Nicholas Tampio is an associate professor of political science at Fordham University in the Bronx.
In a complex task like mentoring and rating teachers, there is no one-size-fits-all model. Best practice seems to require administrators to monitor starting teachers, give professional development, and fire them if the superintendent determines that the teacher will not likely succeed in that district. In high performing school districts such as Mamaroneck, Harrison, or Rye Neck, this model has contributed to some of the most academically successful schools in the country.
New York teachers deserve mentoring and support and a sensible way to remove underperforming members of the profession. What New York does not need is a simplistic method of teacher evaluation that scares educators to teach to the test and makes school a miserable place for children.
In New York, the public faces of education reform include Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, and incoming Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. But the theoretician of the governor’s plan to evaluate teachers is the less-well-known figure Thomas Kane.
In this piece, Tampio critiques Kane’s support of Cuomo’s plan — for a more in-depth understanding Read more here
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