The nation must “[demand] the best teacher in every classroom in America,” bellowed Chris Christie from the podium in Tampa on Tuesday evening. But that’s not what it’s getting today. This Bellwether analysis appraises the teacher-effectiveness laws, policies, and regulations in twenty-one states (including New Jersey) based on thirteen criteria, including: frequency of evaluation, teacher and principal dismissal procedures, pay-for-performance, and tenure policies. The evidence is sobering: Nearly half the states analyzed earn less than half the possible points. Top-scoring Indiana (our education-reform idol) garnered 11.75 of 13. (Louisiana, Florida, and Colorado also fared well; Ohio scored in the low-middle range: 5.5 out of 13.) Note, though, that this analysis addresses only state policies—which might unfairly dock forward-thinking jurisdictions with strong local control cultures or constitutional provisions that limit the scope of state authority. For those in need of help navigating smart teacher policy—and looking for best-practice solutions from across state lines—this report is a worthwhile resource. (Though all should also investigate NCTQ’s comprehensive yearbook on the subject—which catalogs teacher policy in all fifty-one of our nation’s jurisdictions.)
SOURCE: Sara Mead, Recent State Action on Teacher Effectiveness: What’s in State Laws and Regulations (Washington, D.C.: Bellwether Partners, August 2012).
