Senator Jack Martins Deceives his Constituents on Teacher Evaluations
This is how Senator Jack Martins of Long Island describes the teacher evaluation system that he voted for. He says that it:
“Rejects the Governor’s unfair teacher evaluation proposals and puts the issue into the hands of the State Education Department and the Board of Regents so that teacher evaluation criteria are developed by education professionals, not politicians, after extensive public input from all stakeholders. Parents, teachers, school officials, and the general public will have every opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions as part of the process, just as they should;
Requires the Board of Regents to develop recommendations, by June 1st, on how to decrease the overall amount of state and local testing on students;
- He does not tell them that he voted for a bill that mandates that 50% of teacher evaluations be based on student test scores.
- He does not tell them that the bill mandates that teachers and principals whose students take the Common Core tests must be evaluated by how their students do, thus increasing the pressure on their children.
- He does not tell parents that the bill he voted for requires schools to bring in outsiders to evaluate their children’s teachers.
- He does not tell them that the bill outlaws principals from using lesson plans and parent surveys in evaluations.
- He does not tell them that at least 6-7% of all 4-8 teachers of math and ELA will need to be on an “improvement plan” because that is the percent of teachers who are rated Ineffective based on student test scores.
- He does not tell them that at least 7% of all principals who have Grades 3-8 in their school will need to be on an “improvement plan” because that is the percent of principals who are rated Ineffective based on student test scores.
We know that minimum percentage before even one child takes the test. It is a bell curve. By definition, each teacher and principal are set against the other. Even if their supervisor and the outside observer rate them highly effective, they must be on an improvement plan in the system he voted for.
Jack Martins and other members of the legislature caved to a bully governor. Now they are trying to pretend that the Regents are in control. All the Regents can do is work on small details. The legislature boxed them in with a horrible plan.
Now Jack Martins and other legislators do not have the courage to admit what they have done. They want to blame the Regents when the plan goes into effect. Senator Martins’ very smart constituents on Long Island will not be fooled.
You can read about the bill here. Then read the bill yourself. Jack Martins and the rest of the legislature think you sent them to Albany to micromanage teacher evaluations by testing our children. You did not.
Round the Inkwell 
One Response to “Senator Jack Martins Deceives his Constituents on Teacher Evaluations”
This is outrageous! All parents,teachers, and students should protest outside his office and get him to tell the truth. He works for the people who put him into office first not other politicians.