Dive Brief:
- Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Barry Goode ruled against school reform organization Students Matter in its effort to force 13 school districts into using standardized test scores in teacher evaluations.
- The Los Angeles Times reports the lawsuit was based on a 1971 California act that requires schools to evaluate teachers in a way that “reasonably relates” to student progress toward established standards and, “if applicable,” to learning goals as measured by standardized tests, but the judge questioned how applicable and related to teacher performance student scores are.
- Students Matter could appeal the ruling, but has not announced yet whether it will. The group is pursuing another case in Connecticut that would expand school choice and increase the number of alternative public schools.
Dive Insight:
Students Matter also brought forth Vergara v. State of California, which threatened teacher tenure and seniority protections, but it was decided by the California Supreme Court in favor of teachers in August. Teachers have taken a large brunt of the blame for low-performing schools in recent years, even though parents still report being overwhelmingly satisfied with their own children’s teachers. In the abstract, education reformers have found scapegoats in the people who lead the nation’s classrooms. This has contributed to top-down reform efforts that limit teacher voice and control over their own lesson plans, which has, in turn, led to low morale across the profession.
High turnover among teachers is a major factor in regional teacher shortages, and the Learning Policy Institute has found better working conditions are the key to retention — even more than higher salaries. Teachers want more autonomy, a bigger say in school decision-making and more classroom resources.
