We Need Fair Teacher Evaluations

NEW YORK, NY (02/06/2012)(readMedia)-- Blaming teachers for everything that's wrong with education has become a blood sport in Albany and even many city halls across New York State.

It's wrong - it's cruel and it's pulling the wool over the eyes of students, parents and everyone else who depends on state services for basic services like police and fire protection, quality health care, efficient mass transit systems, secure prisons and top-flight colleges and universities.

While there are many fine ideas in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's new budget proposal, as far as teacher evaluations, he is stirring needless division and undermining his administration's admirable first year record of building political and policy consensus.

A centerpiece of Cuomo's budget address dealt with teacher evaluations. No one in education or the business community would argue that teachers should be evaluated fairly, denied tenure if they don't perform well in their first three years on the job and terminated if they prove unsatisfactory year after year.

But the governor's tactical plan in achieving these objectives is not the right way to go.

He essentially told the state and local teachers' unions and the State Education Department they must agree to an evaluation plan within 30 days or he will impose one on them. The local districts then have a year to implement it or lose annual increases in state aid every year until they do so - as much as $800 million in state aid and possibly another $700 million in federal money.

The reality is that his decree will be challenged in the courts, just as the New York State United Teachers successfully halted the State Education Department's plan to double the weight of student performance on teacher evaluations. Another court fight will delay any reform and create uncertainty in every local school budget. This is no way to plan for education needs. This Cuomo Administration already knows that the best way to achieve good policy goals is by building consensus. On the question of teacher evaluations, the Governor should revert to that smart and effective strategy.

All New Yorkers and all business leaders value good teachers, but we cannot blame poor performances or inappropriate behavior by the few to tarnish the hundreds of thousands of good teachers across the state.

Yes, evaluations are necessary and appropriate management tools to drive better performances in our schools. But it is a mistake to impose by fiat the type of evaluation each school district must use. Instead, they must be worked out in a fair and honest way at the bargaining table. Negotiations were underway in New York City between the city's Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers, but then the city abruptly walked away from the talks. Throwing fuel on the fire, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told one city newspaper the UFT doesn't "give a s-t" about losing state money.

Come on, Mr. Bloomberg.

The Governor should put the saber-rattling aside and develop a plan that does not drive good teachers out of their chosen profession and rob children of the learning they would get from such well-performing instructors.

Alan Lubin is Co - Chair of the Business and Labor Coalition of New York (www.Balconynewyork.com) and formerly Executive Vice President of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)