Regent Catherine Collins, PhD
Dear Regent Collins:
I am writing to thank you for your previous no vote and to
urge you to stay the course as the Board of Regents convenes on September 16th
to consider making the
new teacher-principal evaluation rules permanent. I implore
all the members of the Board of Regents to fully examine all the negatives
associated with coupling these evaluations with high stakes tests. Like so many others I have questions about the
validity of these tests, as they are used to measure the proficiency of our
students. Furthermore, the opt-out of
the 2015 tests by over 200,000 students adds significant doubt to the relevance
of using these tests as part of the teacher/principal evaluation scheme. Before the New York State Education Department
institutionalizes these tests as a major component in the teacher/principal evaluation
system these questions should be answered.
While
I write this letter to voice my opinion/concern as an educator, community
member and grandmother of two Buffalo Schools’ students, I am also a member of
the Buffalo Board of Education. As a member of that body, however, it would be
unconscionable not to note the recent revelation (September 4th)
that the company we hired to calculate the APPR ratings of our teachers made a
major error in their formula resulting in inaccurate ratings for 45% of our
teaching staff. This miscalculation was
only uncovered thanks to the diligence of one teacher, who questioned her
individual rating. In all likelihood a recalculation
of the evaluations will result in upgraded evaluations for the majority of
1,089 teachers. I am angered by this company’s
critical mistake and horrified to imagine the damage that would have been done
if this problem had not been uncovered. Who knows how many other districts will
encounter a similar problem? This is a glaring example of another compelling argument
for not approving these rules, which should weigh heavily in the Regents’ deliberations
on this issue. I’m sure that if the data
is thoroughly examined the Regents will come to the conclusion that these rules
should not become permanent.
Regent
Collins, thank you again, on the behalf of the children of this District for
your commitment to ensure better educational outcomes. Your vote is crucial in supporting this goal.
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Seals Nevergold
Barbara
A. Seals Nevergold, PhD
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