Increasing numbers of states, as well as local school districts, are working to develop teacher evaluation systems. The issue is being brought to the front burner by talk of reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Race to the Top requirements. It’s an important policy area and one that music educators in the United States should actively monitor.
NAfME learned that four Republican senators — Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) — announced their intention to release a series of bills intended to reauthorize parts of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
According to NAfME advocacy staff, much national dialogue, as well as extensive legislative and administrative action at the state and local level, has centered on the development of new protocols for the evaluation of teachers in American schools.
These protocols, which often span all disciplines, seem to rely largely on measures of achievement attained by students. NAfME urges all involved in the construction and implementation of these protocols and systems to carefully consider the importance of basing evaluation decisions on valid information. It is important for music educators and others involved in local schools to stay apprised of these issues in order to avert potential damage to school programs, teachers, and most of all, to students. To that end, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has prepared a position statement on the topic. It is a draft, and comments on the statement are encouraged. This statement, like all such NAfME statements, is meant to help give direction to decision-makers at the national, state, and local levels. Comment on Draft Position Statement Additional Information on teacher evaluations
ESEA Reauthorization Information
—Roz Fehr, September 15, 2011. © National Association for Music Education (nafme.org)
