Teacher Evaluation plan that was included and passed in this year’s state budget.

There has been a lot of concern over the past few days about the Teacher Evaluation plan that was included and passed in this year’s state budget. This is our opportunity to take New York State's teacher evaluation policy out of the hands of politicians, and into the hands of education experts. By doing this we will be providing certainty to our teachers, in a time plagued with confusion and doubt.

When it comes to ensuring our children have access to the best education, a “one size fits all,” cookie cutter approach does not work, and will not work in the future. The legislation as written will allow the State Education Department to develop regulations, after a public comment period, to establish new requirements for teacher evaluations.  I strongly believe that these regulations should include the ability for high-performing school districts to design their own evaluation methods. By doing this we will allow the State Education Department to direct their attention and resources to those schools that need it most.

In doing this, the department must also focus on the unique diversity that makes our public school system so special and ensure that cultural and socioeconomic factors are being considered when developing these new evaluations.

We must continue to attract the best teachers to New York and we have been given a real chance to reform our state education system in a way that allows teachers to teach, students to learn, and those that need help to get resources immediately. I will work with teachers, parents, students and my colleagues to ensure that the Education department develops the evaluation system with strong input from our community, in a way that is both fair and cooperative. Our children's future depends on it.