MCEA Seeks Compromise with Maryland on Teacher Evaluation Plan, Gazette Reports

Maryland school systems ask for more time to draft changes to teacher evaluations
Changes still take effect next school year

By Jen Bondeson Staff Writer
Gazette, Tuesday, May 7, 2013

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"The Montgomery County Education Association, the county’s teachers union, is still hoping that Montgomery’s system can reach a compromise with the state, and has not yet started making revisions to its plan, said Doug Prouty, union president.

“We are trying to reach an agreement about what to do in the long term,” Prouty said by phone Tuesday.

The union has been talking to state and federal officials about what requirements the state has the authority to impose on Montgomery and Frederick counties regarding the evaluations, since the counties are the only two in the state that are not signed onto federal reform Race to the Top. Under the state’s Race to the Top agreement, half of teachers’ effectiveness must be rated based on student performance — 20 percent based on state test scores and the rest on other measures.

Montgomery and Frederick did not sign on for this reason. Despite that, now, the state has told the systems they have the same requirements as others. And unlike the other systems, Frederick and Montgomery will not receive financial backing to make the changes."

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