“But I think the methods are wrong,” she said.
From her years in a half-dozen Newark schools, she said there are weak teachers that a better evaluation system might catch, but also weak principals evaluating them that need their own reform movement.
And the testing that will serve as a benchmark of Christie’s new evaluation system?
Prescott described one of the best teachers she ever worked with who saved lives but never did get those scores up. “There are some who test well, and some who just don’t.” she said.
And to use those scores to provide merit pay? Prescott said it’s not an even playing field.
“After all the charters and magnet schools, they are left with some of the toughest kids,” she said. “How are you going to evaluate them on merit?”
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