New York City School Teachers Failing, Report Deems One In Five Ineffective

A pilot teacher evaluation system implemented at 20 New York City schools found that almost one in five teachers were scored at the lowest tier of the four-category scale.

The proportion -- 18 percent ineffective -- is a far cry from the just 2 percent of teachers usually considered ineffective under the former evaluation model, Crain's New York Business reports.

A designation of "ineffective" can force even tenured teachers out of the system after two years, according to The New York Post.

"If these numbers were applied systemwide, the city would have the highest percentage of unsatisfactory teachers in the nation," David Weiner, deputy chancellor for talent, labor and innovation, said during the Crain's Future of New York City conference Tuesday.

The new model scores teachers on a scale of "highly effective," "effective," "developing" or "ineffective" based on criteria including in-class observations and student test scores. Student performance is weighted at 40 percent of the teacher's score, in line with the previous assessment model.

The Department of Education is looking to expand the evaluation model to 150 schools this fall, then to the entire public school system by next academic year, The Post reports.

This report comes just after the Education Department came to an agreement last week on an evaluation and compensation system at 33 failing schools -- for the first time tying teacher performance to student achievement.

Comments

[Anastasia Giselle]

01:21 PM on 07/28/2011

What suggestions do teachers have or what explanation is there for failing schools? The system? (I'm not trying to be combative, I'm genuinely asking because it seems like teachers - most that I've spoken to don't want to take any responsibility for schools that have become "drop out factories")

At what point do we say there is a problem? Most children can not read at the level that they are supposed to, I'm going to just address that for now.

* I am actually open to conversation, I'm not a know it all nor am I blaming anyone, I have my opinions and they have not been expressed so I appreciate open mindedness ahead of time from you bashers.*

[ElGuybrush]

02:16 AM on 07/27/2011

You know what the odd thing about all this is?
I have a friend who came from Russia, and her daughter was asking about the school system here.
I asked her opinion about the difference in schools, and she said the number one difference was that there the teachers essentially didn't care about the success of their students. Here, she was frustrated because the teachers cared but had a very narrow version of what they wanted (she was in an ESL class and apparently there were personality conflicts)

So I do believe that our teachers go into the field because they want kids to succeed, lord knows they're not in it for the money, but there is a huge issue of kids (and this is something she pointed out) just not caring the least about school.

Perhaps all those schoolyard taunts of "nerd" "dork" "geek" etc... really do reflect an atmosphere in our society where being studious is considered asocial behavior. It would certainly explain how dubya got elected and palin almost got elected - a certain component of america must hold intellect with disdain.

[theillusion]

12:13 PM on 07/26/2011

Nobody wants to think about the socio-economic situation because it points to our society and we do need someone to blame. They will blame and fire teachers, invest in technology and have kids taking online classes because educational software is profitable if you have a big contract with the DOE. If you can get society and school districts to measure student growth with a standardized test, well, that can be accomplished with some software for half the prize.

1. Measure growth with a standardized test
2. Weaken and destroy unions to get cheap and inexperienced teachers
3. Get teachers to teach to the test in order to keep their jobs
4. Prove that educational software and online programs are effective (or superior) at teaching students
5. Educational software with a teacher in China or India (well maybe not China or India but you get the point) will be teaching students

[jeremyemilio]

11:19 AM on 07/26/2011

The teacher evaluation model is obviously flawed... but as a teacher myself let me assure you that 1/5th of teachers being judged as ineffectual is a low estimate.

So how do you know an ineffectual teacher? It's kind of like p0rn, I guess. You know it when you see it.

[theillusion]

12:21 PM on 07/26/2011

How will we know ineffectual teacher? When we see the teacher teaching in the classroom? When we look at the testing data? When we looking at classroom engagement and culture? What exactly are we looking for?

[jeremyemilio]

01:21 PM on 07/26/2011

Like I said... you kinda gotta be there... but students know it... and so do fellow teachers.

