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GSCS Take - GSCS was invitied to a small group meeting on Thursday where Commissioner Schundler spoke about the reform concepts he would be announcing this past Friday...there are principles for which GSCS has advocated, but the 'how to' effect the new policies and the details for implementing are not yet defined, thus analysis remains to be done.
‘New Jersey education reforms unveiled’ Star-Ledger "With $400 million in federal funding up for grabs, Gov. Chris Christie's administration unveiled a sweeping plan Friday to overhaul the state's education system and pay teachers based on how their students perform in the classroom..."
‘Bonuses, longer wait for tenure among changes in education commissioner's overhaul’ The Record
Other highlights of the plan include:
• Giving county education executives a greater role in pushing districts to share services to reduce costs.
• Developing a centralized, state-of-the-art Web system to track student achievement data to see which teachers and methods are most successful, and giving schools the online resources to replicate them.
• Having teacher preparation courses put more emphasis on content courses, such as science, rather than theory.
• Creating a state pool of funds for bonuses to reward the most effective teachers and programs, especially those accelerating the growth of struggling students. Schundler said the size of the pool and the maximum individual bonuses have yet to be determined.
• Closing failing schools, which could be reopened by alternate providers.
• Giving teachers the chance to pilot alternatives to traditional and charter schools through the creation of board-approved, teacher-led academies.
• Establishing a comprehensive testing system that includes end-of-year, periodic and day-to-day assessments aligned with courses.
• Adopting national standards now being designed for English and math."
‘New Jersey education reforms unveiled’
Saturday, May 08, 2010
By Jeanette Rundquist and Kelly Heyboer Star-Ledger staff
With $400 million in federal funding up for grabs, Gov. Chris Christie's administration unveiled a sweeping plan Friday to overhaul the state's education system and pay teachers based on how their students perform in the classroom.
The proposal Ð which would fundamentally change how students, teachers and school districts are evaluated Ð was met with immediate skepticism from leaders of the state's powerful teachers' union, who questioned whether it would force educators to "teach to the test" to keep their jobs.
The overhaul plan will be included in New Jersey's new application for Race to the Top, a federal grant program the Obama administration is using to reward states for school reforms. New Jersey could get up to $400 million if selected.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder with the president on this," Gov. Chris Christie said. "This is an incredibly special moment in American history, where you have Republicans in New Jersey agreeing with a Democratic president on how to get reform."
Christie said adopting the proposed changes are "very necessary" to get the much-needed federal funding for the cash-strapped state. But it was unclear if the governor can get the reforms through the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
The New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, said it has doubts about the proposal. The plan is "terrible policy" that relies too heavily on standardized test scores, NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer said.
"If someone said to you, ÔYour job is dependent on raising student test scores,' what are you going to spend your time doing?" Wollmer said. "They will have to teach to the test all of the time."
New Jersey's first attempt for Race to the Top money was rejected in March. The NJEA was accused of dooming the state's chances by refusing to endorse the application. Wollmer said the NJEA has not decided whether to reject this application, too. "I don't think we've gotten to that point yet," he said.
The reforms unveiled Friday call for a new statewide computer system to track how each student in the state is doing every quarter. That data would be used to make decisions about everything from teacher pay to layoffs, state officials said.
Teachers would also have to wait five years, instead of three, to get tenure under the proposal. The state would also start a "bonus pool" to reward teachers who work in the state's lowest-performing districts and allow the best-performing teachers to open their own schools.
"It is our responsibility to implement these kinds of reforms," said Education Commissioner Bret Schundler, who unveiled the plan. "It is what is morally right and it will bring dramatic improvements in the education system to the benefit of all children."
However, Schundler said many details including the cost of the new statewide computer system Ð have not been worked out.
Schundler said his first step will be to ask the Legislature to approve a simple measure stating that New Jersey will use "student learning as the primary yardstick" for measuring teachers. He hopes legislation will be introduced the week of May 17 and approved before June 1, the day the Race to the Top application is due.
Asked if he thought the Legislature could work that quickly, Schundler said: "You might say it's a long shot. I'd say, is it worth it for $400 million?"
Other proposed changes include:
· Establishing a "teacher performance index" to evaluate teachers and school leaders. Students' performance in the classroom will count for at least 51 percent of their teachers' evaluations.
· Giving bonuses to teachers willing to work in classrooms with "a high proportion of at-risk students."
· Making layoff decisions based on teacher job evaluations, not seniority.
· Simplifying the system for closing failing schools, opening charter schools and creating small, teacher-led Achievement Academies within school districts.
· Overhauling the teacher credential system so more out-of-state candidates will be able to apply for open jobs.
Officials from all of the state's nearly 600 school districts were invited to discuss details of the proposal with Schundler on Monday at the War Memorial in Trenton. As of Friday, 389 people had agreed to attend, the state Department of Education said.
The initial reaction from education leaders was mixed.
