Pols set to block teacher ratings' release
By ERIK KRISS Bureau Chief
Last Updated: 12:33 PM, June 20, 2012
ALBANY — The public be damned! The state Legislature is likely to pass a last ditch bill that would prevent the release of teacher evaluations, while letting parents see the ratings only of their kids’ instructors.
The measure, introduced by Gov. Cuomo just before midnight Monday, could pass before lawmakers head home for the year tomorrow, sources said yesterday.
The Democratic-controlled Assembly says it will pass it tomorrow.
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-LI) said his conference is reviewing the measure.
AP
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan would allow parents, not the public, to see teacher ratings.
Mayor Bloomberg, who favors full disclosure of teacher evaluations and has blasted any limitations, declined to comment.
The Cuomo legislation requires that schools “fully disclose and release” a teacher’s rating to parents of students in his or her class. Parents are entitled to receive a written or verbal summary that deems whether the classroom teacher is considered highly effective, effective, developing or ineffective.
The proposal also calls for publishing teachers’ ratings to the public by school, grade and subjects — but without the names attached.
In February, The Post published the ratings of thousands of teachers after winning a legal battle against the teachers union, which unsuccessfully sought to block the release.
Cuomo is siding with the unions and taking away that right.
The powerful city and state teachers unions voiced “strong support” for the measure, saying broad public disclosure of teachers’ names could “destroy employee morale, disrupt the operation of public schools and distract from the real work of our public schools.”
The head of the New York City Parents Union also praised the bill.
“It doesn’t put any legal requirements on parents, like FOILs [Freedom of Information Law requests] and silly confidentiality agreements,” said Mona Davids. “It gives us full access to information by phone or in person or e-mail.”
Cuomo confirmed yesterday that his bill was a take-it-or-leave-it offer, as The Post first reported.
“It is not an issue that I am prepared to compromise on at this time because we do not need to compromise on the bill at this time,” Cuomo said, noting most evaluations won’t even be done for a year or two.
“If the Senate or the Assembly wants to pass the bill, great. If not, I think it’ll further the dialogue and it’ll be an informed dialogue.”
Read more:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/l.....mdA8DN#ixzz1yN2DCCUt
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