In this report from several months ago, I predicted, with worry, that some state RTT applications would appear on the surface to be gung-ho reform, but when layers were peeled back, the state's commitment would come into question. Georgia's RTT application substantiates this concern and underscores just how important it is for the Department to get tough.
In its section on teachers, Georgia discusses a bold performance pay program and strong action on certification and termination. But a close reading shows that these promises are contingent. In order to implement the new pay plan, brand new state legislation must be adopted. A compelling pay scale appears in the application but it represents "what teacher compensation might look like under the new legislation that is being introduced."
Similarly, the changes to policies on permanent certification and removal are all in the future tense: "The State will revise its certification rules..." (emphasis added)
In all of these instances, rather than already passing a new law or already changing regulations, the state pushes those activities into the future. In other words, these changes are potential, they are hypothetical. They may not happen.
And yet Georgia is a finalist.
If RTT is to be meaningful, the Department must buckle down on these issues. State promises absent substantial, verifiable changes are simply not good enough. RTT is an unprecedented and potentially never-to-be-seen-again opportunity. It must be defended accordingly.
Unfortunately, the "very, very high bar" continues to sag.