[granitegirl]

04:12 PM on 07/26/2011

This is a valid question but not easily answered. That is probably why some look to testing results as an answer

Some of what you mentioned is part of the answer but rating these becomes subjective. There are so many variables - teachers, students, school climate, funds for materials, books, field trips,etc. They are not easiy quantified.
When I was teaching (until 2005) our evaluation was done on a scale of 1-10 (I prefer 1-5 scales) and the evaluator had to provide written input with suggestions for means of improvement if needed.. Then the teacher could write objections if he-she chose.
The items for evaluation covered attendance, appropriate-professional dress, lesson plans and activities, student interaction (classroom observations - more than once), and many other items - it was a long list!
In a conflict situation an agreed upon outside professional could do classroom observations etc.
This applied to so-called tenured teachers. Up to 3 years teachers could be let go without any reason needed. Our State legislature just upped this to 5 years. This is to by-pass union contracts related to the process of firing a teacher. Certainly any principal should be able to tell within 3 years whether or not a teacher is effective.
Then there is the politics within the school setting or community.........

As others have said - you know it when you see it.

[methodman]

04:09 PM on 07/25/2011

This does not make sense. It does not matter where you live. I subscribed to Safari online books 5-slot bookshelf for $10 a month for 5 books a month. Really though they recently lowered their subscription to $30 down from $42 which makes it affordible for me so they got a new customer. For this I get access to a Technical Math, Computer and hopefully more science. And quite a few courses have been developed for many courses. There is also VTC for newbies and they are $250 a year but they don't carry books.

[f2900]

02:25 PM on 07/25/2011

I teach a introduction to high school class in summer school in the SoCal suburbs. This morning I asked my students what percentage of their educational progress was their responsbility and how much was their parents' and teachers'. Their own? Most answered from 50 - 80%! The majority felt their parents were more responsible than their teachers were for making sure they got a good education. Food for thought.

[Dede Eagleburger]

03:29 PM on 07/25/2011

Exactly! The KIDS get it, and the politicians don't!

[dadw5boys]

09:03 PM on 07/24/2011

Around 30% ofTeachers in some states like South Carolina are not even Licensed but hold some Exemption or Exception that allows them to Teach while they go to school to become a Teacher.
The rules are not real spefic about a timeline when they must have the license or if they can have to expemption renewed year after year.
These People are working for 1/2 what a Licensed Teachers makes and the States gets what they pay for too

[Venicelady]

12:08 AM on 07/25/2011

In NYC, a teacher that holds a Bachelor's degree must be provisionally certified to teach, then must go on for a Master's within three to five years, and complete all of the requirements for NYS permanent certification in order to keep a teaching position.

In addition, those of us that are permanently certified must have logged 175 professional development hours every five years ( and prove it) in order to keep our permanent certification with the state.

[dadw5boys]

01:29 AM on 07/25/2011

NYC is also paying for what they want. In the South they are not required to seeks Master Degree but are awarded only $1,200 extra a year if they earn one.
That would bring thier pay up to $43,700 a year .

[Ghoulish]

02:27 PM on 07/25/2011

In Mississippi they are granted a temporary teaching license. Qualifications for a regular teaching license must be met within five years. A person must have a bachelors degree in the area they want to teach to obtain a temporary license. Their pay is not penalized for teaching with a temporary license. Despite all of the teacher lay-offs around the country, Mississippi is still granting temporary licenses to people with degrees in math, science, or a foreign language (all critical needs subjects). Temporary licenses are not granted to elementary school teachers because there is not a shortage in that area.

States like Mississippi need to take a long look at why they have such a hard time getting and retaining people to teach secondary school. The quality of education for students will continue to decline if they insist on ignoring this issue.

[PirateJohn]

06:58 PM on 07/24/2011

Also in the news, 50% of doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class.

