This is part 4 of a series on how we use value-added data in Tennessee and across the nation. The entire series can be found below: Part 1: what the research says about value-added data Part 2: how value added data…
This is part 3 of a series on how we use value-added data in Tennessee and across the nation. The entire series can be found below: Part 1: what the research says about value-added data Part 2: how value added data…
Yesterday a post of mine on the need to rethink how we use teacher evaluations was published on a website titled The Educators Room. I’ve been struggling lately with the concept of teacher evaluations; not the method that we use…
Teacher evaluations always seemed fairly routine to me. Not much fanfare, not too many problems, even at the alternative school where I teach. However, that changed for me last summer. As I was enjoying my favorite way to wind down…
This post originally appeared in the Commercial Appeal on Sunday, August 3rd 2014. I have a confession: Halfway through my second year of teaching, I was questioning whether teaching was really the right career for me. I was putting in…
Interesting developments in Knox County, where the TEA is bringing a lawsuit against the state regarding TVAAS data. They claim that the system of evaluating teachers on TVAAS violates the 14th amendment of the US Constitution and should be thrown…
Happy November to all the educators out there! Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Here are your edlinks for the past few days: Dorsey Hopson sends a memo to Shelby County educators in the municipalities addressing concerns about…
From the Atlantic: This is a great article on the stress of the teaching profession and why some chose to stay and why some chose to leave. Here’s the opening, I highly recommend reading the whole thing, especially for policy…
Several stories and links from the past few days: Kevin Huffman joins the Tennessee Education blogosphere! He did point out a few interesting pieces of info, especially regarding Tennessee’s PLAN and EXPLORE (basically Mock ACT) tests rising above national norms…
Ed week did a great piece on Tennessee’s Teacher Evaluation alternative for performing arts teachers: Video footage of students sight-reading a musical score, or reciting a speech from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” Digital photos of students’ self-portraits. Samples of student-penned research…
