaluation regulations

MTA members are encouraged to let the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education know how they feel about the new educator evaluation regulations. Public comment is due by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 10, and the BESE is expected to vote on June 28.

A link to send a message to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with suggested comments and the option of adding your own, can be found at: http://massteacher.org/evaluationregulations.  

Members are also encouraged to learn more about the proposal and speak out at regional DESE forums. Each will be from 4 to 6 p.m. The dates and locations are:

Wednesday, June 1, Wilmington High School, Wilmington

Monday, June 6, Mill Pond Middle School, Westborough

Tuesday, June 7, Agawam Junior High School, Agawam

Thursday, June 9, Middleborough High School, Middleborough

Monday, June 13, North Quincy High School, Quincy

Tuesday, June 14, Taconic High School, Pittsfield

Educators are asked to reserve a seat through the DESE at this link: http://www.doe.mass.edu/conference/?ConferenceID=1117

The MTA is continuing to work with the DESE to improve the regulations. Member support for four important changes would be very useful:

  • Trends. Any use of standardized test measures for evaluations should be based on “trends over time” in student learning outcomes, not data from one year.
  • Student learning outcomes. Although student learning outcomes do not constitute a specific percentage of an educator’s evaluation in the proposed regulations, the regulations should explicitly state that decisions related to educator dismissal may not be based solely on any metric resulting from student standardized test results.
  • Evaluator Qualifications. The regulations and DESE funding priorities should be changed to ensure that evaluators of teachers have at least five years of teaching experience, are trained in effective evaluations, can demonstrate their skills and have the support they need to implement these demanding new regulations.
  • Collective Bargaining. Details about how the new systems will work should continue to be left to local collective bargaining, including the development and use of parent and student surveys, if they are mandated.

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