[MelodyG]

12:16 PM on 07/26/2011

Thank you. The vilification of teachers has got to stop. Unless the goal is to destroy public education, which it may very well be, using teachers, teacher's unions, and teacher's salaries as a scapegoat for all of our education systems ills will do nothing but drive qualified teachers out of the profession. I'm surprised anyone is still interested in entering education as a profession.

This article also fails to mention that it can take two-three years for a new teacher to become proficient or that the rating system is sometimes abused by administrators to get rid of "problem" teachers.

[rtraweek]

06:40 PM on 07/24/2011

Why does no one ever correlate these numbers with students' socio-economic status? New York is going to demonize and fire it's most courageous teachers, those who take on, or are "stuck with" the most difficult challenges, the poorest, most disadvantaged children.

Teachers in New York will now have a new mantra: Give your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!

[dadw5boys]

05:11 PM on 07/24/2011

So 1 of 5 is a New Teacher ?
How many retire out of that system each year ?
Or do the School Systems expect New Teachers to be as effective as those with years of experience ?

[chillis]

06:31 PM on 07/24/2011

That is a very good point. The administrators in our district were told that even experienced, capable teachers should be ranked at 3 on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being the best. The state does not want to see "too many" 4s or 5s. So the evaluation and ranking system has nothing to do with whether we are excellent teachers, it has to do with the way the GOP "reformers" want the numbers to appear. The evaluation system is a game designed to sell the product called education reform.

Also, the trainers the state hired told the principals that new teachers should probably fall at 2 or 3. Wow. Sight unseen, the trainers know these teachers are incompetent.

[dadw5boys]

08:29 PM on 07/24/2011

The Propaganda has begun again against Teachers.

Many Republicans believe that Teachers made over $80,000 a year when most are only making $42,000 after 30 years. The Propaganda Control seems to be pushing Teachers pa down to match that of Central American Teachers near $ 22,000 after 30 years/

But they don't want Teachers to stay and retire just teach a few years them move along let Young and cheaper people Teach.

[jeremyemilio]

11:39 AM on 07/26/2011

The teacher who is excellent, or above average even, in his/her first year is rare indeed.

But make enough mistakes in year one, and you could be pretty great by year two!

Likewise, if they keep giving you different teaching assignments, different grade levels, different ability levels, different courses, your first few years will likely be rough... but you'll be an expert in no time!

People continually argue that there is no good, objective way to measure teacher performance... but there is. Teachers need to be evaluated against their own former performance in specific tasks. Track teacher progress in relation to what they are teaching. Second, third, fourth time around with a course, a grade level, or an ability level, there should be evidence of improvement. If a teacher is improving, s/he'll be just fine, and so will his/her students.

If improvement is not seen in one area or another, then the teacher needs to be moved into areas where improvement is evident and success is likely. Maybe s/he just isn't cut out to teach grade 9 music (perhaps that advanced Math degree could be put better use elsewhere...).

[hendrikjohan]

09:21 AM on 07/24/2011

I'm in Sales, my results are posted Daily for all to see. Why are teachers the only workers in America who somehow cannot be evaluated? I understand that Administrations and Parents, which cannot be controlled in the classroom, play a role in the success/failure of a teacher's efforts. I reject the notion that effective teaching can't occur if teachers are judged by the results--how much a student learns. Sounds like whining. And if the perception that Teacher's Unions are not working for the benefit of Students is not disturbing to most Teachers, it should be. As a parent, that is a fatal disconnect which has to be corrected. Too many students are not engaged in their education. Too many parents aren't educated enough to realize its' importance. Throw out those two extremes and gage teachers on the rest. Reward excellence and dismiss failures. The future of our country depends on the quality of our student product. How we feel about the evaluations of the adults involved won't matter over time. The only thing that will is the results--a highly educated workforce, or permanent second--or third--world status.

[Ghoulish]

01:44 PM on 07/24/2011

Teachers want to be evaluated on how much a student learns. I don't know any teachers who are against that. Teachers are upset because the evaluations that are in place right now, and the ones that are being proposed, do not evaluate them on how much a student learns because it fails to consider where the student was when they entered that particular teacher's classroom. The current evaluation system also fails to take into account the effort of the student, or his parent's involvement or lack thereof.