"These are very innovative proposals. They have a lot of potential. We have to see how they will be implemented," said Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association.
Jim O'Neill, superintendent of the School District of the Chathams, was skeptical Christie would be able to implement any reforms after publicly feuding with the teachers union for months.
"I think it's a little naive to think you can attack teachers for three months and turn around and expect them to partner with you." O'Neill said.
Staff writers Kristen Alloway and Claire Heininger contributed to this report.
‘Bonuses, longer wait for tenure among changes in education commissioner's overhaul’
Friday, May 7, 2010
Last updated: Saturday May 8, 2010, 2:22 PM BY LESLIE BRODY The Record
Education Commissioner Bret Schundler laid out his vision for overhauling public schools Friday, saying he wants to give bonuses to the best teachers and make students’ progress count in tenure and layoff decisions.
To earn tenure, a new teacher would have to wait five years, instead of the current three, and would need to have a solid track record of boosting student achievement.
When teachers need to be laid off to cut costs, Schundler wants districts to keep the most effective ones, not necessarily those with the most seniority. That idea is a direct challenge to rules that require the newest employees in their subject areas get pink slips first.
Schundler said taking these steps to improve schools was “a matter of life and death for children, particularly in neighborhoods like mine” in Jersey City. “It’s morally right.”
He said about half his proposals require legislative approval, and he hopes that by June 1, lawmakers will pass a general statement requiring that student learning become a key part of awarding pay and promotions to teachers and school leaders. That step would bolster the state’s chance to win $400 million in federal grant money in the contest known as Race to the Top.
The New Jersey Education Association has long fought merit pay and using student test scores to judge teachers. But Schundler said doing so will boost accountability for schools and faculty.
“I would love to have the NJEA’s partnership on this, but I don’t think we will be able to get it at this point,” Schundler said.
The NJEA was quick to counter merit pay elements of Schundler’s plan, saying he lacked expertise in education and experience in the classroom.
“His only résumé in education is his attempt to privatize it,” said NJEA spokesman Steve Baker. The commissioner has been a vocal booster of charter schools and giving companies tax breaks to sponsor children in private schools.
Schundler’s plan requires at least half of a teacher’s evaluation be based on student achievement data. Baker said that was unfair because tests were unreliable, and many factors, such as poverty and parental support, affect student learning.
“When you’re making consequential decisions about people’s careers and livelihoods ... those measures are not adequate,” Baker said.
Schundler said that if the Legislature passes a broad law making student learning the “yardstick” for judging schools and staff, then details could be worked out in the future by department regulation or further bills. He said it could take a year for a committee of “stakeholders,” including teachers and principals, to determine exactly how to use test scores and other criteria to evaluate faculty.
he commissioner also wants to give bonuses to lure the most effective teachers to work with at-risk students in the most challenging classrooms. To inspire innovation, he would urge districts to let teachers launch their own small academies.
Governor Christie offered support Friday for this blueprint.
“This is an incredibly special moment in American history when you have a Republican governor in New Jersey agreeing with a Democratic president on how to get reform” in schools, Christie said at a press event. “The Legislature needs to decide … whether they’re willing to be part of the solution.”
Legislative leaders could not be reached for comment Friday night.
The Obama administration is trying to steer a national push to fix schools by awarding a total of $4.35 billion in Race to the Top grants. The contest gives points for using student growth to evaluate teachers, moving quickly to close failing schools, and raising the bar for academic standards. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said “only the best and boldest plans will win” funding; while union support is helpful, union rejection won’t torpedo an application.
Debates over merit pay are sure to be contentious. Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, supported the concept but said it would be a challenge to design fair measurements for quality teaching. He questioned what kind of criteria would be used to judge teachers in music and arts, for example, and asked how expectations would differ for academic gains in Montville versus Camden.
“The devil will be in the details,” Bozza said.
Schundler has called school chiefs from around the state to Trenton on Monday to hear the plan and give feedback in hopes they will sign onto the Race to the Top bid, which requires local endorsements.
“There’s not one silver bullet,” he said. “There’s a ton of hard work.”
Other highlights of the plan include:
- Giving county education executives a greater role in pushing districts to share services to reduce costs.
- Developing a centralized, state-of-the-art Web system to track student achievement data to see which teachers and methods are most successful, and giving schools the online resources to replicate them.
- Having teacher preparation courses put more emphasis on content courses, such as science, rather than theory.
- Creating a state pool of funds for bonuses to reward the most effective teachers and programs, especially those accelerating the growth of struggling students. Schundler said the size of the pool and the maximum individual bonuses have yet to be determined.
- Closing failing schools, which could be reopened by alternate providers.
- Giving teachers the chance to pilot alternatives to traditional and charter schools through the creation of board-approved, teacher-led academies.
- Establishing a comprehensive testing system that includes end-of-year, periodic and day-to-day assessments aligned with courses.
- Adopting national standards now being designed for English and math.
E-mail: brody@northjersey.com
