LFT President Steve Monaghan, left, and Jefferson Federation President Meladie Munch, right, applaud AFT President Randi Weingarten.
Teacher evaluations should be meaningful and appropriate, and should be seen as professional development tools, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten told delegates to the 45th annual Louisiana Federation of Teachers convention.
"Evaluations should not be viewed as a 'gotcha system,' " she said.”That's not an evaluation that will help us help all kids.
As long as teacher evaluations are based on student test scores, Weingarten told a cheering crowd, teachers will continue to be victims of a bureaucratic blame game.
The AFT president said the federal government should "work with us, give us the tools and conditions that teachers need to get the job done. Help us do the best we can do, so we can prepare the next generation for a life where they don't simply have dreams but have the wherewithal to fulfill those dreams."
There is some hope in the new $4.4 billion Race to the Top program, Weingarten said, because it calls for teacher evaluations to be based on multiple categories, not just student test scores.
As part of Louisiana’s application for Race to the Top funds, officials have agreed to include a Learning Environment Index in the calculation of a teacher’s effectiveness. The Index, a priority of the LFT, includes in the evaluation conditions which may not be under the teacher’s direct control. Those issues can range from the physical condition of the school to discipline issues, to adequacy of resources such as textbooks and educational materials.