Also, teacher's recommendations to hold a student back are almost never granted. Why is it fair for an 11th grade English teacher to be evaluated on a student's test score when he has been socially promoted through 9th and 10th grade English without ever really knowing the material? This happens much, much more often than you think. Not to mention the fact that a student doesn't have to know much to get a D for the year. A D equals passing and moving onto the next grade, but it equals minimal (or failing) on a standardized test.

[hendrikjohan]

02:52 PM on 07/24/2011

Ghoulish, (lol) Thanks for the answer. Evaluation standards are key, I agree. If you don't know where the student is at the beginning, evaluating the end-product is pointless. Outside factors (parents, student effort, school system) must also be weighed, I agree. I just hear too many teachers carp that no one can evaluate them. Huh? Crap evals, like the system you talked about, are useless, and often serve other purposes. I wish--wait, I Want more teachers to demand a seat at the table when these evals are being created. Demonizing teachers isn't the answer. Protecting a system which fails kids and protects adults is the wrong answer. I'm just trying to build a better set of questions.

[theillusion]

11:13 PM on 07/26/2011

Great points. I'm not sure how the state will evaluate teachers who teach students with special needs? That is primarily the students I teach but I'm not sure how I'll be evaluated. Most of my students are LD and ED but they are coming to HS reading on a 3rd or 4th grade level. Many of the kids that I teach don't have IEPs but read on a elementary level. I think it would be fair to evaluate SPED teachers based on some form of student progress model.

[TomPaine07]

02:11 PM on 07/24/2011

hewnsrikjohan-
I don't know what you sell, but I'm sure your product is not learning. Products have a set of fixed parameters- they are made to specs. Human beings- students- are variable. They are not 'products.' Additionally, not all school populations are the same. Many inner city urban neighborhoods serviced by specific schools have large populations of poor and immigrant populations while other neighborhoods are more middle class... the same standards of achievement are not applicable. Also you should consider that the administrators who are evaluating the teachers are not all of equal quality- this is especially true in NYC.

[hendrikjohan]

02:53 PM on 07/24/2011

Tom Paine (sigh), What are you talking about?

[chillis]

11:52 PM on 07/23/2011

Don't believe the hype. The more I look at the new evaluation system in my state, the more I think that the evaluation system is specifically designed to create discontentment among the public. We have been sold the same line of "what's wrong with these kids today" bull that has been peddled to every generation before us. The evaluation system is rigged to make it nearly impossible to succeed. Teachers have been told as much in our meetings with administrators. The teachers have not suddenly become a bunch of lazy sods, nor have the majority of students. This is corporate created crisis. It is designed to sell reform, and believe me, reform is a business.

[Dorothy Moody]

03:12 AM on 07/24/2011

Fanned and faved -- you hit it right on the head. I don't know any lazy teachers, but I do know teachers who could use some encouragement from admin.

[Brent Rossen]

06:59 AM on 07/24/2011

"What's wrong with kids today" is simply an identity crisis. They are forced to choose between what they subliminally learn about life and society in school, and the truth. I wouldn't worry about them too much though. Older generations don't like to give younger generations any credit, but if it weren't for the veracity of younger generations we wouldn't have all the civil rights we enjoy now. Or at least until they've been dismantled by "constitutional amendments."

[poeticjustice4all]

09:48 PM on 07/23/2011

1 in 5? That's wishful thinking. Most reliable estimates cite numbers at least twice that high.

[Gareth Robinson]

11:25 AM on 07/24/2011

Perhaps you could cite some of these reliable estimates. I would be interested in reading them myself.

