Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said his department will begin to issue regulations on the implementation of the new TEACH NJ law in March, including the eagerly-awaited criteria for evaluating teachers. Under the new law a teacher who receives an ineffective rating will receive a corrective action plan and intensive peer support to remedy any weaknesses. A teacher who fails to improve to an effective rating in the next year will lose tenure.
TEACH NJ extends the process of earning tenure by requiring that new teachers complete a one-year mentorship program and earn an effective rating in three of the first four years in the classroom. Districts are currently in the process of selecting evaluation models, but the state regulations will influence including how student performance is to be used in the evaluations, the most controversial aspect, according to NJSpotlight.com.
The law includes a peer review component and a system of due process to ensure that no teacher loses tenure or is terminated unjustly and preserves seniority rights for workers in the event of layoff.