New Teacher Evaluation Legislation

It's been done for nearly a decade in the Utica city school districts. An annual professional performance review system to measure teacher and principal's effectiveness. But now New York State is trying to pass legislation for a new kind of evaluation system. "Well the State's coming out with, they're requiring through new legislation that the APPR process be linked that the teacher evaluation be linked to student performance. So that's new, that hasn't been implemented yet were working on the rubric the district will adapt." The teachers union has to participate and have feedback in the rubic.The new APPR requires curriculum to go beyond just finding answers, it goes further than that. "Ultimately were teaching students to become critical thinkers. We're teaching them not to give us simple answers to yes, no questions or factual questions. But we're teaching them to really analyze the situation, to form hypothesis, draw conclusions and to problem solve." Officials say the new legislation raises some questions for teachers that have yet to be worked out. "It requires that there be more accountability on the part of teachers as to the performance link. But there are many pieces to that that teachers are struggling with, if students with disabilities are being linked to those teachers, students with second language, English language learners. There are many factors that teachers are worried about, so those bugs have not been worked out to this, at this point."