NEW WAY TO EVALUATE TEXAS TEACHERS MAY NEED LAW CHANGE

  

State education officials told a House committee in Austin Wednesday that that the state’s proposed new teacher evaluation method would require a change in the state law.   This concern will need to be address when the State Legislature convenes again at the beginning of next year.

The new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System or T-TES, includes a federal mandate requiring school districts to base at least 20 percent of their teacher evaluations on ‘student growth’ data.  This would include test scores, starting in 2015.

The provision was required for Texas, which is seeking a waiver of certain student achievement mandates under the No Child Left Behind Act.

A lawyer for the Texas Education Agency says however, Texas law however, does not permit education officials to place such demands on local school districts.  Von Beyer told the House Committee on Public Education at Wednesday’s hearing that if they want to compet the use of minimum requirements that are part of the waiver process, they would need to legislate the change.