A race to evaluate
Governor Baldacci is pushing the pace for the development of the teacher and principal evaluation models that will be used to support Maine's Race To The Top grant application.
Stakeholders including MEA are being convened and directed to develop at least one acceptable model by May 14th. Under federal guidelines and the newly enacted LD 1799, student achievement data may be utilized in the evaluation process.
As enacted, LD 1799 requires school administrative districts to select one or more of the evaluation models developed by DOE and approved by a stakeholders' group comprising MEA, Maine Principals' Association, Maine School Boards Association, Maine School Superintendents Association, and Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities.
If school districts want to include student assessments as part of teacher evaluations, they must use one of the models developed at the state level. "We are hopeful that models can be developed that provide for fair evaluations," MEA President Chris Galgay. "We will categorically oppose any simplistic measures using student test scores."
More legislative news
The big debates in this session of the legislature were about funding and Race To The Top, but there were other issues of note.
* LD 570, An Act to Improve the Laws Governing the Consolidation of School Administrative Units, was signed into law providing greater flexibility for noncompliant school districts to conform to the school consolidation law.
The bill also establishes collective bargaining procedures for the Alternative Organizational Structures' (AOS) central offices if they become an employer of individuals in a collective bargaining unit who have previously been employed by a school unit.
* LD 1776, An Act to Protect Teacher Retirement Income, was enacted allowing teachers to purchase time for furlough days during school years 2009-10 and 2010-11. It helps teachers close to retirement buy back lost time to preserve their average final compensation.
* And, the legislature restored funding for the state stipend paid to National Board Certification for teachers in 2010-2011 which had been eliminated for 2009-2010.It will be prorated because the amount appropriated was not increased while the number of Board-certified teachers increased.
