How Should Teachers Be Evaluated?

With Pay-for Performance being talked about in many school districts and put into use by some, let’s consider how teacher performance might be judged. Should it be by student performance based on standardized test results? Does this mean that Pay-for Performance would result in even more time spent teaching to the tests? How might student performance be evaluated when using additional criteria? Some say judging on student performance isn’t enough, and add teacher attendance and teacher evaluations into the mix. —And just how do we evaluate teachers who are doing a good job of bringing 21^st Century Skills to their students? Mervis Stansbury of Study Island—Kentucky tackles this confusing topic in his article Teacher Quality Under the Microscope . Besides covering possible performance criteria, Stansbury brings up the idea of paying teachers significantly higher salaries in order to attract the best of college graduates into education and discusses high bonus pay for performance. It’s an article worth reading.