Commissioner King Releases NYC Teacher and Principal Evaluation Plan

New York State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. today released his teacher and principal evaluation plan for New York City. Legislation enacted earlier this year mandated that King impose an Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plan for any district without an approved plan in place by May 29. New York City is the only district in the state to fail to meet that deadline. The APPR plan King announced today will remain in force through the 2016-2017 school year – and under state law, remains in place in perpetuity - unless and until a successor APPR agreement is reached through collective bargaining and is approved by the Commissioner. King said the plan announced today following submissions and testimony from affected parties, will identify excellence, facilitate high-quality professional development for principals and teachers, and provide each principal with the autonomy to build a strong staff while protecting teachers against arbitrary and capricious actions.

"It’s time," King said. "The students have waited too long. The plan I’m announcing today creates a multiple-measures evaluation system that’s fair for teachers and principals. More important, it will help improve teaching and learning and give New York City students a much better opportunity to graduate from high school with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and careers. There are strong measures to help remove ineffective teachers and principals, but let’s be clear: New York is not going to fire its way to academic success. The key to this plan is the training, support and professional development that must be put in place to help teachers and principals improve their practice.”

King congratulated Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Council of School Supervisors and Administrators President Ernest Logan for their successful efforts to reach an agreement on a New York City principal evaluation plan, which is reflected in the plan imposed by the Commissioner. Pressed and encouraged by the Commissioner throughout the arbitration hearing, both sides made meaningful compromises to reach a negotiated resolution. King said the agreement will help principals improve their practice and ensure every school in the city is led by an effective leader.

King said, “Over the past 15 months, the real purpose of this evaluation reform has been lost in the drama surrounding the negotiations. At the end of the day, this is all about helping teachers teach better so students can learn better. This plan does that. “The plan gives principals the tools they need to improve instruction in their schools. It will help struggling teachers and principals get better and help good teachers and principals become great. The plan builds on the strengths of the evaluation plan previously in place for principals in New York City. And, for the first time, the City has an evaluation plan that recognizes excellent teachers who can serve as models and mentors for their colleagues. The challenge is to bring the best teaching practices to every classroom in New York City. Today, we’ve moved a little closer to that goal.”

In 2009, the New York State Board of Regents launched an ambitious reform agenda focused on the straightforward goal of ensuring all New York State students are prepared for college and career success. The four pillars of that agenda are:

• Implementing the Common Core standards
• Building instructional data systems that support student success
• Recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals
• Turning around the lowest-achieving schools

In support of that agenda, in 2010 the Legislature adopted and the Governor signed into law Education Law Section 3012-c, a new law governing teacher and principal evaluations. In recognition of New York’s leadership in education reform under Board of Regents Chancellor Tisch, the U.S. Department of Education awarded New York a nearly $700 million Race To The Top grant. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the teacher and principal evaluation law was amended in 2012 to ensure greater rigor and effective implementation, including a requirement for the Commissioner to approve all evaluation plans (see Attachment A for details).

The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) and its bargaining units failed to meet the statutory January 17, 2013 deadline to fully implement standards and procedures for conducting evaluations and as a result did not qualify for an increase in state aid for the 2012-2013 school year. The state budget adopted earlier this year required any district that did not have an APPR plan in place on or before May 29, 2013, would have an evaluation plan imposed on it by the Commissioner after a two-day arbitration proceeding. Based on extensive evidence and the Commissioner’s judgment as to the best interest of the students in New York City, on June 1, 2013 the Commissioner imposed standards and procedures necessary to fully implement an APPR plan within the district.

The Commissioner’s decision and the posted Review Room plans are scheduled to be available by 8:00 PM this evening.

Attachment A