School District and Teachers Union Agree on Eval System

BRADENTON – Superintendent Rick Mills and Manatee Education Association President Pat Barber have announced an agreement on a new teacher evaluation system based on the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT) 2007 Edition.

The FFT is a research-based tool used as the basis for teacher evaluation systems in thousands of schools nationwide and overseas. The new system can be used for little cost to the district and has been adopted by hundreds of districts across Florida and the country including Hillsborough County Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District and Pittsburgh Public Schools.

By implementing the FFT, schools ensure a consistent process for evaluating teacher effectiveness that is based on a solid foundation of research and is demonstrated to be strongly correlated to student growth.

Florida teacher evaluations were reformed in 2011 when the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 736, which required school districts and local unions to negotiate performance pay salary schedules by 2014-15.

The same legislation mandates an evaluation containing certain components, including student growth measures to be in place in order to determine what teachers are eligible for performance pay. Starting this year, at least 50% of the new evaluation must be based on student learning gains.

Charlotte Danielson is an internationally recognized expert in the area of teacher effectiveness, specializing in the design of teacher evaluation systems that, while ensuring teacher quality, also promote professional learning.

The new system will be implemented on an established timeline beginning with a presentation by Danielson’s organization in April. (Click here to read the memorandum from Superintendent Mills and MEA President Barber).