[dadw5boys]

08:31 PM on 07/24/2011

1 in 5 --- is new employee -- they have made the test to be skewed against the Teachers and some states are telling the Graders not to grade any Teachers at the Top

[debberae]

07:54 PM on 07/23/2011

I feel for teachers what with all the "New Models" that have cropped up over the last several decades. This is "old school" I know, but what ever happened to the "three R's"? Focusing on the fundamentals in primary education gave children a solid base for future learning. How can you impart knowledge to children who cannot read and have only rudimentary math skills? Please don't talk to me about parental involvement. My teachers were effective and my parents didn't need their help at home when I wouldn't brush my teeth. Flash cards, drills, and math tables and spelling bees were effective for most students.It was rote learning, but it worked. These days we pay a teacher's aide to grade papers. When we used to grade each other's assignments in class it was a time to review the material and reinforce what we had learned. Hopelessly old-fashioned I know, but maybe the "New Model" should be the old model. I'm sure that software can be developed.LOL

[Dorothy Moody]

03:06 AM on 07/24/2011

One of the problems is that some classes are so overcrowded that it's easy to overlook a student who is struggling. Many are so embarrassed that they've developed strategies (misbehaving, not turning in work, frequent restroom visits) to hide their problems. I would love to be able to have my students grade each other's work, but I cannot assess my teaching and where I need to re-teach if students are "helping" each other by changing answers (it happens in the best of schools). There are no easy answers, it's a school by school problem.

[debberae]

11:21 AM on 07/24/2011

Good luck in your efforts Ms. Moody. Conditions in schools are indeed difficult. I stated my belief in a solid primary education which would facilitate secondary learning where most of the problems exist. Parents need to address the concerns of their children's behavior at home, in school, and in public. Teachers need to be thanked and thanked often for their commitment to our youth. Here is yours----THANK YOU

[granitegirl]

12:30 AM on 07/25/2011

Children correcting one another's tests have been stopped here re: confidentiality issues.
I was also in school when this was a common practice. No matter how you try to hide it, students know which classmates do well and which are less capable.
Remember when elementary reading groups had cutsie names like Lions, Elephants, Zebras. Everyone knew the Lions were the smartest kids and the Zebras were the lowest readers.

[Brent Rossen]

07:04 AM on 07/24/2011

In order to learn requires a true interest of the subject, especially for children. One wonders why they can't choose what they want to learn earlier on... maybe with the advent of the internet that is already occurring? But learning has to come from the freedom to explore and not from a strict curriculum that is shoved down the throats of teachers and students alike.

[debberae]

11:33 AM on 07/24/2011

I'm sorry but I must disagree. Creative teaching is very important but without a solid foundation in basic subjects a student will flounder. Following your reasoning all children should choose their own upbringing, set their own curfews, bedtimes, manners or lack thereof, etc..A well rounded education is great gift we can give our students, as well as caring, concerned, and inspiring teachers.

[f2900]

09:57 AM on 07/25/2011

What you describe here is an approach that is found in the Reggio Emelia curriculum for preschool. It can be very effective! Children show interest in, let's say, knights because of a movie they saw at home. They are encouraged to investigate and gather information, create artworks, undertake projects (such as building a castle out of cardboard boxes), that allow them to explore the subject and engage other children who are also interested. Then you also, because of their interest, get them interested in mathematics (figuring out how to make the fort), reading (books about knights), etc. It is the format used at my school district's preschool quite effectively. Learning the fundamentals at an early age can absolutely be engaging and fitted into a child's interest. Rote memorization is not the only way to get children to learn; many must be engaged and interested for the learning to stick.

[Melissa McCarthy]

07:41 PM on 07/23/2011

How about an evaluation of parents and administrators?

[PixieGirl0731]

10:26 PM on 07/23/2011

I will get in line to create their checklist and rubric!

[Dorothy Moody]

03:27 AM on 07/24/2011

Or at least some assistance when we ask for it. If a parent isn't returning my phone calls, e-mails or signing notes, it's time for admin to take over. I have lessons to plan, papers to grade and students to teach.