A Report Card for the Teacher?

About a month ago I ran across this article from the New York Times. I know, a month? Well, now it is here for your viewing pleasure!

In New York, they have a sort of report card system set up to grade the teachers each year.

"The reports use standardized test scores to monitor how much teachers have helped students improve from one year to the next and whether they are successful with particular groups of children, such as boys or those who have struggled for years."

Interesting concept. However, many teachers do not view these cards because it is not required by the school. Also, the report card does not affect teacher pay. So for the teachers who view it, they get to see where they stand with other teachers in New York and what group they work well with.

The reason I like the report card idea is because teachers DO need to be evaluated. Sure, I have a thing against state testing, but if we look at student scores and there is a huge sign that students are not doing well with a teacher then something is up. Knowing that information can be huge. Think about it. A school receives a report card that one of their teachers passed students who did poorly on state testing (along with other students in the class). The next teacher could recognize the problem early on, and that student would get the help they need through the school or outside sources. Also, the teacher with a low result would have more pressure to do better, or at least evaluate their teaching method.

So of course the Teacher's Union didn't want the test scores public. Why? The fact being that there are some bad teachers out there that are still keeping their jobs because they have their "years" in with the system and it is basically impossible to fire them. Now, I may not be the mind reader of all principals, but I saw this same thing in my school last year. There was a teacher that they wanted to fire. She was originally working with the young children (2nd-3rd) and some things happened so that they needed to move her. Well, she had at least 50 years of tenure under her belt and it was impossible. What to do? She becomes a specialist. Was she good? No. The class was chaos, and teachers began to do their own supplement of science because they were going to be tested in science this year on the state test. Those kids NEEDED the information. Eventually though she did go under early retirement the last 2 months of school. 

The school should have had a teacher in that class who was competent and could control it. It shouldn't have just been a placement position anywhere because they needed to move her. Don't get me wrong, wonderful lady outside of class. However, maybe she needed a report card to show herself where she stood in the classroom with other teachers.