Evaluation system already under way

As a teacher leader in one of the districts commissioned by the 2010 Legislature to design and pilot new teacher/principal evaluation systems, I commend legislators Rosemary McAuliffe, Sharon Santos and Marcie Maxwell for insuring that a 2010 legislatively commissioned project isn't undermined by a few legislators who would like to take Washington down the ill-fated path of other states.

Last year my district and 16 others commissioned by the Legislature researched and designed new evaluation systems. This year we're piloting them. Sixty-five other districts joined us this year. They'll pilot next year. By 2013 every district will implement based on our cumulative piloting efforts. Unlike Tennessee and New York, whose legislatures rushed to force changes that collapsed under the sheer weight of imposing untried, unfunded and impossible regulatory decisions on school districts, the 2010 Legislature chose to implement a system to evaluate teachers/principals by funding initial development in some districts before requiring all districts to change.

These three experienced legislative leaders on the state's education committees are wise to support the ongoing work they and their fellow legislators set districts on in 2010, allowing Washington to emerge with one of the finest teacher/principal evaluation systems in the nation.

Justin Fox-Bailey
President, Snohomish Education Association