From the department of terrible ideas comes this gem: lawmakers in Wyoming have proposed putting video cameras in classrooms ?to help evaluate teachers' performance.? According to the Christian Science Monitor, the bill, sponsored by state Representative Steve Harshman, ?would set up pilot projects in four districts using camera monitoring for evaluations.? It ?also requires that a parent representative be on the team doing the evaluation.? ?It isn't an Orwellian thing,? said Harshman. Maybe not. But that Harshman saw a need to specify that his plan isn't, like, Orwellian or anything is a fine indication that his plan requires rethinking. Professionals should be judged on their performance. But they should not and do not appreciate when such judging involves the installation of surveillance equipment. I'm with the teachers' unions on this one. You want to do classroom evaluations, fine. Do ?em in person.?And?leave the cameras out of it.
UPDATE: Really, Mike? Yet another?way to dissuade?the talented people who, by some miracle,?actually still?want to become public school teachers.
?Liam Julian, Bernard Lee Schwartz Policy Fellow