New evaluation system garners mixed reactions

Local education leaders are looking forward to learning about the state's new teacher-principal evaluation system, but some think it is being pushed too fast.

"I feel the intent of what we're trying to do is probably pretty good, but I feel like we're moving way too fast," said Clovis Municipal Schools Superintendent Terry Myers.

"We're trying to base this new evaluation system on student performance. And that student performance is going to be measured by a system that we haven't tested."

Teachers in the state are now evaluated with a system that labels them "meets competency" or "does not meet competency."

On April 11, Gov. Susana Martinez directed the New Mexico Public Education Department to create a new teacher and principal evaluation system.

The U.S. Department of Education required the state develop a framework for a new evaluation system before the start of the fall 2012 semester. It's a requirement for granting the state a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Myers said educators in his district are unaware of what this system is going to produce because it has not been tested, tweaked and adjusted over time to yield reliable results.

Myers said it is difficult for educators to explain how the new evaluation system will affect schools because it is based on the unknown. He said he would prefer to have a system with parameters that are clearly defined so educators know exactly what they are trying to accomplish.

He believes the evaluation system could create anxiety in teachers and administrators.

"If we move too quickly, we're not going to get anything accurate," Myers said.

"We're going to create a bunch of anxiety and spend the next three to five years tweaking and fixing and changing and not accomplish what we're trying to with an evaluation system."

Myers believes starting teachers will adjust to the system easier than teachers who have taught in the district before.

Myers said experienced teachers could have a harder time adjusting to the new system due to rules being changed.

Elida Superintendent Jim Daugherty had a mixed opinion on the evaluation system.

Daugherty said the new system could possibly point out any weaknesses in the existing system. He also said he needs to learn about the new system's pros and cons before discussing teacher and principal achievement measures in his district.

"We should make sure its right before you put it in and not rush into things," Daugherty said.

"We need to make sure it's going to be a fair evaluation system."

Facts about New Mexico's New Teacher-Principal Evaluation System from the New Mexico Public Education Department website:

• Base 50 percent of each evaluation on three years worth of student achievement, as measured by the New Mexico Standards Based Assessment and other achievement measures selected by districts.
• Measure teachers and principals not on a pass or fail program, but instead within one of five different categories: Exemplary, highly effective, effective, minimally effective and ineffective.
• Work within the state's current three-tier licensure system, but allow effective teachers and principals to move through the system faster based upon performance in the classroom.
• Provide strategic interventions for teachers and principals who are rated minimally effective or ineffective.

Timeline for New Mexico's new teacher-principal evaluations system:

• May 2012 – Develop statutory rules to implement the new evaluation system, including public hearings and input from a stakeholder committee.
• Summer 2012 – Finalize rules for the new evaluation system.
• Summer-Fall 2012 – Begin professional development under the new evaluation system.
• August 2012-June 2013 – Implement pilot projects for the new evaluation system.
• August 2012-August 2013 - In collaboration with districts, ensure that end-of-course assessments for non-tested subjects and grades are in place.
• 2013-2014 school year – Fully implement the evaluation system.